Cool!

The cool news this week at Claire's? "Just in time" air conditioning and television.

On a warm day - even our few truly hot days - the air at Claire's is now moderate and drier, thanks to a gift of air conditioning from our landlord, Housing Vermont, at the Bemis Block. Don't expect an arctic chill, however! We are still very committed to socially responsible and environmentally conscious practices. In our historic building, our beautiful sun absorbing plate glass windows are too big to be made to open, so we will use the air conditioning wisely to make our space more comfortable for you and for our staff - especially those working at the hot stove in the kitchen!

And if you were looking for a place for a refreshing drink and televised sports, think of Claire's. Our flat panel television has been installed, and the cable will be connected - not in time for the opening segments of the Tour de France this weekend, but check in with us to see if we're all set for Minnesota at Boston on Monday Night Baseball at 7 pm on ESPN.

Beginning next week, we'll look forward to some truly stunning Tour de France segments through the Loire Valley and the Massif Central, on to the Pyrenees, then along the Mediterranean Coast and through the Alps. For news and the complete schedule for the race, visit the Tour's official site:

http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/LIVE/us/100/index.html

For those who like a spoonful of chill, Steven has been preparing a wonderful Gazpacho with tomatoes and roasted broccoli. Or you might want to try his Thai-style mussels, spiced just enough to cool you down on a warm evening.