Archive for September 13th, 2012

Paris is Leading New Trends in Lane Usage and Helmet Safety

September 13, 2012 at 9:20 pm

I am finally ready to set sail. I've spent three days kicking around Paris. Now my bike is built, my bags are packed, and I have a route to start my adventure. First I have to get to the RER station across Paris. This is fine, because I've observed Parisian cyclists and traffic and I'm starting to understand it.

Paris has traffic lanes insofar as there are lines on the road. What those lines intend to signify, no one has stopped to ask. To be fair, more and more bike lanes are being built to support Paris' successful velibre bike-rental system. But neither the pedestrians nor the drivers seem concerned with what is a road, sidewalk, or lane. This might be a flaw in the bike lane system.

Also, Parisians often wear bike helmets, but I don't recognize the style. They only cover a band at the top of your head and your ears. I can't say that these would be too helpful in an accident in terms of brain-protection, but the ear protection is robust. Each ear is covered in a big foam element suspended by the band. Funny lookin' helmet, really.

Tomorrow I will take the commuter train to its furthest point from Paris. Then, I'll follow a bike path along the Seine. I will pass Monet's home, garden, and the land that inspired the impressionists. Hopefully the cue sheet that I found is accurate. Most of the land that I'll be covering is on the edge of a page of my atlas, mostly obscured by the legend.

After this post, I'm sure my posts will become less frequent. I won't have access to wifi as often as I do in Paris. Until then…

 

Read more 0

Paris by Foot

September 13, 2012 at 9:23 am
 

That old lie about Maupassant eating his lunch under the Eiffel Tower every day, because it was the only place in Paris he couldn't see the Eiffel Tower from–that really can't be true. I walked around Paris for hours yesterday, and I still haven't seen it.

I did see some other cool things, though. Like barge that posed perfectly for me:

Paris on foot

Barge, birds, bridges.

 
After crossing this bridge, I found Notre-Dame. I got a rare chance to see the famous cathedral's stunning yellow crane:
 
Notre-Dame under repair?

Notre-Dame's world-renowned yellow crane.

 
I was on my way to Au Vieux Campeur. It's like an American outdoors shop (eg REI), except split up amongst several buildings. So if you need shoes, that's in a separate store from the bike supplies. This is actually a really positive thing for a guy like me, who can't walk into REI without walking out with a backpack full of gear. Let's face it, new gear is cool. It's hard not to buy.
 
I left my isobutane fuel in San Francisco because it's (unsurprisingly) illegal to take on a plane. Because I like my camp stove, I was just hoping that the same fuel type was available in France. Luckily, it is. I spotted it immediately in the store. I managed to limit my camping purchases to just that and some dehydrated food. I almost bought a 30 Euro waterproof iPad case but talked myself out of it when I realized it was a glorified plastic bag.
 
On the way to grab some falafel, I found this:
 

Miles, and miles, and miles.

 
I was awed by all the miles this must have been ridden. After I took this picture, I stood and wondered what the number would look like and it was inspiring. Then I showed it to R. and he said, “you know there's a bolt to tighten that saddle?”
 
Fair enough, and anyway I had my own bike to build. I walked halfway back to R.'s apartment. I only stopped once, to duck into a church. That's where I took this:
 

Jesus!

 
I don't know the name of the church. Taking pictures in old churches is like shooting fish in a barrel. You almost can't take a picture that isn't dramatic and reverent. And I guess that's sort of the point of churches in the first place.
Then I got home and built this:
 
I am here for a bike tour, after all.
 

 

Read more 0