France 2022: Paris, Day 3

Walk: from apartment to Le Musee de l'Orangerie and back, 5 miles

Accommodation: Cozy 27m2 studio in the Marais (Airbnb)

When Meghan and I were in Paris in 2002, Musee de l'Orangerie was closed for renovation and we were not able to see Monet's Water Lilies panoramas.

That is the one thing I really wanted to see during this stay, if we had time. And we did have time.

The weather was sunny with a crisp feel of fall, the city was bustling with people speaking every possible language and dressed in every possible style. Ken and I had a lovely, relaxed stroll over to the museum, passing the Louvre and the Palais Royal and the Tuileries on our way.

We soaked up the quiet beauty of the Monet gallery and then made our way down to the lower level galleries with exhibits featuring works by Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Derain, Cezanne, Modigliani, Rousseau, Soutin, Gaugin... The Orangerie is wonderfully small, simple, calm, meditative.

Happily filled with soul-satisfying images, we wandered back to the apartment, stopping for lunch at a noodle shop.

I love Paris and would happily return and spend more days like today. Ken is tired of France and not a fan of big cities, even Paris. Luckily, we don't mind traveling separately to meet needs and desires that we don't necessarily share.

And also luckily, we both enjoy long days of biking in the countryside, meeting new people and seeing old things together. Our journey through France was another good trip.

Ken is ready to fly to Minneapolis tomorrow. I'm ready to fly to Nuremberg and meet my buddies for a week of biking and barging on the Main River. We are both ready to get back to home, family, and friends.

France 2022: Paris, Day 2

Walk: from apartment to bike shop and back, from apartment to indoor market hall and back, to Office Depot and back, about 6 miles

Accommodation: Cozy 27m2 studio in the Marais (Airbnb)

First order of business: Get the bikes packed up.

About 10 days ago, Ken called the Giant bike store a mile and a half from our Paris apartment and arranged for them to save two shipping boxes for us. We hiked over there, picked up the boxes, trekked back, took apart our bikes, and packed them in the boxes.

Then we walked to the indoor market hall for a Morrocan lunch at one of the food stalls, bought fresh veggies and chocolate mousse for dinner, and hiked back.

We still had one more errand: we needed packing tape and a black magic marker to finish prepping our bikes for shipping. I found an Office Depot about half mile away, and we headed out again.

Chores done! Tomorrow we will play a little.

France 2022: Paris, Day 1

Bike: Baulne to Paris, 31 miles, 1100 feet of climb

Accommodation: Cozy 27m2 studio in the Marais (Airbnb); host Frederic. Studio in the Third Arrondissement with wifi and washer.

We were surprised to find a small chateau not too far north of Baulne. A sign outside the gate labeled it as a national monument. The gate was open, so we rode in for a peek at the courtyard. We didn't see a ticket booth or any signage inside the gate, so we guessed it must be a private residence, and we moved ourselves along.

The entire day was spent on dedicated cycle paths, mostly at the side of busy highways and roads. Knowing we would be entering through the southern suburbs of Paris, we expected that the ride would not be very scenic or relaxing. But for the first 10 miles or so, we enjoyed rolling through lovely small villages with beautiful old stone buildings.

Eventually, we hit the real edges of the city, and were routing through industrial and commercial areas, then on les quais (the wharves) along the Seine.

The ride through Paris went really well. Our shoulders and necks were sore from the tension of being ultra-alert through city traffic and jumping on and off curbs to stay in bike lanes, but we arrived at our apartment with no trouble, checked in, and followed our normal routine: showers, groceries, dinner, news, bed.

Our apartment is a small studio, very nicely organized and comfortable and clean. We are right in the middle of the Third Arrondissement, in a busy area but with mostly pedestrian traffic and lots of shops. I like it.

France 2022: Baulne

Bike: Orleans to Baulne, 52 miles, 1100 feet of climb

Accommodation: Maisonnette a la campagne (Airbnb); host Elodie. Studio condo with terrace, wifi, washer, quiet area. Nice older one-bedroom apartment at back of host's house with private entrance from garden patio. Large, comfortable, furnishings a bit dated but with thoughtful touches like throws on the couch.

We planned to get started a little early because we had a longish way to go and were not sure what the route would be like. While I cleaned up the apartment, Ken went down to the courtyard to oil our chains and pump up the tires. Before long, he was back with my front tire, asking for a little help. He blew the seal and needed help pumping to get it reseated. We worked on it for a while with no success, and finally gave up. Our options were to take the tire to a nearby bike shop and get it resealed, or put in an inner tube. Ken opted for the inner tube, and we finished up our chores and got on our way only about a half hour later than planned.

We cut through part of Orleans to get to the cycle route, and then wound through neighborhoods and suburbs for several miles. 

We had left the Loire a Velo and were venturing north toward Paris on designated cycle routes along D roads, which vary from narrow country lanes with almost no traffic, to two-lane highways with aggressive trucks and speeding cars. We had some of both.

Just outside Orleans, we were supposed to follow a gravel cycle path through a forest or park for several miles. We turned off the busy highway at the designated point, and found ourselves at what appeared to be a medical facility with sprawling grounds and a security gate. The gate opened, and we went on through, but then we heard someone yelling "Arret!" behind us, so we stopped and went back and were told we had to go around. We ended up going around the entire gravel-path area, about five miles along the side of the highway in a designated bike lane. After another five or so miles on a slightly smaller highway without a bike lane, we finally turned onto a country road with little traffic.

All day, we watched rain clouds gathering and passing around us, but we managed to avoid getting more than a few sprinkles on us. At a couple of points, the road was wet and full of puddles for miles. If Ken hadn't blown my tire in the morning, we would have gotten caught in some downpours. You just never know what kind of luck is going to come your way!

We arrived in Baulne during rush hour and had to go through a lot of traffic congestion owing to road construction. We found a Morrocan restaurant not too far from the apartment and thought about walking or biking back to it, but the rain was supposed to continue throughout the evening and we decided not to push our luck. About a mile before our apartment, we stopped at an Aldi and got supplies for dinner.

It was just starting to rain when we pushed through the garden gate and checked in to our apartment. Only one more day, and we will be back in Paris.

France 2022: Orleans

Bike: Sully-sur-Loire to Orleans, 30 miles, 800 feet of climb

Accommodation: Appartement Renove Type2 Centre Ville d’Orleans (Airbnb); host Justine. One-bedroom apartment, kitchen, wifi, washer. Bike storage in common courtyard on the ground level.

We crossed the river on the walking bridge in Sully, followed the canal for quite a while, and then biked on quiet little agricultural roads through little hamlets and big fields.

A few miles from Orleans, the cycle path turned onto a levy separating the Loire River from a small lake, and we passed marinas and resorts--bypassing a lot of the commercial and industrial areas on the outskirts of the city.

The bike path ran just a half block from our apartment building. We locked our bikes in the courtyard as it started to rain. I tied a Family Fare grocery bag around my seat. (I can't believe that bag made it the whole trip; while I was packing at home back in July, I grabbed it at the last minute to stick my sandals in, and I have used it every day for three months!)

After taking our showers and starting a load of laundry, we grabbed the backpacks and headed to the grocery store about eight blocks away. It was raining lightly all the way there, and pouring all the way back. So far, we have not gotten caught in heavy rain while on the bikes, but we have just been lucky.

France 2022: Sully-sur-Loire

Bike: Briare to Sully-sur-Loire, 30 miles, 900 feet of climb

Accommodation: Studio - 2 persons - ideal Loire a Velo (Airbnb); hosts Jean-Pierre and Edith. Cottage above garage with bike storage in entryway, double bed, kitchenette, view of canal, wifi, no washer.

Ken walked to a boulangerie in town and returned with croissants, pain au chocolat, and bread for our breakfast and lunch. By 10:00, we were packed up and riding through town, weaving in and out of lines of vintage cars. Apparently, all the preparations the day before were for an old-car gathering.

After we crossed the aqueduct, we were back on the canal path for another easy day of biking. 

About halfway through the trip, we detoured into Gien, an interesting city on the other side of the river, with an imposing cathedral at the top of the hill. We biked up to the cathedral and read a little history of the location. The church and town suffered a massive fire in the early 1900s and was mostly rebuilt using plans from one architect. The result is a collection of neighborhoods with distinctive architectural differences but an eerily similar style.

Gien was full of cyclists, cafes, ice cream shops, and gift shops. We had packed lots of food for a picnic lunch, so we bypassed the enticing food, finished our tour of the town, and crossed back over the bridge and onto the Loire a Velo. For the next several miles, we kept leap-frogging another couple on bikes. When we stopped for lunch in a park, they passed us and waved. After lunch, we found them stopped at a crossroads and pulled over to talk. They were a retired couple from Belgium, staying in Gien in their camper, and taking day rides on the many cycles paths in the area. As always, it was fun to talk to other cyclists. But rain clouds were chasing us, and we took off again to try to beat the big gray cloud ahead.

By the time we arrived in Sully, the sun was out and the air felt fresh. We checked in to our little cottage, stored the bikes, changed into walking clothes and sandals, and hiked a few blocks to the Sully Chateau for our last castle tour. It was relaxing and fun to explore a historic building without the huge crowds and heat that we experienced on the Loire in July.

On our way back to our cottage, we found a grocery store and bought supplies for dinner and breakfast.

We can feel our trip winding down. It is nice to have easy riding during the day. The challenge this week is that we are biking seven days in a row, and rain is predicted every day. So far, we have just gotten a little wet a couple of times. We hope our luck holds, but we know we can't count on it.

France 2022: Briare

Bike: Sancerre to Briare, 36 miles, 700 feet of climb

Accommodation: Chambre a Deux Pas du Canal (Airbnb); host Martine. Private room in townhouse, double bed, shared bath, kitchen, patio, no washer.

Dinner: Le Petit Saint Trope. Flank steak with Bearnaise sauce, salad, french fries, and chocolate tart; trout with lemon sauce, salad, french fries, and creme brulee. Excellent.

Another day on dedicated bike paths along canals and atop levies. About noon, we saw signs for restaurants in the village of Belleville-sur-Loire. We detoured into the village, rode down the main street, found a restaurant advertising fish and chips, and stopped. We sat outside, got served immediately, our food came quickly and was okay--not great, but hot and satisfying. When I went in to use the toilette, I passed two mannequins dressed up in kind of racy leather outfits. The dark, not-too-clean toilette had a sign on the door saying there was a five-minute limit to its use. I think we were at a kind of dodgy place. Good thing it was broad daylight and we ate outside!

As we entered Briare later in the afternoon, we passed the 19th-century canal aqueduct crossing the Loire River. The area was busy with people strolling on the aqueduct and taking photos from a small bridge. We took a few photos, then headed for the main square. On our way there, we passed a little train taking tourists around town, a field with huge buses pulling in and out, another big field where teams were putting up tents and marking off parking areas. Obviously, something was going on, but we couldn't find any signs announcing an event.

When we arrived in the main square, the church bells were ringing, and ringing, and ringing. A wedding was just beginning, and people were parking in the main square and streaming into the church in their dressiest clothes.

Quite a busy little city!

Our room for the night was the quintessential Airbnb experience. Martine, our host, is a widow about our age, and she rents out a room in her townhouse for the busy tourist season, from May to September. We were her last guests for this season, She helped us make reservations at one of her favorite restaurants for dinner, and invited us to join her for a glass of wine and chat before we went. She doesn't speak English and we don't speak French, but we used our conversation apps on our phones and had a really nice talk.

Dinner was excellent. Afterward, we walked back to the aqueduct because it is lined with streetlights that are supposed to be lit up at night and are not to be missed. The lights were dark. We have heard about a Europewide initiative to conserve energy (because of the oil crisis resulting from Russia's attacks on the Ukraine and the oil pipeline), and we suspect (but could not confirm) that the lights at historical monuments have been turned off as part of that. As we started back to the apartment, it began to rain. It was still a nice walk, and we didn't get too wet.

France 2022: Sancerre

Bike: La Charite-sur-Loire to Pouilly to Sancerre, 19 miles, 870 feet of climb

Accommodation: Le Cep en Sancerrois Chambres-d'Hote; hosts Philippe and Gisèle Fromont-Kolkman. Apricot Suite: First-floor suite with view of vineyards, four twin beds, breakfast included, private bathroom, wifi, no washer. Spacious, comfortable, a bit dated and worn but pretty clean.

The traffic was whizzing by when we stepped out the front door of the apartment building. We made it across the highway onto the bridge thanks to a driver who finally obeyed the sign to yield to pedestrians. Once we were across the bridge, we got back on the Loire a Velo and shifted into the mindless gear for about 10 miles until we got to the bridge back across the Loire to Pouilly-sur-Loire.

We arrived in Pouilly-sur-Loire about noon and discovered we were there on market day. We looked around for the busiest prepared food stand and saw that the longest line was for Asian food. That reminded us of our Northfield farmer's market, where the line for spring rolls, fried rice, and spicy noodles is always the longest. Half an hour later, we were sitting on a bench in a park across from the church, eating chicken on sticks, sushi, and pork samosas. Finished off with chewy, salty pretzels from the next stand over.

By 14:00, we were pushing our bikes up a very steep lane about a mile from our chambre-d'hote. When we were almost at the top of the hill, a woman leaned out an upstairs window of a house and called something to us. I asked if she spoke English. She shook her head, pointed at the lane, and said, "Prive (Private)!" "Oh, pardon," I said.

Our mapping software had routed us up this lane to connect one highway with a second highway. The woman in the window indicated that we should go back down the lane, down the highway, and back up the steep hill on another road--which would have been about three miles around. We were almost to the second highway, which of course is a public road. We smiled and waved, pointed to the second highway, and turned onto another lane that was also probably private. We really did not mean to trespass, but we weren't willing to backtrack unless we absolutely had to. Sometimes RWGPS gets us into a little bit of trouble.

Less than 10 minutes later, we were at the door of our chambre d'hote, ringing the bell. A smiling guy opened the door. I introduced myself and Ken, and said we had a reservation for the night. "Here?" he asked. "Yes," I responded. "Are you sure?" he questioned, laughing.

I've been through this before. In Scotland, one of our hosts gave us a similar hard time before welcoming us--and proceeded to go through the same routine with the guests who checked in a couple hours later.

Gisele stepped in and invited is to come through the gate, showed us where to park our bikes, and led us to our suite--a big room with private bath and huge windows overlooking the town and the garden.

Sancerre is the perfect place for an overnight. We spent a couple hours following a red line painted on the street from one historic site to another, reading plaques on the wall that were written in both French and English, and completely enjoying ourselves.

I stopped at a little wine shop recommended by Gisele, where a young man who spoke English very well helped me choose a local chardonnay from a single small vintner, grown in clay soil so that it was neither minerally nor fruity but instead had a nice, smooth body and would go well with both light and spicy foods. That is the most professional wine help I've ever had, and it was really fun.

Business out of the way, we had dinner at a restaurant with traditional food. Oh, yes; before that, we met a couple of women from California and England who were having a girls' outing in France for a few days, enjoying freedom from husbands and kids. After we said good-bye, they made their way to a restaurant on the main square, full of people and laughter and fun. Ken and I chose a quiet restaurant on a side street, where we could hear each other and enjoy the end of the day.

 

France 2022: La Charite-sur-Loire

 Bike: Nevers to La Charite-sur-Loire, 29 miles, 600 feet of climb

Accommodation: Le petit paradis de la loire (Airbnb); host Jean. One-bedroom apartment on Loire River, river views, kitchen, wifi, no washer. Right on national highway, loud road noise, overpowering smell of stale cigarette smoke, moldy shower. We do not recommend this apartment.

Dinner: Auberge de la Poule Noir. Roasted salmon with shrimp cream sauce and basmati rice, pan-seared scallops with butter-and-garlic-pureed potatoes. Excellent.

Another beautiful day. We started out with tights, long-fingered gloves, fleece jackets, wind jackets, and ear bands. We unzipped and shed the wind jackets and long-fingered gloves after an hour or so, but even with the sun, the breeze remained cool.

After we left Nevers, we spent the entire day cycling on dedicated cycle paths along the canal and the Loire River. The miles flew by.

We stopped in Cuffy, which is the official start of the Velo a Loire. A park bench near the medieval church there served as the perfect picnic bench. Before long, we were back on the bikes, heading down the Loire. In five days, we will reach Orleans, where we started this cycle adventure in July with Konur. And in seven days, we will be back in Paris, where the three of us met up with Meghan to begin our combination cycle/train journey.

Our apartment was disappointing, but La Charite-sur-Loire is an interesting city built around the ruins of an abbey and church that date from 1095. The abbey was a satellite of the Cluny Abbey, reaching its peak in the 15th-16th centuries, being shut down when the government banned monasteries in 1790, suffering a huge fire and other disasters along the way. The mix of religious and community architecture, shops, homes, alleyways, and streets spanning over 1,000 years of history has created an interesting jumble. We spent a couple hours wandering and exploring, bought some groceries, and had an excellent dinner.