It's not JUST about the bike

With apologies to Mr Armstrong, I decided to subtitle my usual Blog "It's not JUST the bike". For the next 3 weeks Sue and I are in France for my 60th birthday. Although I have my new fixie with me this time, the blog will not be JUST about the bike but the food, wine, sights of the Loire and 2 weeks in Paris.

There will however be an insight to surviving Paris on a straight gear fixie and possibly some stories on training at the Paris Velodrome or in the parks of Paris with the Roadies.
What's a fixie I hear you say - It's a bike without gears, yes just one gear for all terrains and the pedals keep turning - no coasting at all. In Paris it is perfect. As for Mt Ventoux, forget it.

This is our fourth trip to France since 2006 and although our usual blog is Melbourne Our Home, France has become our other home in a way. We've met people who have become long distance friends, two who are cyclists, others being Bloggers or people we have met by renting their cottages or apartments.

On our first trip to Paris we stayed in the Sorbonne district on the west bank. Just up from our hotel on Rue Gay Lussac near the Luxembourg Gardens was this little cafe bar where we would enjoy a glass of cool refreshing ale in the sunny autumn afternoon. Since then we have experienced their spring twice and again this fourth trip we are hoping that France's harsh winter will give way to some sunshine.

Ours is the "slow travel" method where we can park ourselves for a week at a time and enjoy the sights and meet the people of the region.

On our last to visits to France, I've taken my straight gear bike, the one I rode in the Warrnambool road race in the early 80s. It also gives me an opportunity to discover the villages and country lanes on the bike. I call this training but in reality is just pure relaxing enjoyment.

From what I can tell of Europe's long cold winter I'll need to pack the winter training gear.

We promise you regular and almost daily sights, scenes and experiences from Paris over the 3 week period.

You'll notice on our Blog sight in the side bar, a section called "Followers". You need to register or post a comment as anonymous. we would really like to hear from readers while we are away.

Where is the Paris traffic???

Oh no, I'm late.

For those that log in on a Monday, I apologise for my non-blog Monday. Life is hectic with trying to get all things work, home and family in order before we fly out for Paris next Monday.
I must admit though that our Sunday arvo was very relaxing after mowing lawns. We decided to enjoy a balmy early autumn arvo with a bottle of Sav/Blanc on the deck and enjoy the backyard. It was a low 30s day with the sound of the occasional light plane flying overhead and doves cooing in the Gum Tree.

Do you know how difficult is is to capture a photograph of a plane (in focus) after a bottle of Sav/Blanc? But didn't the Gum Tree come up well?

We live near an airport for light planes. Both Sue and our oldest son Andrew have enjoyed flights in a Tiger Moth over Port Phillip Bay.

Not for me, I get nose bleed on the ladder.

The grass is turning green again after recent rains and the Jacaranda offers a filtering of afternoon sun, almost like an umbrella.

Gem enjoys the autumn sun.

But the Dove enjoys the sunlight from the safety of the Gum Tree branches with Gem below.

The cats, especially Gem, our Burmese suns herself on the outdoor setting as if she is royalty. (I thought I was, she said).....

I've built a new bike to bring to France for this trip and I'm looking forward to the thrill of playing in the traffic, but before that, we visit friends in the Loire. Firstly a night in Paris to get over 20 plus hours of movies, iPod and airline food - gosh I hope they upgrade us again. Sue, tell them it's my birthday - it worked for you last year.
We then TGV it to Tours and another overnight stay before picking up some sort of Mr Bean minicar and toodling down to the Cher. A few days catching up with people and then settling into a Paris apartment for two weeks. How good is that?

The new bike for this year's trip to France - a simple single gear in matt black. Sue has nick named it, "the Shadow". Are there any other thoughts out there?????

We maybe might just have another Funky Friday and a weekend blog before we fly out Monday.