On the Singapore Airlines flight over, I read a very interesting article by Steve Thomas entitled "Gone Cycling". One particular passage rang true with me:
"Travelling by bike is like no other way of travelling. You hear, see, smell, breathe and feel everything along the way. The pace and distance you set is down to you, and every metre of the journey is one you earn for yourself. On a bike, you are the engine, and the feeling is very gratifying, not to mention eco-friendly and healthy.
Cycling is also one of life's great levellers - it doesn't matter what demographic of life you come from, what colour, creed, religion or age you are. When you meet other cyclists, that's what you are - cyclists and comrades. It's at that moment that you "get it", and the whole cycling thing suddenly makes sense."
So a group of new mates, most of whom will spend the next 7 weeks together, set off this morning for a loop into Central Paris to get our 'bike legs', make sure the bikes were properly adjusted, smell the perfume of the summer blossoms and see the sights that make Paris unique - The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre to mention but a few.
Tomorrow we set off on official Day 1 of the tour from Paris to Chenoise where we will camp for the night. I haven't slept in a tent since being washed out in Hall's Gap some 40 years ago so I hope the new experience will be somewhat drier than the last.
Our Tour Mechanic Gergo from Hungary and Tour Leader Ricardo from Chile. Our Tour Chef is Miles from Canada who currently lives in Istanbul.
This stone outside Notre Dame is the point from which all distances in France are measurement-referenced.
Two Aussie IsraelRiders beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Edna does a lap of the Arc de Triumphe.
Reports from the road will follow as internet access allows.
The journey is about to begin :)
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