Bike Tour Begins –River L’Oise 

June 11, 2012 Jouy-Le-Moutier to Chantilly in the Foret de Chatilly

Our trailers are packed, GPS programmed and bikes are ready.  We started with a warm send off from Marie Pierre and headed down the lane to the river.

After a brief UP hill when Steve realized the computer needed time to adjust and me to adjust to not having any maps, we were back on the right track heading down to the Cergy to follow the L’Oise.  

Our plan is to stay along the ancient canals and waterways in search of a canal barge and the most likely place to find one.  We can also  enjoy the flatter terrain as it has been 3 years since we have been on our  bikes and no training until now.

We plan to head north through France to Belgium then into Holland where we were told we might find the best value and the smaller size boat. 

   We went through Averes and the towns where the Impressionist lived and painted, beautiful little towns, little lanes lined with hedges and  the smell of roses.  It is fantastic to be back on the bikes and back into nature. 

Just when we thought nothing could go wrong Steve hit a curb with his trailer and it flipped over. It does not happen often but if does it only gives a quick jerk on the bike and unless we are willing to drag 45 pounds of gear upside down we stop and correct the problem.     

While I keep an eye out for dogs, this one below an interesting feature in the window above, I wonder what Steve had his eye on.

We began to trust the GPS which took us to some interesting bike routes and once on them hoped the GPS would keep us headed in the right direction.  It never failed us and we found ourselves on beautiful paths, some in forests then back out along the river.

 
We ended up in L’isle-Adam for lunch and low and behold tied up in front of the restaurant was the barge Arran that we met at the rally.  Jane and her husband Bill remembered us and were invited in to see the barge. It is a new build by Piper of Stoke on Trent in England, steel, 18m with an aft deck with double doors going into the  wheelhouse and a little stove for cold days.  The company will build to suit, we’d just have to go to England to design the interior. 

We went on our way then and ended up in some horrible places following the GPS as it does not really tell us the condition or type of track.  This one was a dirt track that turned into some kind of factory with huge rain puddles and white chalk.    Our trailers were a mess.

The next minute were were back up off the river riding on nice small roads through green  wheat fields that lead to our first French camp ground. We had stopped and bought camping gas and food to cook on our jet boil stove and found the camp ground well equipped with hot showers, washing facilities to wash up the bikes and a swimming pool. 

Back in our little MSR ‘Golden Pagoda’ having a very exhausted first night.

June 1, 2012

We arrived in Paris on May 31, 2012 and made our way from the Charles de Gaulle airport on the RER train (which allows luggage and bikes) into Paris where we transferred to the Metro.  Our bikes are packed in there suitcases and we each have one carry on bag with all our clothes, both biking and for dress, and one duffel bag with camping gear.  Our plan is to camp during  nice weather and stay in Gite’s or Chambre D’ote otherwise while in France.   My first time in Paris was in 1975.  It is exciting to be back once again.

Situated in the La Villette on the River Seine are 34 barges rafted up 3 deep, here for the DBA (Dutch Barge Assoc.) rally. Our accommodation was on a 23m converted barge, Joli Coeur.   We have become members to learn more about barges and the lifestyle of living and traveling on the canals of Europe and be among the ones who would know best about buying barges.

We were welcomed with a wine and cheese tasting and a Woman’s Forum the first day. Set up in teams, each  went shopping to buy cheese and wine then a tasting contest to see who selected the best ones.  There was a members forum  in the AM the next day, a book swap and cocktail party in the evening.   .In between we got to visit many barges.

            
Many of the bargees were English so a grand luncheon was set up on the quay next to the barges for over 100 people for the queens Diamond Jubilee.  It rained that AM but still everyone paid no attention and just continued on carrying chairs and tables off the barges.  The rain stopped just in time for the huge pot luck.  By 3PM everyone had retreated to the barges to watch the ceremonial events on TV.

         
We took off on the Metro for the Arsenal or Canal St. Martine below the Bastille.  I had done the canals from Amsterdam to Paris on a Nauticat sailboat with stepped mast in 1985 and had spent time in the Arsenal.  I wanted Steve to see the smaller barges.  We realized that most barges in the rally were way to large as we want to down size from s/v Ariel which was 18m.  Our favorite boat seen so far is the Grouwster Vlet 15m river cruiser built in Sneek Holland.  We realized we should be headed for Holland as we hear the boats are cheaper and have a larger variety.

Now we wonder if a barge is what we’d like ……or some type of river cruiser?

Time to unpack the bikes from their suitcases stowed on Joli Coeur’s deck.

ALLONS-Y  – LET’S GO