Posts for the ‘Paris to Chamonix’ Category
All packed and ready to go
1st day. Set off from the Kaipaa on the cadgoen pier. The bike gets me to the station but feels like I’m riding a tandem with a lazy passenger since adding the bags 
Also when I arrive at St Pancras I realise the rack had broken. Seems like it wasn’t made for all that weight. Hmm… I’ll have to fix that in Paris.
Garance met me at the station and offered to let me stay at her apartment (win). She helps carry my paniers as we walk towards the metro station.
We get on really well. Lots of laughing and joking.
We get to the apartment and there’s no room for the bike in the lobby. Garance says we should take it upstairs to the 7th floor. I laugh. She doesn’t laugh. I park it outside and lock it.
We get in to the smallest lift *ever* (with 3 big bags as well). Very intimate moment. More jokes.
Garance in the smallest lift ever
Gerance mentions the apartment has wifi 
we sit and use our laptops for half an hour while I look through her website, chairs and paintings. We talk about David Lynch and her art. I say they are quite similar. This goes down very well.
It is 7 oclock and I am told Paris will not wait for us. We set off on our night tour!
We walk through an antique street market. My reaction is that we are definitely in Paris. I must have expected exactly that. Instantly I realise that Paris consists mainly of coffee shops. 10 per person in Paris at least. As we walk everyone else rushes ahead to make them all look busy for us.
We’re both very hungry so stop for crepes. I am living the cliche right now and happy about it. I can’t read the menu but that is what my guide/bag carrier/translator is there for. We settle for “the classic” egg, cheese and ham (crepes sousette) I point out that the crepes guy must be good because he has a neon flashing crepes sign – as do all gormet chefs.
Garance mentions these are not proper crepes (they are like English pancakes) an that her family is from Brittany and they make proper crepes. I mention it sounds like she’s saying “craps” and that her fmaily make the best ones. More laughing…
We find the Beaubourg Museum. Strange looking at first, so industrial but also simple and stylish. Very different from the small streets all with their coffee shops we have seen so far. I am told that the Parisians act disgusted whenever something new is created. 5-10 years later everyone loves it.
Beaubourg Art Museum
Beaubourg Art Museum (from behind)
We continue walking and see more great sights. Even though it’s dark the city is lit up and looks great. Every street, building, statue and sculpture is proudly illuminated. As it should be.
We talk about dreams (Garance’s inspirations for her art work) and lucid dreaming.
This sculpture is outside one of the many churches. We try to figure out what it is all about I tell Garance I think it is like the feeling of perception changing and the universe feeling too close. I am told to stand back a bit (funny fucker).
Apparently this was the Louvre. 2 minutes go by. Apparently this is no longer the Louvre. Also we are possibly a bit lost. This starts a trend for the evening. Later in the night I start giving directions. These also don’t find us where we hope we would be but I prove to be as good a tour guide as Garance.
Not the Louve
Notre Dame Cathedral Paris
"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making darkness concious"
I ask Garance – as a master of the arts – if she knows why the use of light and dark wording is given positive and negative connotations. She is not sure but starts to recite Jung. My tour guide is perfect. Even if we do get a bit lost.
From here we head errr… East? It doesn’t matter.
We go in search of the set of Amelie. We find it and it is reeeaaally busy. There seems to be some kind of street party happening too but we can’t tell why or what it’s all about. just lots of bottles all over the street.
The view from the lookout point is amasing. Paris is looking magical. Just as we start wandering towards another side road I spot the Eiffel Tower through some railings. Pretty stunning.
As we wander through the side streets in what feels like Paris’ oldest district we see a vinyard – in the city?! I am told the wine doesn’t taste that good but the tourists seem to buy it anyway.
We both concede to bed. It has been a long day and neither of us had slept much the night before, so it’s the metro and home.
Dispite the 9.5hrs sleep I am still tired. My feet are also sore from all the walking but of course I am happy they have been used and abused.
Most of the flat. Paris
Garance left to fetch breakfast this morning and came back with proper croissants and fresh oranges for squeezing. I have been truely spoiled. Then we say our goodbyes and I do a little blogging.
There is a knock at the door. Garance has forgotten something. Another chance to thank her for the hospitality and we say goodbye again.
I have almost finished my blog post when there is another knock at the door. I really wasn’t expecting visitors! Aaaaah – Garance has forgotten something else. Apparently something important! I think we are both basically walking zombies. I have to get more sleep…
After some research and some napping it is 2pm and I am all prep’d and ready to explore. I pack up the essentials along with a stray city map and chocolate etc and I’m away.
The Seine in the daylight
I leave in the direction of the Seine and blend in completely. Or so I let myself believe. Everyone looks very French – I’m sure I stand out as being English just as much.
Paris starts to feel familiar even though last nights tour was conducted in the dark. I find the bastille monument/roundabout and continue towards the pointy thing… what’s it called… oh you know! I recognise some of the streets from the tour and this time it’s only me who can get lost.
Notre Dam by day
Aloe Blacc accompanies my journey (thanks East).
A couple of miles in and I’m across the Seine and walking along side it towards that needle everyone likes. Tourist I am. Well, today at least.
Seine river market stall, Paris
That cat Mona Lisa looks dope but I’m not carrying any more luggage that’s for sure (no Garance – not even a desk to work from!)
Checking out the book shops along the river, waving at boats and admiring others the sun is shining and I have my shades on. The touts aren’t trying to sell me anything – I must look French enough (an euf?) to fool them. I take pictures of their produce anyway. Just to prove them wrong.
A cat. Not exacly the Mona Lisa but caught my eye.
More walking along the Seine. I was told Paris was small compared to London but I am not convinced. I think the city has made people who live there believe it is smaller than it really is… a fraudulent tardis if you will. I will tackle the metro alone tomorrow now I know my way to and from the river.
There is almost too many statues and beautiful buildings to take in. Also I’m only taking these photos on my phone so each time I switch to use the camera my phone stops playing tunes This only helps to reinforce the magnitude of what I am looking at, driving my focus and making sound stand still while I am in awe.
Clock centre of building on the Seine, Paris
The tip of the tower is in sight and I act all nonchalant as if suddenly I know I am not lost.
I spot some animal statues without the usual armed general riding them… worth a snap I thought.
Horse statue
Rhino statue
Elephant statue
I dazzle a man in the supermarket with my French:
“Bonjour… Merci…. Au Revoir”
Priceless.
I head in the direction of the tower tip when I saw it last until I turn a corner and one of the four feet is staring me in the face. Pretty big… I look up. Pretty tall too.
Eiffel Tower up close
Time for my sandwich
Eiffel Tower from a distance
As I start to head on back I make my second trip to the supermarche and I’m feeling cocky. Then I remember I can’t read any of the labels and am having to make up my own meanings. Is this Caviar for 2 Euros 36? If it is they put a lot of D’Aubergeine in there with it. I’ll stick with Humous.
I can't believe it's not, not Caviar
The most important meal ingredient. "A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine"
More stories and pics as they find me. Just a fore-warning I won’t be able to make this a daily thing when I’m on the road. So lap it up now or praise the gods it’s not a rolling commentary (pun intended) – your choice.
Much slower day today.
First things first – breakfast. Supermarche is just downstairs (I love this flat – there are also TWO wine shops on the little street – dangerous!) so I collect the necessities and I’m ready for the day.
In case I hadn’t mentioned it so far… the bike broke. Well not exactly the bike but the rack on the back. Turns out I have been trying to carry more than it is comfortable with and may have also ridden off some curbs in London when pedalling towards the Euro-tube.
Well the bike shop I was directed to did a sterling job and, even though I kept other customers waiting while the man busily tried to help, he gave me the work and parts for free! This combined with the fact that he was yet another French person who didn’t mind my inability to speak French as good as proves to me beyond any doubt that there are nice people in France and those who say otherwise must be putting out bad vibes or something. Either that or I’ve only meet nice folk so far.
The Louvre
The Louvre
The Louvre was closed as was the weird gallery pictured in the Day 1 – Paris post – the Beaubourg. I’ll try again tomorrow.
The crazy fountain outside the gallery needed some proper pictures taking of it as the ones taken on the night tour didn’t look too great. I have no flash on the phone camera
Crazy Fountain Piece #1
Crazy Fountain Piece #2
Crazy Fountain Piece #3
Crazy Fountain Piece #4
Today I realised that cycling in Paris is like playing Russian roulette with every chamber full. If the cars don’t get you the mopeds might…
I found out that one of the bridges over the Seine has padlocks through the grates in the railings. I asked a guy what it was all about and he replied it was “for the lovers” Then he followed up by saying he didn’t like it and that it made sitting against the railings uncomfortable.
Padlock bridge over the Seine
Then home again before going for erm… “modern” or experimental dance with Garance tomorrow evening – exciting! I may take some hip-hop along to shake them up a bit
Oh, I think I decided to name the bike Paris too… The jokes about riding paris and wearing her out, breaking her on the first day etc were all too fitting. I’m not sure how big a slag she is but, hey – my grandad and my uncle rode her before I did so.. Paris it is!
Au Revoir
So today was the first day on the bike outside of nipping around in London and dodging mopeds and minicabs along the Seine in Paris.
I set myself the goal of getting to Garance’s new place in Chevannes around 100km away (she’ll be sick of me soon!)
I wasn’t too sure if I’d make it in one trip so decided an early start was the best option. Alarm goes off at 3:30, I’m on the bike and moving just after 4.
For those who are unaware dispite lots of enthusiastic conversation prior to my departure there was the odd criticism when I mentioned I’d opted for a digital map+gps.
“But what if it gets stolen/lost/wet/breaks/runs out of battery/abducted by aliens?!”
Well France has electricity – crazy I know – and they have phone shops I can get a replacement in if need be. I even back up my whole phone in case I need to replace it – no harm done. I Also point out that physical maps can get lost/stolen/wet/tear/burn/abducted by aliens and so neither is beyond FAIL. I just trust in tech…
So to my next point – maps for Android. Well I wanted to get offline maps (like what your TomTom uses) so that I could turn my phone on to flight mode and use just the gps feature which is not charged for. In short I couldn’t find any (m)apps that could do this although I tried and tried downloading hefty amounts of tiles and POIs etc before heading off. It just didn’t work for me. So I caved in, got a French payg sim and continued using Google maps which had worked so well for me in London.
By the way Google maps seems to keep the last tiles available at the zoom level you were at even if you leave the app. Not caching exactly but view a whole route online with WiFi before your trip and it should be there waiting for you after you logoff
So off I go from the apartment North of the Seine and out of Paris going SSE.
As it’s early/late I get a couple of “whooop whooop”s from clubbers yet to pass out. This is good. Encouragement on my first stretch.
The woman navigating my on Google maps is doing well. I feel at ease with the fact I don’t know where I am. Before long it seems I’m truely in the suburbs and the roads look less like those in a city and more like… Shit. I’m between lanes on a motorway. Arse. Hmm…
That is the one thing Google maps hasn’t sorted yet. They have directions for cars (with voice) and directions for walking (no voice) but nothing for bikes.
Ah well… A little patience and some quick stepping on the pedals and I’m blazing along with the fogies in the slow lane.
Then I get to Paris airport which is just impossible to navigate – even with mapping – but luckily friendly security dude shows me how to get on the not-quite-a-motorway and continue on.
Time for some peanut M&Ms to celebrate.
I finish the trip in about 9hrs. Although that includes stopping to check the map a fair bit (wish I’d got the handbar mount!) and to stretch legs and pick up more fuel (chocolate).
All in all happy with my first outing. Especially the home stretch where I knew I could knock the tunes on and up without having to worry about the battery.
Also I got to do a dry run of the tent, which was useful as a) Garance was at work and b) it was dry and the tent had no instructions. Glad I know how it goes up in case I have to get it done on the wet.
Hope you’re all enjoying the adventure with me. Send your comments in and check Twitter for the hashtag #AFDTravel if that’s your thing.
Till next time – Au Revoir.
