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Location Date Wed, 27 July 2011 
1311787951 Tue, 26 July 2011 1311710146 Mon, 25 July 2011 1311611033 Sun, 24 July 2011 1311525543 Sat, 23 July 2011 1311448013 Fri, 22 July 2011 1311365180 Fri, 22 July 2011 1311365176 Thu, 21 July 2011 1311273492 Wed, 20 July 2011 1311191364 Tue, 19 July 2011 1311106552
Wednesday 27th July
We were up reasonably early and breakfasted and off on the Metro at Sentier and went to St Lazare. Here we had to go out of the Metro Station and into Gare St Lazare where we were to meet the guide from Fat Tire Bike Company at 9.45am. We purchased our tickets (billets) from Paris to Joigny where we have to meet up with the people from Locaboat for our Canal Cruise. I rang them last night and confirmed that our one way trip was in fact going the way we had booked the trip. All confirmed and Jannie tried to book the train tickets on line but no luck as it wanted a British address that the Visa card accounts were sent to and didn’t want to know us as New Zealanders. So off to the station – cost €67.00.
Quarter to ten came and went and no representative from Fat Tire. Jannie and Jane were starting to get a bit upperty but Andrew eventually arrived and the train was not now leaving until 10.20am. We walked the length of the platform to get a carriage where we could sit together. Four Aussies, four Welsh women, us and the rest of the 22 were Yanks! The trip out to Vernon took about 50 minutes and the train did not mess about. The countryside was lovely and we crossed the Seine. Small towns were really nice and probably the people who lived in these villages work in Paris?
Once off the train we walked to a garage in the town. Andrew unlocked the garage and sorted us out with our bikes – red for girls and blue for boys. All the bikes have names so that you can find your bike amongst the shambles whenever we parked up. Jannies bike was called Bambino – very apt. Mine was Capt. Serifino ?? Andrew got us on our bikes and stopped at a market to get our lunch. Nice food but not a patch on the previous market that we were taken to on the Versailles tour. Still we purchased our cheese. Meats, tomat et avacado and Jannie got the bread. On the bikes we set off for the picnic spot and the banks of the Seine, under the trees as it definitely looked as though it was going to rain. Lovely baggette lunch together with the red wine.
Andrew led the way along this rail trail towards Giverny. This is a little village that Monet visited and a couple of years later purchased this property and started building his two gardens. One was a formal French garden with all the old flowers and the other his water garden. Monet is famous for his 300 odd painting of bridges and water lilies and willow branches. He said that he was good at two things – painting and gardening. We all wandered around and took all sorts of photos. I think that there was a sort of competition as to who could take the best photo. Paul won with prize with a photo of an apple!! The house that Monet lived in was lovely and was painted in lovely colours – the kitchen and dining room very particularly nice. Out through the shop, full of people. Paul reckoned that they would sell huge amounts of prints of Monet’s work. Everyone was buying. Jannie wanted to buy the most gorgeous small coffee cups and saucers. Couldn’t see those getting back to NZ in one piece and what would we do with them once we were back home?
Outside we walked back down the road to arrive back at the bikes and Andrew had got them all out and ready to go. Small problem – two of the American women – one over-large one hadn’t arrived back at the predetermined time. Andrew sent us on ahead whilst he went back to look for these two. We almost got back to where we had had lunch and were waiting before Andrew and the women caught us up. The ride back was mostly downhill and we arrived back at the garage with no further mishaps. The bikes were stacked up and locked away and we walked back to catch the train back to Paris. Off the train and we caught the Metro home. Dinner tonight will be a bit of a problem as we haven’t been impressed with the standard of food that we have been having. Most is mass produced and garlic, garlic, garlic over everything. All of the menus are all of the same – Boeuf Tartar (raw beef), Poulet (half a chicken), Carnad (duck cooked in it’s own fat), Salad(ham with an egg) and Frites with everything. One night I pointed out to Paul that he could have had Calves Head?? Bummer!
- comments
Lucy Crooks Blogee report as promised :) it was lovely talking to you and i have just looked at all of your recent photos. I am so jealous about the tour, it was intense enough just watching the stages on tv and over a very poor quality internet connection from france at 3 in the morning on many nights let alone actually being there. i couldnt imagine how exciting it will be. i think one day it will be a must to follow the whole tour on a trip :) i will e-mail you some photos of the snow here as i have some pretty good ones from friday night when we got home. the front lawn is still quite covered but the ice on the paths and roads has pretty much all melted now so that is good. i am itching to get back on my bike properly as i havent been able to get out for a decent ride for ages being sick and then in dunedin and then snow and then sick again. grr not ideal. look forward to hearing about your trip today and hopefully you will find a way to let me know about your boating skills. (drive it safely grandad and paul !!). keep in touch and ill try to send you through those photos before you set sail.. well not quite but you know what i mean. Any way remember to adjust that list grandad, now before you forget which lovely grandchild just sent you a nice message and read all of your blogs and looked at all of you photos. the top of the list is definately in need of a change (or more correctly a confirmation.) i will talk to you later. love you lots guys lucy (#1) xoxoxoxox
Stu So... I love the Tour de France pics although I'm not convinced that they are authenticly live..... Either you got a surprisingly close view of the action (like official photographer close) or you took some rather ordinary photos in front of your TV. I'm picking the latter. Very crafty, but did you really think you could pull the wool over my eyes like that? No luck on the house. Too expensive. Finally getting better and the household is about 85% fit. Raced on Sat and got dropped after 18k... not a good day. Niamh says hi and misses you guys heaps. Miller said something I couldn't comprehend so we'll say that he said hi as well. We all miss you. Love Stu.
Stu Also, where are you guys..... 3 days without David Attenborough's national geographic "Our Europe" are leaving us all with withdrawals. Love your favourite son, Stu.
Mum (From Mum before she comes up for another week on the 10th Aug!) Hi-de---------------- It looks like another wet day coming up --- Friday 29th & another weekend upon us. Weather report says sunshine from this afternoon so G & V & littlies are going to the beach for a couple of days. I think the youngsters have school holidays next week, but they all have trainings for their different sports & I think Joseph is going to Fiji to play something or rather, so noone can be at the beach. Jim comes home on monday 1st August from Italy, Sam & Isaac spent a week in Wellington a week ago playing indorr cricket. They were in two of the Auck. teams. i had a lovely week up at Sheryl & Ricks doing absolutely nothing except a bit of knitting, went to the Ladies Garden Club and consequently I'm off up there again on the 10th to go on one of their Garden Trips (3 venues) to look at Gardens. It's an "All Day Do' & well be coming back as far as puhoi only about an hours run from Aucklamd. Where the other two places are I have no idea. Some where in the whop whops. Well now -- to your leg & feet. You are certainlky giving them a pounding. Dad always massaged something into his feet for comfort. He learned it when in the Army, can't think what it was now. Something like meths, & and tahts probaby not right. What weight are you both! as you seem to be not thinning down with all your climbing & walking. Jan - I'm glad you have a bright colour to wear. The guy whoes a couple of feet taller should be able to spot you. You need the same colour hat for your fine days. (Don't baffle him with too many colours!) It's nice reading the families notes, to you. I have Tahlia perched on the table deep in thought. Eyes closed, & her thinking finger holding her head. She's thinking hard - her nose is all wrinkled. I'm ready for breakfast so toodle pip. Love & thoughts, Mum --- Have fun in France. Well you guys. this is all from our neck of the woods. Thinking of what you may be up to often. Family all send their love - Sheryl & Rick