The adventure doesn't stop simply because we are going back home. Paris is an astoundingly interesting town and between the hotel and the airplane, there some things of note.
We ordered a car service to the airport and our driver was a energetic 21 year old. He had French rap on the radio and he was outspoken about his feelings. He actually stopped at a street cafe on the way to airport to get himself some coffee and a croissant while we waited. Outrageous by American standards but we were amused by it. We had plenty of time. He said his dream was to go to America (I heard this several times) and drive American cars. There are very little American cars in Paris.
The subject of women came up and he made a list: First is futbol, then automobiles, then women, maybe. He's 21 alright. Wait, I think that way too. Just substitute cycling for futbol and computers for automobiles. My brain must be 21.
At the airport, we experienced the usual inconsistencies with baggage fees in relation to the bikes. We managed to dodge yet another bullet and didn't have to pay anything.
We got to the gate a bit early and noticed the average weight of the people around me had gone up. Of course it was higher. I was in an area with mostly Americans going back to Chicago. The French are noticeably thinner. Perhaps all the smoking helps with that.
It's goodbye to Paris for now. I do anticipate another trip there as I still want to see and do certain things. Thanks for reading.
Bonsoir-Ric
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Day 7 - Trouble in the Streets
After not doing much except the Longchamps ride yesterday, I wanted to knock out a few items today. First on the list was Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli. It's a very fancy chocolat boutique. It was recommended by my cousin Gus in Miami. I had to go or he might hold that over my head and say, "Dude, you missed out man!" I purchased two chocolate bouchees. Those two little items cost almost 7 Euro. Rent on the Rue de Rivoli must be very high. They also need to pay for the extravagant environment at this place.
Dale purchased the hot chocolate l'Africain. I am not a fan of hot chocolate but this stuff...WOW!! It's decadent. lethally rich, liquid chocoate. The best I have ever had. We didn't try their famous Mont Blanc. I can try it next time.
The next stop was also a Gus suggestion: Pierre Hermé in St Germain, another fancy chocolate boutique. I bought a caramel macaron and packed it in my bag along with the bouchees for consumption later.
A bike shop was next on our list. It was suggested by our American contact here in Paris, Andrew, as a possible track bike resource as I wanted to race at the Vincennes track. We located the store in a somewhat rundown part of town. The shop itself was a hole in the wall packed tight with all sorts of vintage parts. There was a chrome bike by the front window that had a €3950 price tag on it. It must have been an antique. With all the crap in there, that was an unlikely sight. The shop was closed and this little paper sign on the door stated that it would open at 15:37. An odd time I thought. We decided to take off to our next objective.
We started to see lower-tier street markets and not-so-friendly looking people on the street. We were not in the tourist zone for sure. However, it wasn't so bad that we needed to worry about our safety. This changed a bit when I noticed a heated argument in the street. Traffic was blocked and some police officers came in to break it up. I stopped and started filming the scene. One guy objected to this and started to let me know about it. He even nudged my camera a bit. Another guy got in my face and started asking me why I was filming this. I didn't understand his french but I knew what he was saying. I wish I could have said, "Because it's interesting." I just shrugged my shoulders and put my camera away. He started to reach for my bag and I gathered that he wanted to take my camera. I stiffened up and pulled on my bag hard. He backed off and motioned for me to leave. So we did.
It intrigued me that this young 20-something guy would care so much about a simple filming. I would imagine that in the U.S., a kid like that could care less. Perhaps he saw it as an invasion of privacy or some other sort of social faux pas. He is someone I could have handled physically but with a crowd around me and Dale getting concerned, we left.
We crossed back through the tourist-zone membrane and stopped for another of Dale's beloved art nouveau metro entrances. While he snapped his shots, I helped out two British women with directions. It's always to nice to connect with english-speaking people in a non-english-speaking milieu.
The Café des Deux Moulins was an intermediary stop for us as Dale recognized this locale as a scene in the movie Amelie. Required pics were taken.
The Moulin Rouge was right around the corner. Numerous tourists were there taking shots with dancing poses. I wanted to see a show but with tickets starting at €150, I decided to skip it. We hung out in the sun for a while and continued on.
La Maison du Chocolat was our third chocolate shop of the day. One could really gain some weight here with all these decadent sweets. That's why cycling (and other activities) is so important. You bring you exercise regimen into your vacation and that negates any diet fluctuations. Plus, you get to experience new venues for your sport such as parks, paths, etc.
I had two scoops of ice cream instead of chocolate this time. One scoop of special vanilla and the other scoop of pistachio. Delectable to say the least. Dale was certainly pleased with the quality of his sorbet and the other items he purchased.
After showering at the hotel, we walked over to the Galeries Lafayette. This is a very nice shopping center spanning three buildings. The interior space showcases a 10-story ceiling with stained glass. We went to the souvenir section and bought a couple of t-shirts and refrigerator magnets. I buy magnets in every significant town as a nice memory of my vacation. I go into my frig so often that I get reminded frequently.
The gourmet grocery section was hideously expensive. The beluga caviar was €180 per kilo. I have never seen beluga caviar before. There huso variety was even more expensive. I looked briefly online and I saw prices that are way higher.
I bought some pancetta to compare it the stuff I buy here. I tried sampling it afterwards but it was took hard to chew. I also bought some canned duck foie gras for €22. I hope it's as delicious as the other stuff I had.
Dinner was at a Bistro Romain on Boulevard des Italiens. I had the Spaghetti Bolognaise after some foie gras and toast. Delicious as usual. After walking back to the hotel, I rode over to Haagen-Dazs one last time and ordered the usual. I took the ride home a little slower as it was my last one in Paris, at least for a while. The bike was packed. The suitcase was packed. I even had time to surf the web before I went to sleep.
Bonsoir.
Dale purchased the hot chocolate l'Africain. I am not a fan of hot chocolate but this stuff...WOW!! It's decadent. lethally rich, liquid chocoate. The best I have ever had. We didn't try their famous Mont Blanc. I can try it next time.
The next stop was also a Gus suggestion: Pierre Hermé in St Germain, another fancy chocolate boutique. I bought a caramel macaron and packed it in my bag along with the bouchees for consumption later.
A bike shop was next on our list. It was suggested by our American contact here in Paris, Andrew, as a possible track bike resource as I wanted to race at the Vincennes track. We located the store in a somewhat rundown part of town. The shop itself was a hole in the wall packed tight with all sorts of vintage parts. There was a chrome bike by the front window that had a €3950 price tag on it. It must have been an antique. With all the crap in there, that was an unlikely sight. The shop was closed and this little paper sign on the door stated that it would open at 15:37. An odd time I thought. We decided to take off to our next objective.
We started to see lower-tier street markets and not-so-friendly looking people on the street. We were not in the tourist zone for sure. However, it wasn't so bad that we needed to worry about our safety. This changed a bit when I noticed a heated argument in the street. Traffic was blocked and some police officers came in to break it up. I stopped and started filming the scene. One guy objected to this and started to let me know about it. He even nudged my camera a bit. Another guy got in my face and started asking me why I was filming this. I didn't understand his french but I knew what he was saying. I wish I could have said, "Because it's interesting." I just shrugged my shoulders and put my camera away. He started to reach for my bag and I gathered that he wanted to take my camera. I stiffened up and pulled on my bag hard. He backed off and motioned for me to leave. So we did.
It intrigued me that this young 20-something guy would care so much about a simple filming. I would imagine that in the U.S., a kid like that could care less. Perhaps he saw it as an invasion of privacy or some other sort of social faux pas. He is someone I could have handled physically but with a crowd around me and Dale getting concerned, we left.
We crossed back through the tourist-zone membrane and stopped for another of Dale's beloved art nouveau metro entrances. While he snapped his shots, I helped out two British women with directions. It's always to nice to connect with english-speaking people in a non-english-speaking milieu.
The Café des Deux Moulins was an intermediary stop for us as Dale recognized this locale as a scene in the movie Amelie. Required pics were taken.
The Moulin Rouge was right around the corner. Numerous tourists were there taking shots with dancing poses. I wanted to see a show but with tickets starting at €150, I decided to skip it. We hung out in the sun for a while and continued on.
La Maison du Chocolat was our third chocolate shop of the day. One could really gain some weight here with all these decadent sweets. That's why cycling (and other activities) is so important. You bring you exercise regimen into your vacation and that negates any diet fluctuations. Plus, you get to experience new venues for your sport such as parks, paths, etc.
I had two scoops of ice cream instead of chocolate this time. One scoop of special vanilla and the other scoop of pistachio. Delectable to say the least. Dale was certainly pleased with the quality of his sorbet and the other items he purchased.
After showering at the hotel, we walked over to the Galeries Lafayette. This is a very nice shopping center spanning three buildings. The interior space showcases a 10-story ceiling with stained glass. We went to the souvenir section and bought a couple of t-shirts and refrigerator magnets. I buy magnets in every significant town as a nice memory of my vacation. I go into my frig so often that I get reminded frequently.
The gourmet grocery section was hideously expensive. The beluga caviar was €180 per kilo. I have never seen beluga caviar before. There huso variety was even more expensive. I looked briefly online and I saw prices that are way higher.
I bought some pancetta to compare it the stuff I buy here. I tried sampling it afterwards but it was took hard to chew. I also bought some canned duck foie gras for €22. I hope it's as delicious as the other stuff I had.
Dinner was at a Bistro Romain on Boulevard des Italiens. I had the Spaghetti Bolognaise after some foie gras and toast. Delicious as usual. After walking back to the hotel, I rode over to Haagen-Dazs one last time and ordered the usual. I took the ride home a little slower as it was my last one in Paris, at least for a while. The bike was packed. The suitcase was packed. I even had time to surf the web before I went to sleep.
Bonsoir.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Day 6 - All Business
Nothing was really on the agenda today except to hit the Longchamps ride at 5:30 P.M. The racing season is still on after all and I need to keep training. We did catch up on blogging and other mundane details. I wanted to go this ride fresh and not after riding around town for several hours. Dale went to this Meditereannean joint and got us lunch to go while I wrote the Day 5 blog. Pretty good and cheap by Paris standards. It reminds me of Pita Inn for it's value and amount of food.
We set out for Longchamps at 5 and it took us about 30 minutes to get there. I jumped into the fastest group as soon as they went by. I wasn't really warmed up as well as I would have liked since you can't really ride for very long in Paris without stopping. I was ok and went to the front several times. It really is a constant grind. I am not used to it since out group rides are always stopped by traffic lights. I tried to hydrate but I started cramping after 75 minutes. I pushed on and started doing some good efforts until I noticed that there were only 4 of us left out 50-60 guys. I guess those other guys finally had enough. My new group stopped riding hard shortly after that. I pulled out and found Dale. He was riding in the other groups which really worked out well. One can go to the ride with guys of varying abilities without losing anybody. The ride total for me was 95 minutes. That was enough. I think I would become even more fit if I did this kind of training on a more regular basis. I filmed most of the ride with the video camera. I will look at that when I get home.
After resting a bit, we started back to our neighborhood. On the way back, we passed by the Eiffel Tower (as well a number of other notable buildings). Who can say that about their weekly ride? We picked a random restaurant called Cafe Clovis. I had the French Sausage and Dale had the Reserved Duck. Both delicious. I took off early so I could make it to the Haagen-Dazs. Dale stayed for dessert but in the end he decided against it. We both showed up at the hotel at the same time.
We need to hit a few things tomorrow and wrap up this gratifying vacation. Until tomorrow.
Bonsoir.
We set out for Longchamps at 5 and it took us about 30 minutes to get there. I jumped into the fastest group as soon as they went by. I wasn't really warmed up as well as I would have liked since you can't really ride for very long in Paris without stopping. I was ok and went to the front several times. It really is a constant grind. I am not used to it since out group rides are always stopped by traffic lights. I tried to hydrate but I started cramping after 75 minutes. I pushed on and started doing some good efforts until I noticed that there were only 4 of us left out 50-60 guys. I guess those other guys finally had enough. My new group stopped riding hard shortly after that. I pulled out and found Dale. He was riding in the other groups which really worked out well. One can go to the ride with guys of varying abilities without losing anybody. The ride total for me was 95 minutes. That was enough. I think I would become even more fit if I did this kind of training on a more regular basis. I filmed most of the ride with the video camera. I will look at that when I get home.
After resting a bit, we started back to our neighborhood. On the way back, we passed by the Eiffel Tower (as well a number of other notable buildings). Who can say that about their weekly ride? We picked a random restaurant called Cafe Clovis. I had the French Sausage and Dale had the Reserved Duck. Both delicious. I took off early so I could make it to the Haagen-Dazs. Dale stayed for dessert but in the end he decided against it. We both showed up at the hotel at the same time.
We need to hit a few things tomorrow and wrap up this gratifying vacation. Until tomorrow.
Bonsoir.
Day 5 - London
How exciting. Another new country for me. We woke up at 7 A.M. and were on our bikes to the train station by 7:45 A.M. I hadn't ridden this early in Paris before. The lighter traffic was nice. It was only a 10-15 minute ride to the station. We found the Eurostar registered luggage area and left the bikes there. We sat down and had a light breakfast but forgot that this wasn't a normal train trip. We forgot that we had to do the passport and security thing. I like to board trains ands planes later than most people since I would rather sit in a small seat as little as possible. So when we saw the customs people, we knew that we might miss the train. We did. Damnation!
It was okay though. We chatted with one of the Eurostar employees about the Tour de France and stuff. He was quite knowledgable and brought up Greg Lemond's victory in '89. We only had to wait an hour so no big deal. We boarded coach #17. A Chinese tourist came up and claimed that we were sitting in her seat. Another mistake. We had to run to coach #5. The adventure doesn't stop. We weren't in any danger of missing a second train however.
I like these fast trains. You see the countryside whipping by at top speed and you get to your next destination very quickly. I didn't ask how fast we were going but Dale said he heard it topped out at about 180 mph. In the U.S. the limitation is 79 mph.
We arrived in London at around 11:30 A.M. local time. It's always a neat feeling when you first step out into the street in a new country. You instantly see the differences from your own country. The cars, the architecture, the people, and in this case, the driving on the left side of the road. We put on our jerseys and cycling shoes and rode off into the English wilderness.
I am not intimidated by new environments so I jumped into traffic right away. Riding on the left side isn't a big deal but you have to adjust a bit. You have to remember to look left when you are in the middle of the street and not right. That can be potentially deadly if you forget this fact. I forgot that fact. Once.
Once was enough.
Our first stop was Kensington Palace. I plotted the route and set out for our first adventure. We made it to Hyde Park, where the palace is located, and rode in. We both had to pee and, like Paris, there are absolutely no public toilets. Also, the predominant design of the parks and neighborhoods do not allow for a quick pee. There no places to hide. I am not endorsing public urination but as cyclists, who hydrate constantly, we need places where we can go. I don't want to buy a Coke Light for 3 Euro in a Brasserie every time I want to go either. We found a tree with low-lying branches and found relief.
The palace was okay but not very ostentatious. I didn't even take any pictures. I did try to take notice of the poeple. At first glance, they are not as attractive or slim as Parisians. They also seem a bit frumpy. The environment also is not as lively as Paris where you see people having their coffees in the countless brasseries.
After passing by Royal Albert Hall, we proceeded to Buckingham Palace. There were a number of tourists there and the palace was definitely nicer. We saw the royal guard there doing their thing. We took the required pics and took off. I am finding myself not as excited about the London stuff as I am about the Paris environment. But don't get me wrong, I was having a good time. But once you have experienced Paris, everything else suffers by comparison.
Next on the list was Big Ben. The traffic was thick all day long and it was no exception on this leg of the trip. You are getting nowhere fast. The big, wide buses get in the way a lot. My urban riding skills were fully employed and I sliced through the cars as best as I could. The London drivers are accustomed to the motorcycles and cyclists cutting through so I experienced no honking at all.
Seeing Big Ben in person was very cool. The adjoining House of Parliament was astounding to see in person. It is a huge gothic structure. That's the most gothic these eyes have ever seen. It was a bit chilly so I put my arm warmers on. I looked around at saw a guy playing some bagpipes. There were plenty of tourists including some Japanese ladies in traditional dress.
A minor snafu occurred en route to the next destination. Dale and I got separated and for 20 minutes, I thought we were going to have a major problem. We did eventually hook back up and rode out to Tower Bridge. I put my new video camera on the handlebars and turned it on. I hope it films well.
There was a boat passing through right when we got to the bridge and a bunch of local cyclists gathered at the front. Dale chatted it up with them. They were good-natured and spirited unlike the frumpy individuals I had seen earlier. Moral? Cycling cures frumpiness.
When Dale was lost (I never get lost), he saw Trafalgar Square so we had finished what he wanted to see. We then rode to a restaurant Dale found on the internet. It was a pub/restaurant called Porter's. I ordered the Wild Boar sausage. Yummy!! Dale had a lamb/apricot pie. It was very good as well.
Around the corner was a little square with some outdoor dining and street performers. Pretty cool but Paris puts it to shame and has many of these. We bought some souvenirs at a flea market nearby. The shop people were lively souls. Maybe only half of London is frumpy.
It was off to the train station. We arrived with plenty of time. I recorded several videos with my bike cam. They had better come out okay or Ric may have to run amok for a while.
We boarded the train safely and in time and rocketed off to Paris. I was glad to get back "home". I like the feeling of Paris. A lot. Of course it's just a skewed and incomplete look at this city. I could never afford to live in the nice part and I don't know how it would be work here, etc. But as a tourist? WOW! Everyone should come here. If there is one drawback, it seems like half the people smoke. Thank God they don't allow smoking indoors.
We got on our bikes, rode back to hotel, hit the Internet, and went to sleep.
Bonsoir.
It was okay though. We chatted with one of the Eurostar employees about the Tour de France and stuff. He was quite knowledgable and brought up Greg Lemond's victory in '89. We only had to wait an hour so no big deal. We boarded coach #17. A Chinese tourist came up and claimed that we were sitting in her seat. Another mistake. We had to run to coach #5. The adventure doesn't stop. We weren't in any danger of missing a second train however.
I like these fast trains. You see the countryside whipping by at top speed and you get to your next destination very quickly. I didn't ask how fast we were going but Dale said he heard it topped out at about 180 mph. In the U.S. the limitation is 79 mph.
We arrived in London at around 11:30 A.M. local time. It's always a neat feeling when you first step out into the street in a new country. You instantly see the differences from your own country. The cars, the architecture, the people, and in this case, the driving on the left side of the road. We put on our jerseys and cycling shoes and rode off into the English wilderness.
I am not intimidated by new environments so I jumped into traffic right away. Riding on the left side isn't a big deal but you have to adjust a bit. You have to remember to look left when you are in the middle of the street and not right. That can be potentially deadly if you forget this fact. I forgot that fact. Once.
Once was enough.
Our first stop was Kensington Palace. I plotted the route and set out for our first adventure. We made it to Hyde Park, where the palace is located, and rode in. We both had to pee and, like Paris, there are absolutely no public toilets. Also, the predominant design of the parks and neighborhoods do not allow for a quick pee. There no places to hide. I am not endorsing public urination but as cyclists, who hydrate constantly, we need places where we can go. I don't want to buy a Coke Light for 3 Euro in a Brasserie every time I want to go either. We found a tree with low-lying branches and found relief.
The palace was okay but not very ostentatious. I didn't even take any pictures. I did try to take notice of the poeple. At first glance, they are not as attractive or slim as Parisians. They also seem a bit frumpy. The environment also is not as lively as Paris where you see people having their coffees in the countless brasseries.
After passing by Royal Albert Hall, we proceeded to Buckingham Palace. There were a number of tourists there and the palace was definitely nicer. We saw the royal guard there doing their thing. We took the required pics and took off. I am finding myself not as excited about the London stuff as I am about the Paris environment. But don't get me wrong, I was having a good time. But once you have experienced Paris, everything else suffers by comparison.
Next on the list was Big Ben. The traffic was thick all day long and it was no exception on this leg of the trip. You are getting nowhere fast. The big, wide buses get in the way a lot. My urban riding skills were fully employed and I sliced through the cars as best as I could. The London drivers are accustomed to the motorcycles and cyclists cutting through so I experienced no honking at all.
Seeing Big Ben in person was very cool. The adjoining House of Parliament was astounding to see in person. It is a huge gothic structure. That's the most gothic these eyes have ever seen. It was a bit chilly so I put my arm warmers on. I looked around at saw a guy playing some bagpipes. There were plenty of tourists including some Japanese ladies in traditional dress.
A minor snafu occurred en route to the next destination. Dale and I got separated and for 20 minutes, I thought we were going to have a major problem. We did eventually hook back up and rode out to Tower Bridge. I put my new video camera on the handlebars and turned it on. I hope it films well.
There was a boat passing through right when we got to the bridge and a bunch of local cyclists gathered at the front. Dale chatted it up with them. They were good-natured and spirited unlike the frumpy individuals I had seen earlier. Moral? Cycling cures frumpiness.
When Dale was lost (I never get lost), he saw Trafalgar Square so we had finished what he wanted to see. We then rode to a restaurant Dale found on the internet. It was a pub/restaurant called Porter's. I ordered the Wild Boar sausage. Yummy!! Dale had a lamb/apricot pie. It was very good as well.
Around the corner was a little square with some outdoor dining and street performers. Pretty cool but Paris puts it to shame and has many of these. We bought some souvenirs at a flea market nearby. The shop people were lively souls. Maybe only half of London is frumpy.
It was off to the train station. We arrived with plenty of time. I recorded several videos with my bike cam. They had better come out okay or Ric may have to run amok for a while.
We boarded the train safely and in time and rocketed off to Paris. I was glad to get back "home". I like the feeling of Paris. A lot. Of course it's just a skewed and incomplete look at this city. I could never afford to live in the nice part and I don't know how it would be work here, etc. But as a tourist? WOW! Everyone should come here. If there is one drawback, it seems like half the people smoke. Thank God they don't allow smoking indoors.
We got on our bikes, rode back to hotel, hit the Internet, and went to sleep.
Bonsoir.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Day 4 - Salvation is Achieved
We got somewhat of a late start today by waking up at 10:30. The extra sleep was nice though. We were also delayed since I had to find a replacement video camera. I had the front desk guy call Oregon Scientific's Paris office. They referred us to a department store called Bazaar de l'Hotel de Ville. We set out at one o'clock for this store as our first stop of the day. Dale watched the bikes as I went up to the 5th floor. The elevators are markedly smaller than in the U.S. I have noticed. A store employee instantly recognized my camera and pointed me an Oregon Scientific display case that contained my camera. It was on sale no less and there were 16 of them available! This is an item that would not be found on a store shelf in Chicago. I couldn't be more pleased. The Champs-Elysees will be filmed after all.
The tourist portion of today's ride took us to Montematre. At the top of this hill is the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. The climb to the top was really no big deal. There was, however, a lot of tourists in the middle of the street that forced us off our bikes. There is a nice view of Paris from up there but the Eiffel Tower is not visible. The required pics were taken and we were off.
I had to get to the Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Bologne. This is one of two horse tracks in this park. I was told that many cyclists meet there and do laps on a roughly 2-mile flat circuit around the track. I was here on my last Paris trip but the fast guys were not there. Traffic on the way there was pretty thick. The motorbikes cut and slice though the traffic and plug the holes I would normally take through the cars. The lanes are a bit smaller too. The driving is a little aggressive but no one goes too fast and hardly anyone honks or gets angry. The motorists are totally accustomed to the motorbikes so the cyclists benefit from that.
We arrived at Longchamps and, to my delight, I observed a big group of fast guys go by. Dale was gracious enough to take my shoulder bag and I jumped right in when they came around again. I was thrilled to be in a pack of Parisian racer types. I was actually in a slower group at first when the faster group started to pass us. I obviously abandoned the slower guys for my new "friends". I made it to the front and traded pulls with a couple of strong tri guys and a young road guy. There was about 50-60 riders in my group. I rode around for about an hour and pulled off as I was feeling a little pooped. I can describe the ride a long consistent grind with some break attempts. I did some counting and there were about 175 riders total riding around in various groups.
There is no official start or finish to this ride. People start showing at 4 P.M. and start leaving around 7:30 to 8 P.M. This means one can conceivably ride around for 3.5 hours at a pretty good clip. I feel tired already thinking of it. Paris has so many criss-crossing streets that it is impossible to do a group ride on an actual route so their only option is do laps on this circuit. The course is closed to traffic by the way. Also, there is another park in Vincennes where they do the same thing. I can see getting major league burned out very quickly. I would have to piecemeal it by doing the ride twice during the week and that's it. On the weekends, I would either race or ride on more rural roads.
We decided it was better to eat dinner right away so we stopped at a brasserie called Le Carousel. The food was delicious as always. The Rue de Rivoli is a very busy street so it was little noisy for dinner but after a while we tuned it out. I stopped at the Haagen Dazs store for my macadamia brittle ice cream and rode back the hotel. Tomorrow we travel to London on the train. Yes, of course we are taking our bikes. Bonsoir.
The tourist portion of today's ride took us to Montematre. At the top of this hill is the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. The climb to the top was really no big deal. There was, however, a lot of tourists in the middle of the street that forced us off our bikes. There is a nice view of Paris from up there but the Eiffel Tower is not visible. The required pics were taken and we were off.
I had to get to the Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Bologne. This is one of two horse tracks in this park. I was told that many cyclists meet there and do laps on a roughly 2-mile flat circuit around the track. I was here on my last Paris trip but the fast guys were not there. Traffic on the way there was pretty thick. The motorbikes cut and slice though the traffic and plug the holes I would normally take through the cars. The lanes are a bit smaller too. The driving is a little aggressive but no one goes too fast and hardly anyone honks or gets angry. The motorists are totally accustomed to the motorbikes so the cyclists benefit from that.
We arrived at Longchamps and, to my delight, I observed a big group of fast guys go by. Dale was gracious enough to take my shoulder bag and I jumped right in when they came around again. I was thrilled to be in a pack of Parisian racer types. I was actually in a slower group at first when the faster group started to pass us. I obviously abandoned the slower guys for my new "friends". I made it to the front and traded pulls with a couple of strong tri guys and a young road guy. There was about 50-60 riders in my group. I rode around for about an hour and pulled off as I was feeling a little pooped. I can describe the ride a long consistent grind with some break attempts. I did some counting and there were about 175 riders total riding around in various groups.
There is no official start or finish to this ride. People start showing at 4 P.M. and start leaving around 7:30 to 8 P.M. This means one can conceivably ride around for 3.5 hours at a pretty good clip. I feel tired already thinking of it. Paris has so many criss-crossing streets that it is impossible to do a group ride on an actual route so their only option is do laps on this circuit. The course is closed to traffic by the way. Also, there is another park in Vincennes where they do the same thing. I can see getting major league burned out very quickly. I would have to piecemeal it by doing the ride twice during the week and that's it. On the weekends, I would either race or ride on more rural roads.
We decided it was better to eat dinner right away so we stopped at a brasserie called Le Carousel. The food was delicious as always. The Rue de Rivoli is a very busy street so it was little noisy for dinner but after a while we tuned it out. I stopped at the Haagen Dazs store for my macadamia brittle ice cream and rode back the hotel. Tomorrow we travel to London on the train. Yes, of course we are taking our bikes. Bonsoir.
Day 3 - Disaster Strikes
Welcome to the third day of my Paris vacation recap. I did have trouble sleeping as I figured but I did get a few hours in. Our first stop of the day is by the Bois de Boulogne where we were going to meet Andrew, a friend of a friend in Chicago.
I finally attached a video camera, one that I have owned since last December, onto the handlebar. I was excited to be filming riding in Paris. I started the camera right away and within minutes, we were on the Champs-Elysees. It was bumpy and I was tearing through the traffic. It was going to be an awesome video. All of sudden the camera pops off the bike and onto the street. I turned around as fast as I could but a couple of cars ran over it and the camera was nonfunctional. Destroyed in 5 minutes. I was very upset. I hope the recording was okay at least.
We arrived at noon at the agreed upon meeting site and proceeded to this little Thai takeout place. I ordered the chicken dish that came with a pudding/apple dessert. Andrew was quite pleasant and he brought a map to show us where the good riding in Paris is. He also agreed to inquire about the the track and local racing scene. I normally don't eat a meal while riding but today was not to be a fast day.
We parted ways and started riding to a series of locales that Dale wanted to see. The first was to an original Art Noveau entrance to a Metropolitain subway. Dale took his pics and we rode on.
The second and third stops were at some Art Deco apartments designed by Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier.
The fourth stop was at an Art Nouveau apartment building. Now this was pretty interesting. Dale informs me that this style in a building is quite rare.
This is what we do. We check out different items of interest and meander through the neighborhoods. It's quite enjoyable and we see all sorts of interesting things.
Next was the Palais de Chaillot in front of the Eiffel Tower. This is a nice palace built for the World's Fair of 1937. There is a fountain there are many people just hanging out. Paris is amazing for all the places to hang out. There are countless public places where one can sit down and do whatever.
We observed two teenage rollerbladers do tricks for the crowd. One was doing jumps and another was shooting down a long flight of stairs backwards. We met two women from New York that were there for vacation and a big walk for breast cancer. They were very nice.
We took pictures under the Eiffel Tower and hung out for a bit. This has to be one of the top tourist destinations on the world. It's always interesting to see the soldiers with their machine guns walking around. Pickpocketing is rampant so I zipped up my shoulder bag immediately. Gypsies come up to you with a note and ask if you speak english. The note states that she is from Bosnia and that her husband was killed and now she is alone with three children, one of which has leukemia, and that she needs money. Dale was approached by another gypsy and, lo and behold, she was in the exact same situation.
We then proceeded to the Jardin du Luxembourg where the first Staue of Liberty resides. It's a garden park where no bikes are are allowed. We went in anyway but we walked our bikes. We the took the required pictures and sat in the loose chairs (no park benches that we could see in that area) for a while. I observed a young atrractive couple sit down and embrace and kiss for a little bit. Paris, the city of love.
The last stop of the day was to a chocolate shop but it was closed by a few minutes. On the way, we passed though a large courtyard of the Louvre. Wow is all I can say.
After showering, we walked to the Salon de The Capucine Cafe. I had the duck which was very delicious. It was duck steak like no other. Dale had the veal which was very tender. My meal was so good that I sopped up all the sauce with my bread.
It was off to the hotel. I found that Oregon Scientific, the maker of my video camera, has an office here in Paris. Perhaps I can find a replacement here. The video did not record correctly by the way. Until tomorrow. Bonsoir.
I finally attached a video camera, one that I have owned since last December, onto the handlebar. I was excited to be filming riding in Paris. I started the camera right away and within minutes, we were on the Champs-Elysees. It was bumpy and I was tearing through the traffic. It was going to be an awesome video. All of sudden the camera pops off the bike and onto the street. I turned around as fast as I could but a couple of cars ran over it and the camera was nonfunctional. Destroyed in 5 minutes. I was very upset. I hope the recording was okay at least.
We arrived at noon at the agreed upon meeting site and proceeded to this little Thai takeout place. I ordered the chicken dish that came with a pudding/apple dessert. Andrew was quite pleasant and he brought a map to show us where the good riding in Paris is. He also agreed to inquire about the the track and local racing scene. I normally don't eat a meal while riding but today was not to be a fast day.
We parted ways and started riding to a series of locales that Dale wanted to see. The first was to an original Art Noveau entrance to a Metropolitain subway. Dale took his pics and we rode on.
The second and third stops were at some Art Deco apartments designed by Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier.
The fourth stop was at an Art Nouveau apartment building. Now this was pretty interesting. Dale informs me that this style in a building is quite rare.
This is what we do. We check out different items of interest and meander through the neighborhoods. It's quite enjoyable and we see all sorts of interesting things.
Next was the Palais de Chaillot in front of the Eiffel Tower. This is a nice palace built for the World's Fair of 1937. There is a fountain there are many people just hanging out. Paris is amazing for all the places to hang out. There are countless public places where one can sit down and do whatever.
We observed two teenage rollerbladers do tricks for the crowd. One was doing jumps and another was shooting down a long flight of stairs backwards. We met two women from New York that were there for vacation and a big walk for breast cancer. They were very nice.
We took pictures under the Eiffel Tower and hung out for a bit. This has to be one of the top tourist destinations on the world. It's always interesting to see the soldiers with their machine guns walking around. Pickpocketing is rampant so I zipped up my shoulder bag immediately. Gypsies come up to you with a note and ask if you speak english. The note states that she is from Bosnia and that her husband was killed and now she is alone with three children, one of which has leukemia, and that she needs money. Dale was approached by another gypsy and, lo and behold, she was in the exact same situation.
We then proceeded to the Jardin du Luxembourg where the first Staue of Liberty resides. It's a garden park where no bikes are are allowed. We went in anyway but we walked our bikes. We the took the required pictures and sat in the loose chairs (no park benches that we could see in that area) for a while. I observed a young atrractive couple sit down and embrace and kiss for a little bit. Paris, the city of love.
The last stop of the day was to a chocolate shop but it was closed by a few minutes. On the way, we passed though a large courtyard of the Louvre. Wow is all I can say.
After showering, we walked to the Salon de The Capucine Cafe. I had the duck which was very delicious. It was duck steak like no other. Dale had the veal which was very tender. My meal was so good that I sopped up all the sauce with my bread.
It was off to the hotel. I found that Oregon Scientific, the maker of my video camera, has an office here in Paris. Perhaps I can find a replacement here. The video did not record correctly by the way. Until tomorrow. Bonsoir.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Day 2 - Lump of Le Poop
A lump of poop is what I was for a better part of the day today. I was still feeling the effects not sleeping on the plane Friday night. I got up at 9:45 A.M., went downstairs and had the hotel's continental breakfast. When I returned to the room, I made my first entry here in the Paris blog. I then lied down in bed and slept for a few more hours. I finally was up for good at 4 P.M. I hope I don't have trouble sleeping tonight.
I sat on Google maps plotting a route to a home of a guy referred to me by a fellow cyclist, Walid. Andrew is an english-speaking cyclist who can fill me in on the local cycling scene. I had his number but something was wrong as I was not able to get the number to dial successfully. So, I decided to ride to this guy's house and pay him a visit.
The first part of my ride was right down the Champs-Elysees. The street is very much a premiere area of Paris. There's lots of people walking up and down the wide sidewalks with plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops. A girlfriend could easily be dropped off there by herself while you go riding for a few hours and she would be in shopping heaven. She wouldn't know what to do with herself there with all the options. Just make sure it's her credit card she's using and not yours. Paris is expensive.
The Champs-Elysees is also very bumpy with the cobblestones. As a tourist, I didn't mind but I would not want to ride it on a regular basis. It must be a little harrowing for the pros when they do their several laps there at the end of the Tour de France.
From there, it was off to La Defense, the modern downtown part of Paris. There's a number of fairly large buildings there with a few very high examples of 70s architecture or Brutalism as some call it. The building shaped as upside-down U is pretty neat as well.
Getting to these building is another matter. It seems like all the thoroughfares were either tunnels or elevated roadways. It was very complicated getting through there. They don't have traditional street signs like we do in the U.S. I couldn't find the streets on my planned route so I asked a cyclist on the street for some help. It turns out that he is a local police officer. Benoit was more than happy to help. He said that his dream was to go to the U.S. and drive a Cadillac. I told him that he welcome if he ever came to Chicago. Another nice Parisian. There are plenty of them.
It was still a little difficult to follow my route due to the signage but the bus stops had maps and were extremely helpful. I almost crashed on a sidewalk that had a few steps on it. I was looking forward when I felt a sudden drop. Fortunately, it was only a few steps and I didn't go down. It would have been my first crash on Paris. I arrived at Andrew's house but only his son was home. I left a message with him and I was off back to my hotel.
Retracing the route was going perfectly fine until I got La Defense again. I did muddle my way through and made it back to the Champs-Elysees where I caught a number of green lights and I tore through traffic at a pretty good pace. It was a bit bone-jarring and a little scary with the scooters cutting through the traffic but I was fine and it reminded me of my summers as a messenger (without the cobbles of course).
I made a required stop on the Rue de Rivoli by the Place de la Concorde at the Haagen-Dazs store to get my three scoops of macadamia brittle which is not offered in the U.S. Yummy!
I rode away with my ice cream when I hear, "Hey Ric!". It was Dale walking around. It's pretty incredible to run into him considering the number of streets and stuff going on. We decided to have dinner right there and then at a brasserie called Le Royal Opera. We started with the duck foie gras and toast. It was very good. For my main course, it was lamb chops and julienne green beans. Another delicious meal.
Back at the hotel, Andrew called. We chatted for a bit and set a time and place for lunch near the Bois de Boulogne, a wooded area west of Paris. I hope to obtain more local cycling info from him at that time. Until tomorrow.
Bonsoir.
I sat on Google maps plotting a route to a home of a guy referred to me by a fellow cyclist, Walid. Andrew is an english-speaking cyclist who can fill me in on the local cycling scene. I had his number but something was wrong as I was not able to get the number to dial successfully. So, I decided to ride to this guy's house and pay him a visit.
The first part of my ride was right down the Champs-Elysees. The street is very much a premiere area of Paris. There's lots of people walking up and down the wide sidewalks with plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops. A girlfriend could easily be dropped off there by herself while you go riding for a few hours and she would be in shopping heaven. She wouldn't know what to do with herself there with all the options. Just make sure it's her credit card she's using and not yours. Paris is expensive.
The Champs-Elysees is also very bumpy with the cobblestones. As a tourist, I didn't mind but I would not want to ride it on a regular basis. It must be a little harrowing for the pros when they do their several laps there at the end of the Tour de France.
From there, it was off to La Defense, the modern downtown part of Paris. There's a number of fairly large buildings there with a few very high examples of 70s architecture or Brutalism as some call it. The building shaped as upside-down U is pretty neat as well.
Getting to these building is another matter. It seems like all the thoroughfares were either tunnels or elevated roadways. It was very complicated getting through there. They don't have traditional street signs like we do in the U.S. I couldn't find the streets on my planned route so I asked a cyclist on the street for some help. It turns out that he is a local police officer. Benoit was more than happy to help. He said that his dream was to go to the U.S. and drive a Cadillac. I told him that he welcome if he ever came to Chicago. Another nice Parisian. There are plenty of them.
It was still a little difficult to follow my route due to the signage but the bus stops had maps and were extremely helpful. I almost crashed on a sidewalk that had a few steps on it. I was looking forward when I felt a sudden drop. Fortunately, it was only a few steps and I didn't go down. It would have been my first crash on Paris. I arrived at Andrew's house but only his son was home. I left a message with him and I was off back to my hotel.
Retracing the route was going perfectly fine until I got La Defense again. I did muddle my way through and made it back to the Champs-Elysees where I caught a number of green lights and I tore through traffic at a pretty good pace. It was a bit bone-jarring and a little scary with the scooters cutting through the traffic but I was fine and it reminded me of my summers as a messenger (without the cobbles of course).
I made a required stop on the Rue de Rivoli by the Place de la Concorde at the Haagen-Dazs store to get my three scoops of macadamia brittle which is not offered in the U.S. Yummy!
I rode away with my ice cream when I hear, "Hey Ric!". It was Dale walking around. It's pretty incredible to run into him considering the number of streets and stuff going on. We decided to have dinner right there and then at a brasserie called Le Royal Opera. We started with the duck foie gras and toast. It was very good. For my main course, it was lamb chops and julienne green beans. Another delicious meal.
Back at the hotel, Andrew called. We chatted for a bit and set a time and place for lunch near the Bois de Boulogne, a wooded area west of Paris. I hope to obtain more local cycling info from him at that time. Until tomorrow.
Bonsoir.
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