This post is a long overdue return to the Mestrelab World of Sports. We started the company in the first place because we were very interested in NMR peaks, then we added an MS plugin to Mnova as we were very interested in MS peaks, and, to carry on the same vein, Carlos and I undertook some close-up studies of Pyrenean peaks last week. In fairness, I think these peaks where the first ones we became interested in, many years ago, before either of us knew NMR even existed.

The fact is, we have followed cycling all our life, and when it comes to cycling the biggest event is the Tour de France, a gruelling 3 weeks of excessive exertion with a fascinating 108 year history which can be traced to the Dreyfuss affair and which you can read here (it is a truly interesting tale of human enterprise and courage, even if you are not interested in cycling, I really recommend you read it).

This year, La Grande Boucle, another name for the Tour de France, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first inclusion of the Pyrenees in its course, by spending longer than usual riding over the mountain chain which separates Spain from France. To us, lifelong cycling fans, this meant a combination of beautiful scenery, fantastic cuisine, great wines, hopefully good weather and many legendary climbs, so Carlos and I, with our childhood friend Nacho, headed for the Pyrenees with our bikes and our new Mestrelab Cycling Kit (One small confession, they headed out a couple of days earlier, I joined them a bit later)
For a week, with 2 bases at Arreau and then Luz St Sauveur (great place for an adventure or family holiday, BTW), we followed the Tour and took on some of the most famous, legendary, evocative and terrifying climbs in World cycling. Nacho and Carlos did Col d’Aspin, Aix 3 Domaines and Col de Peyresourde, I then joined them for Col d’Aubisque, Luz Ardiden and, leave the toughest for last, Col du Tourmalet. Last day, on the way home, I went over Tourmalet again on the way to the airport (nearly managed to miss my flight!!!) to compensate for the initial climbs I missed.

I could not recommend this area more. The scenery is beautiful (if you are ever there make sure you visit the Cirque de Gavarnie), you can have some great food (check out Hotel des Templiers in Luz St Sauveur and Viscos in Argelles Gazost, at the foot of Soulor/Aubisque, but in both cases book the previous day) and all kinds of outdoor activities can be undertaken (trekking, rafting, canoeing, abseiling, bungee jumping, rock climbing, etc.). If you are into cycling, then it is as good as it gets, with both the huge mountains or easy accessible rides on beautiful cycle paths!

So, after many hard climbs, and weather that ranged from good to bad to terrible, the main lesson was that starting and running a company is not really very hard and, whatever our customers and users expect from us, it has to be easier than climbing the Tourmalet on a bike in the driving rain!

Santi Mestrelab, Reviews and Publications, Trips and business development Mestrelab World of Sports, Tour de France No comments Leave a comment

Pulpo a feira (Octopus Party Style), the traditional Galician recipe

Still on the subject of celebrations after the Spanish World Cup victory, the team at Mestrelab decided to go out to lunch yesterday to eat some of the local octopuses. Don’t worry, we did not eat Paul the Octopus, he is now far too expensive, just some of his distant cousins. Octopus is a staple of the Galician diet, and, following suggestions that after Paul’s predictions we should not eat ‘Pulpo’ in Spain ever again, we did our best and lasted a whole 24 hrs without touching it!

I have to say the wait was worth it, these guys were delicious!

Part of the Mestrelab team taking good care of the octopuses. From bottom right, and anticlockwise, Roberto (accountant), Maruxa (Developer), Cris (Office Manager), Jose (Developer), Carlos (President), Santi (CEO), Oleg (Developer), Isaac (Developer) and Santi (Developer). Dani (marketing) is behind the camera. We did not have time to give the octopuses names.

Our prediction prior to going to the ‘Pulpería’ (Octopus Restaurant) was that Mestrelab would eat 5 portions of octopus and that the octopus would not eat anything of Mestrelab’s. The prediction came true, proving again that any predictions involving octopusses are amazingly accurate. So, you know what to do, next time you choose your lottery numbers, eat some octopus whilst doing it (or alternatively ask an octopus)

By the way, if you are interested in trying this out, these are 2 ways to do it:

1. Cheap and hard, quite satisfying: Cook it yourself following this recipe

2.  More expensive, very easy and guaranteed satisfaction: visit us at Mestrelab and we will take you out to the Pulperia!!!

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The Spanish football team parade the trophy in Madrid

So, here we go!!!! We are all celebrating at Mestrelab, after watching the very exciting, although not too pretty for the purist, World Cup football final!

For years, Spain was taunted as an underachieving nation when it came to football. But in the last 2 years, they have first become the best football team in Europe and now in the World. It is great to see that the footballers are catching up with the software developers and that we will no longer be known only for making the best analytical chemistry software

Congratulations, Spain!!!!!

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