Paris

Alas, I am now in the Paris airport at an internet terminal near my gate. Paris went so fast, there was not enough time at all. I don't have time to post pictures right now, but it was pretty cool cruising into Paris up the Seine with Notre Dame in the distance. Our barge docked in a canal right off the Seine and a 10 minute walk to Notre Dame or just about anywhere.

I'll try to write more tomorrow and post pictures, but must get ready to get on the plane before this runs out of time.

Au revoir...

Melun and Vaux le Vicomte

Biking this ,orning was so stressful because we kept thinking it was going to pour rain on us.  It wa much warmer than it has been, but the wind is stronger and the sky is really churning the clouds around.  At one point I thought th wind was going to stop me in my tracks and start pushing me backwards.  Luckily, it just drizzled on us for a few minutes.

We biked about 4 hours today to Vaux le Vicomte which is a chateau built in the 17th Century by Nicola Fouquet.  The name Vaux le Vicomte means Valleys of the Viscount or nobility.  It was built in only 5 years and has quite an interesting story and history.  The builder, Fouquet was the Minister of Finance for France.  He was very wealthy and loved the arts.  He hired all the known artists of all kinds to create this masterpiece palace.  Upon completion, he invited the King (Louis XIV) to a great feast to impress him with the chateau, gardens, artwork, food, theater, fireworks!!!  The king came and was so jealous of this spectacular place that he arrested Fouquette and he never lived in the chateau, dying in prison.

I am in the library now and they are closing.  Will try to finish ,ore to,orrow.

Moret sur Loing

Today I am writing from Moret sur Loing. We biked here last night and are spending two nights here. Today we are not doing any biking, just touring the town. Its a good thing because its very cold and now drizzling rain.

This town was originally started in the 12th Century with a church and a typical medieval walled city. Alfred Sisley, one of the 4 original impressionist painters, lived here and painted 400 of his 900 paintings of landscapes or scenes from this city. Its such a romantic and beautiful place, you could really see why the impressionists would want to capture the landscapes and sense of light here.

Also here is a bicycle museum. ITs quite nice to bike here actually, because the French have such a great respect for cyclists and harmoniously drive with them on the roads.

The Tour de France started in France in 1903 by a newspaper man. The first news articles about the Tour de France was printed on yellow paper and is why the jerseys are yellow. Italy has a similar bike race and their first news was printed on pink paper and their jerseys are pink. The first races were 2400 kilometers and took about 18 hours of bicycling. The pictures are so funny to see all the old cyclists carrying their spare tires slung around their backs and shoulders.

Since we are not bicycling this afternoon, I went for a huge lunch in town (Plat du jour was spaghetti bolognase with rhubarb cake for dessert 14 euro). Im stuffed and exhausted. And this internet cafe is pretty far from the barge, over several walking bridges.

So,ething I didnt expect here is that there is no tourism after September. Very few restaurants and cafes are open at all, let alone closed for lunch or Sundays or Mondays. All shops are closed fro, around 12 til 2:30 so Im not getting much shopping done. Today will probably be the first day I will be taking a nap...

0 miles biked today

Fountainebleau

Today we biked to Fountainebleu. You might recognise the name as the palace where Napoleon abdicated the throne.

The bike ride was through the Fountainebleu forest along a highway which was quite busy. We had to navigate a super traffic circle which really scared everyone to death, but we made it out the other side with only a few honking horns and screeching brakes.

Along the way we stopped at a grassy spot near a 12th Century bridge that many impressionist painters came to paint. You might recogniwe the first photo from paintings during that period.

Fountqinebleaus orignial structure was first built in the 12th Century. It was later added on to in the 15th and 17th centuries to become the fantastic place it still is today. It was used as a vacation home for emperors and kings. There are 40,000 acres of beautiful forests that belong to Fountainebleau.

It was again very cold out this morning starting out, but by the time we begin to bike to meet the barge in the next village, everyone is in shorts again. The ride back to Moret sur Loing was through the forest on like a mountain bike path. Its very beautiful and serene without any traffic, but it is difficult biking as you cant look around or you will crash or wipe out in sand or something. We all stopped to regroup at one point and picked chestnuts from a tree off the path. Felt like Robin Hood.

only 15 miles today

Chateau Landon

Right now I am writing from Nemours, a nice big city. They are having a western festival or something and everyone is walking around with cowboy hats on. Wierd.

Today we biked to Chateau Landon an old old city on top of a hill. It was first founded in 450 by some monks who built a wooden shelter there to house weary travelers. Later an abbey was built and fortifications, etc. but they have great records of this place throughout the ages. It even had a street that Jewish families lived on during the Middle Ages as the city was on a central route for supplies from Israel at that time. Ive nevder heard of Jews settleing anywhere in Europe during the Middle Ages so this was wuite interesting to me.

The city was beautiful with many terraced gardens and beautiful old buildings.

We started out this morning with 40 degrees and during the ride to Nemours it was 70. Its a crazy day with the temperature ranges, but great biking.

20 miles today

Ferrieres-en-Gatinais

Today we biked through another very cold morning to a Benedictine Abbey in Ferrieres-en-Gatinais. The abbey was the center of the city and founded in the 7th Century. Had a great pork pate sandwich for lunch. 2.70 euro.

Afterwards we biked to a war memorial in the middle of farm fields honoring an american airplane crew that crashed bringing supplies to the french resistance. A short ride after that we went to a glass blowing factory. Then a beautiful ride along the canal to meet the barge in Neronville, which has no town at all nearby, just forest.

Afte dinner we went to a little house next to the lock where the old lady there runs a bar inside. One of my fellow travelers, Mike, knocked on her doors and soon enough she cranked open a window and opened the bar for us. The place was her house and very old and cob webby with stone walls. You had to get a bucket full of water to flush the toilet. We stayed laughing and dancing to an old 1970s juke box that had really old 45s in it. I was in charge of changing the records by jamming some buttons in the back of the machine and occassionally just lifting open the whole thing.. Most songs were european except a few Carpenters songs, which our captain sang quite well.

17 miles today

Chateau Renard

Today we had a short bike ride, but an enormous hill, to a beekeeping museum. Was interesting to taste the different honeys the bees made based on where the hive was located. Different pollen makes different honey. Also spring and summer honey tastes and looks different. The funniest part was that the owner, Mns. Gout, looked like a bee himself (picture posted above). It was a really cold morning and we finally all warmed up after walking into the village to get lunch. The village is named after the castle there, which is now in ruins.

Oh also, one of my fellow guests, Jim, was bragging at dinner the other night that he could make eggs Benedict for 40 people, so he got convinced to make it for us all for breakfast and I volunteered as assistant. So we made breakfast for everyone this morning and it was pretty darned good.

Afternoon biking was much warmer and everyone strips down to shorts and t shirts.

For dinner tonight we had an amazing fish soup and a beef bourginoine (sp?).

28 miles today!

Montargis, France

Today I am writing from Montargis. I am already late for dinner so this will be short.

Had a great few days of biking. some really cold weather and some hills, but otherwise I am holding out well.

Yesterday we were in a small town with w castle that the countess who owns it still lives in. Signa and I ran into her in her garden and she chattedwith us for a fem minutes and gave us tomatoes and rapsberries fro,her garden. It was so cool. Wish I could post a photo.

Today we we to a bee keeping farm. Interesting, but not great.

Back to dinner on the barge. Montargis is the biggest city we have been in yet, so its fun to wander around here and shop. I did end up buying a great shirt for 3 euro.

I did forget to mention I jammed my finger last night, its my ring finger and I cant get my rings off. It was really freaking me out, but it seems to be okay. I did go to a country doctor (the last photo above is of Signa and Odile sitting in his waiting room) but he couldnt get it off either and tole me to sleepwith my hand in the air or go to the hospital and get the rings cut off...

19 miles today

Grien

This afternoon I am sitting in a very dark cyber cafe. They have great cheap internet though (€1,70 for 30 min). And skype, but I cant remember our password...

We biked for about an hour this morning through beautiful countryside. No hills to speak of.

Today I am sweep. This means I am always the last person biking. If there is a breakdown, stuck at a traffic light, etc. I come last. They also have a method of posting corners. When the leader makes a turn, she leaves the person behind her as a corner to mark the way to go until the sweep comes and tells them to go ahead. It works quite well and I am enjoying my turn as sweep to relax and go as fast as the slowest person:

Its much warmer today and everyone is in shorts and a t shirt. We arrived at a china factory, which the city of Grien is known for their fine china. We saw how the china is made and hand painted, etc., then browsed the shop and are now on our own for lunch. Signa spent the day on the barge today as she was a little tired from yesterday: We took a long walk after dinner on the Pont Canal (which I now know means bridge canal) and she was only wearing sandals. So I am really on my own today which is quite nice.

I want to figure out how to post pictures while I can before my time runs out...

27 miles today

Briare, France

Today I am writing you from Briare. We left the town of Bellville this morning for a very difficult bike ride. Mostly up hill. As many of you know I am not much of a biker. But I am also 30 years younger than most of these people so Im looking pretty good at the front of the pack.

We biked straight through to the top of a village which took about an hour. Two rest stops then coffee in the village then back on our bikes for another hour of cycling to meet our barge in a village called Chatillon sur Loire where we bought our lunch at a local bakery.

Back on the boat we barged up the canal for about an hour to Briare where we crossed through the Pont du Canal. This is where the canal is actually a bridge that crosses over the Loire river below: Was built in the mid 1600s and quite beautiful. Very narrow with our barge only having a foot to spare on either side. After docking we walked to a very boring Maritime museum where I counted 7 heads sleeping during the film they showed which was only in French.

This area is also known for its Mozaics. The floor of the cathedral here has outstqnding examples. Briare is really quite beautiful with canals all through the streets.

What will to,orrow bring...

15 miles today

Lere France

Bon jour:

Once again, there is a funky keyboard so bear zith me in spelling errors.

I am currently sitting in a convenience type store across the street fro, our barge on the canal that runs parrallel to the Loire River. IT has been a beautiful day but very chilly in the mornings. Around 48 degrees when we stqrt out and then warms up to about 72 and sunny in the afternoon. I was not prepared for it to be so cold so basically I wear everything I own in the morning and strip down as the day goes by.

Bicycling has been fabulous: Its ,ostly flat and the scenery beautiful: We did 24 miles yesterday and I dont know how much we did today yet, but it was much easier.

The food has been fantastic and the wine even better. All these small towns are so cool. Mostly medieval cities along the Loire river zith a lot of history.

This ,orning We were in Montereol and biked over to a local goat cheese farm. It was so cool. Of course we tasted the goat cheese and I bought some to have for our lunch later. Best lunch yet: We just popped into a local bakery and bought small sandwiches and a salad, spread our goat cheese on it and enjoyed a picnic in the cnter of town.

Its about 5:00pm right now and we usually leave on our bikes around 9:00am and are biking and touring all day. The barge ,eets us at a village further up the river. The town we are in right now has an enormous nuclear reactor hovering in the distance across some fields. I could have gotten a fantastic laundry photo with it in the background but I couldnt hold up the fellow bikers: Bummer.

I dont know when we will have internet access again as I just happened across this place while helping a former Mayor of Galveston, Texas try to call home. Their house was under 3 feet of water and they have not been able to check on it before leaving. But they are in good spirits after deciding they might as well just go on this trip anyway:

Until the next time...

We dont know how many miles we do until each night after dinner, so I will try to go back and edit posts to keep track.

21 miles today

The Day Before...

Leaving in the morning for Paris. Still have a few things to pack. Hope I will be able to blog daily, but you never know. I'll try to keep you posted.