Last Sunday I arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. I figured it would be easy to find the metro, but this was not so; atleast for a non French speain person. (I should have paid more attention in those high school French classes) Nonetheless, I managed to figure it out after wondering around and studying a few maps. Some of the words look familiar and using context clues I can actually read French.
After a day of wondering around the city, I met with my first host, Anthony. We rented bicycles (via the Paris rental system) and he showed me around before crashing at his tiny bachelor's pad.
In the morning I left Anthony's place and made way to Montmartre, where Antoine lives. (Montmartre is famous for being the setting of Moulin Rouge) There I spent the next four nights getting to know the city, its culture, and its people. I couldn't have asked for a better host. Antoine was like a peronal tour guide with extensive knowledge on everything Paris. In the Louvre he explained details and meanings of so many art pieces. He spent everyday teaching me the ropes of French customs. To save time, I will have to skip the details of Paris and start the expedition chapter of the blog.
Antoine, Fabien, Benji, Sophie, et moi
We found my bike in a tiny shop near Antoine's place. It's nothing special, but I think it can make the long haul to Copenhagen. I paid 90 Euros for it plus a few additives. I figure if I spend less on the bike, then I have to spend on a train to Kobenhaven if something goes wrong.
On Friday morning, I left Antoine's place and set out for Chateau Thierry. I got lost leaving Montmartre, but managed to find my way (losing about an hour). Once I found the Canal Saint Martin, the rest was easy. The canal has a two lane bicycle path leading out of the city. The canal was a sight to see at this time of the year; full of autumn colors an picturesque landscaping. During my escape from Paris, it began to rain. And it continued all day long.
The canal route ended in a small city called Meaux, and I got lost again. Eventually I found a map posted for tourists which pointed me in the right direction. I continued in the rain for many hours along small roads. Surprisingly, many of the roads had no room for bicycles and it was very frightening when a cargo truck passed. I tried to watch for them in my handy mirror to leave the road for their passage. My goal was to reach just passed Chateau Thierry, but due to getting lost twice I didn't make it. Around 5pm I began searching for a forest to sleep in. I spotted one about 300m off the road and waited for no cars before heading torwards it. It was farmland and the path was very muddy. There was a ditch just before the entrance into the forest that was very difficult to pull my weighted bike through. It was getting cold and dark, so I set up my tent qnd got into the sleeping bag. Nothing to do for 13 hours. Throughout the night I heard strange noises, most of them owls I believe. The only thing to really be afraid of is the wild boar...
I oversleep by nearly an hour. I rush to get everything back on the bike and set off. My legs are doing alright despite a bit of soreness. I did about 50 miles the first day and my goal was 60. For today, my goal is to make it past Reims. The most spectacular part of this segment was the entrance into the Champagne region. The landscape changed from green fields to vinyards. I had to stop several times to stock up on grapes. It was during this period I began to see WWI memorials every few miles; French, American, and British burial grounds.
I managed to make it 10km past Reims. And I didn't even get lost! At sunset I found a nice little pine forest right along the road. These are the best for sleeping because the needles make for a soft mattress. This forest was much smaller and since the traffic was so close I wasn't concerned about the wild boars or wolves.
I rose at dawn to find that it was raining and my legs were very sore. Obviously, my body wasn't use to biking with so much weight on board.
The rain is soaking my tent while tear it down. This will be a problem for tonight. I check my schedule and decide I have to make it to Luxembourg tonight, or else I have to sleep in 2 more forests. Luxembourg is over 100 miles away. Impossible...The route to Luxembourg is dotted with tiny villages which seem to be ghost towns. Some of them I saw not a single person lurking around. Of course, it is Sunday. I worked harder than the previous days. I wanted to get out of the weather and enjoy a cup of tea in dry warmth. In the early hours my knees were stricken with sharp pains. I was pushing my legs to the limit. The hills are very long and rolling here; unlike the short and steep hills I trained on in Tennessee. In some cases I had to climb for several miles before any relief. But the downhills were great, lasting for several minutes and drying my soaked polypro.
Over more hills and continuing through the French countryside... there were hardly any cars passing me. At an obscure location I spotted a wild boar being chased by a pack of dogs... oddly, most of them were puppies. The boar was three times the size of the largest dog... I don't understand why the boar was running.
After about 70 miles, I thought about giving up. The sun was starting to set and I had a choice to make... Continue to Luxembourg, even if it means riding in darkness, or suffer a cold, wet night in another forest. I chose to continue. My legs were subdued, toes numb, torso soaked with sweat and rain. Hill after hill I continued. I made it to Longwy just as the sun had set. Darkness ensued, but I was determined to get to Sara's place, this side of Luxembourg. No worries, my bike is equipped with lights.
I crossed the border into the world's wealthiest nation (per capita) at 6:30pm. It took me another 30 min to find her house. I rang the doorbell and found her surprised to see me one day early. I had confused the dates on my schedule... I am one day ahead of my projections.... Afterall, I did just do over 100 miles in one day.
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