French bowling? Yes, petanque's got swank

PARIS -- French elegance it isn't, but this summer French boules are cool.

More specifically petanque, a particularly un-athletic form of bowling usually associated with pastis-sozzled, flat-capped old men of Provence, is now the height of hipster fashion.

From the cool canal quays of Paris to the heart of celebrity-strewn Saint-Tropez, bright young things are whiling away long summer evenings lobbing large metal balls at a small wooden one.

Men have been testing their dexterity and skill with similar games for as long as time itself: the International Petanque Federation's website suggests that Adam and Eve could have played a version with apples.

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Europe's latest craze: electric bikes

My electric bike is no batmobile, but it makes me feel like a superhero.

The motor is so quiet it's easy to forget it's there when I'm pedaling through the streets of Paris - only I move much faster than a regular bike rider and I don't sweat. When I ride uphill, it feels like someone is giving me a push.

The silver Chinese import that I bought for 300 euros ($470) might not look as flashy as Christian Bale's wheels in "The Dark Knight," but it is much cheaper to run and kinder to the environment, too.

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She loves the man, but just isn't a racing fan

MONZA, Italy - Spare a thought for the weekend widow.

If your spouse has a passion - be it for football, fishing or Formula 1 - and you don't want to lose him (or her) for significant periods of your leisure time, there is only one option: Join him.

That's how I came to take my ultimate spousal endurance test: a three-day weekend at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, otherwise known as the temple of speed. In a tent.

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