When NASA puts a spaceship such as the Shuttle into orbit, they must be very careful to head it off in the exact , correct trajectory. Once you expend all the fuel required to accelerate it to the 17,000 miles per hour required to achieve orbit, you cannot change its path of travel. Each mission has a specific goal. When it is done, you must land the Shuttle, refuel, and launch in a new trajectory for a new mission. We are finding our trip to Europe mimics these traits of a shuttle mission. One launch, one mission. We are fighting the laws of physics in trying to accomplish two missions at once, touring Paris with our kids and riding the Rhine route on bikes. We are expending huge amounts of energy negotiating the trajectory of our bikes and their accompanying boxes through the trains, subways, and hotels of Paris and its surroundings.
I would try to describe all the focus of attention we have expelled in trying to figure out how to get the bikes from the Versailles B&B to Versailles hotel to Paris B&B to Paris train station but I would run out of memory in my iPad. Somehow, figuring how to move two bike boxes and two bikes through a crowded city on public transportation has presented us with an "adventure".
We got the bikes from the airport to the B&B via private shuttle service, in their boxes. We unboxed them at the B&B in Versailles and I was tempted to throw the boxes away, but did not. It is a good thing, because the only way we can transport our bikes on French trains is in boxes.
We were up at 5:00am today and on the 6:00 am train to Saint Lazare station in Paris. From their, we took a metro subway to Gare de Lyon train station to inquire about tickets and transporting our bikes. First, we talked to a worker on the train platform. He said "No problem in taking our bikes on the trains, as long as they are in boxes. His English was broken, but we could easily understand him and enjoyed his good humor. We proceeded to the ticketing and information office. Here, we were told the only way to transport the bikes was with a special bag we could purchase at a sport shop. The people was rude, short and ill tempered. Undaunted, we tried to show them the website we had looked at the night before that said "New!: Bikes on trains!" They dismissed the site and insisted on special bags. We scratched our heads over this one, then walked out to the platform where a high speed train was boarding. We talked to the conductor-or the French equivalent. He said boxes were fine. Just stow them in the luggage area or in the aisle if they would not fit. hmmm . . . . Who to believe. We inquired at the information office and they said bikes were fine, as long as they are boxed or bagged. As we were leaving the info office we saw a gentleman pushing his bike out the station door. We caught up to him. He had a purchased ticket with bicycle on the ticket. He paid an extra €10 for his bike to have a seat. But, he said that service only went to a few select cities, such as Lyon, his destination.
At this point we decided we would bring our bikes to the station in boxes and just board our train as if it was the normal thing to do, as there is no consistent policy. All the workers on the platform said no problem. Since hat is who will see us bring the bikes to the trains, w will go with their interpretation of the rules.
Although we had been at it quite a while, it was only 9:15am. Getting up and out early pays dividends. We caught a metro to the Rue Cler area and strolled this iconic French market shopping street, enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and other open air shops.
We enjoyed a sumptuous chicken omelet at €1.50, watching people walk the rue as we slowly ate.
We headed for the Champs de Mars park at the foot at the Eiffle Tower and were surprised to see horses being led down the street. We soon realized there was a horse jumping competition with the world leaders in horse jumping. Jumbo monitors, cameras suspended from wires, grandstands, formal white linen tables for dining under sparkling white tents and an air of "Downton Abbey" pervaded the area. We were spot on to watch the competition, so we found a place in the stands. I think it is safe to say we watched the wealthiest families from each country compete in what can only be called a very rich man's sport. Dressed in white riding attire each rider rode his beautiful mount over the jumps, trying to do so without knocking off a bar and to do so in the quickest time.
We laughed at ourselves sitting in the stands. We had no idea this was going on before we arrived, yet we enjoyed the riders, horses, amazing tournament setting and air of importance and wealth the riders and announcers conveyed with each contestant. I felt like Ferris Bueller sitting in the stands-someplace I was not supposed to be.
After a dozen riders, we decided to leave and continue our day by walking to Napolean's Tomb. I had been reading a biography of Napoleon, so I was anxious to see his tomb. I was not ready for the ornate spectacle the French constructed to honor this native son (sort of, he was born on Corsica, a French protectorate in the Mediterranean). No expense was spared in creating a 14' high casket surrounded by sculptures and wall reliefs, not to mention the ornate dome towering 100s of feet above.
The tomb in on the site of a military complex built by Napolean, part of which contains a museum dedicate to the wars.
We cruised quickly through the war museum, feeling obligated to see it, but not interested in the details of man's history of self slaughter.
It was 93° outside, punishingly hot.
We made our way to the nearest Metro station and began to retrace our route back to Anne's B&B in Versailles.
Along the way the discussion continued as to how we could get bikes and boxes from Versailles to Gare de Lyon. We stepped off the train about 5:30 pm and stopped at a business marked "Casino". Much to Sally's disappointment we found it to be a grocery store. We stocked up for a dinner of Taboule, lettuce, shredded carrots, chicken and bread.
We relaxed and showered, the hid in our cool basement room. We came up to make dinner and enjoyed it on the patio in the shady backyard. No one else was home, so we had the house to ourselves.
In the hours before we went to sleep, we tussled with the bike and box transport problem some more, making calls to hotels, taxi services and rail yards. We went to bed with the idea we would just take the bikes fully assembled and have Andy, Jeff et. all, take the boxes on the train from Versailles, walk them from the Notre Dame station to our B&B on Isle é St. Louis and then walk them to Gard de Lyon and disassemble them, box them and put them on the trail to Switzerland when the time came. About 4 in the morning I woke up and realized on a Saturday the Versailles train is packed and the bikes and boxes would be a super annoyance to the packed riders. By 6:30 am and 4 more phone calls (thank you Skype!) we settled on riding the bikes, first to Versailles on Friday, then to Isle è St. Louis on Saturday and bring the boxes on the train.
Perhaps you are thinking, "What a hassle these bikes are! It can't be worth it!!" At times I lapse toward this conclusion, but them my lovely, smiling and always upbeat wife reminds me, "The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is ATTITUDE!" Like NASA does with each, launch, we are having a great adventure.
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