Avignon-Geneva-Paris by Train

Mark and I got up early and Pascal drove us to the train station where we boarded and went to Geneva to drop off a huge bag of timing systems (affectionately called "the beast") to Johny our Swiss distributor and great friend.  He met us at the station and took us for a walk along the banks of Lake Geneva and then out to lunch at an amazing restaurant where the waiters wore tuxes and the patrons were very wealthy blue-hairs.  It was wonderful to see Johny again and he looked healthy and happy.  Mark and I both ordered the specialty which was lobster bisque and it was truly divine.  It may well be the best thing I have ever eaten.  We had fish for our main and a strawberry ice cream pie for dessert.  It was around $100 each, food is very expensive in Switzerland!  
We went back to the train station and were on our way to Paris for 3 days.  

We arrived in Paris in the afternoon and set out to walk to Notre Dame for an organ concert. It was wonderful. I am very lucky indeed to have a husband who will go with me to an organ concert late at night when he is tired.  We walked there and back from our hotel which took a few hours.  We saw these amazing street performers on roller blades dancing between little cones.  We loved being back in Paris and it was a beautiful night.

Good-Bye Dinner

 Pascal

 Stephane

 Ann and Karl

Andi and Fred

 Yvon and Penny

 Kathleen and Steve

 Lee and Sally

 Nate and Karen

 Stacy and Steve

 Annette and David

Lorna and Mark

Avignon

We had a nice breakfast, and began our last day of riding.  I have to say that this trip has been different for me as I have finally achieved living in the present rather than in the future.  Usually I think about the whole trip all at once and plan out each day in advance and I try to fit in as much as possible because I don't want to miss anything.  I don't know if it is empty nest or what, but after all these years, I am relaxing and enjoying each moment without planning the next one.  Maybe I am just getting old, but I really like myself much better this way.

Pascal led out through the villages today, so none of us had to read directions.  He is from Avignon and we met his wife Nina there for a guided tour of the medieval catholic city of where 9 Popes lived during the 14th century.  It is a beautiful village with a long history.  We had lunch at a small cafe with the best server in Provence.  He was so excited to take our order and talk to us.  I am not a big fan of hamburgers, especially when in a foreign country, but I have to say Steve and Mark were right in choosing the spot.  The burgers were gourmet and we all enjoyed them.  

 This is not a bike path.  It is a road.  Many of the "roads" were not even wide enough for 1 car.  It always surprised me when a car came from either direction.  Imagine a car or truck driving down Porter Rockwell trail.

 Look at the last set of names.

 We didn't eat here, but I wanted the plate of the day!

 This guy parked on the very small median.  He had to climb out the passenger side.  There is a lane on the other side of the car.

 The obligatory crash that garnered no response from Pascal.

Walking around Steve and I saw a painting we both really liked.  I wanted it but waited to see if Steve and Stacy were going to buy it.  They picked out another one and Mark bought the one I loved.  It is an impressionistic painting of couple in a passionate kiss.   Mark likes realistic art, so it surprised me that he liked it too.  

The Hills of Provence

We started off today by getting on a bus and leaving our hotel in St. Remy to visit a UNESCO Heritage site, The Pont Du Gard.  It is a Roman aqueduct dating back to 19 BC.  It is very hard to get  proper perspective from a photo.  There is also a 1,000 year-old olive tree near the site.

 We loved the ride today as we started out going up and down, from small village to small village.  There were lots of hills.  Mark and I got separated from the group and went down a small hill intersecting  a busy highway.  We stopped and I checked the instructions and asked Mark if he saw the sign to Argilliers and he said yes.  I was leading out and did not see it but I asked him again and he said yes, he saw it.  Mark thinks I am too cautious when ever I cross a busy road.  I like a lot of room before I cross on my bike.  This time, I just looked quick and went across when I should have stopped.  A fast moving car honked for a good 5 seconds straight as it whizzed past me.  Mark followed right behind me and barely made it.  I was a little flustered but relieved when we started down a beautiful downhill on a very empty road.  When we got to the next intersection maybe a mile down, I realized we were in the wrong place.  We had to ride back up the hill, across the highway and back to the turn we missed.  I looked at the signs and it said Colleirs.  I asked Mark about it and he said, "close enough."  Mark looks at the rough map and never reads the step by step instructions.  Many times he looks down a road and says, "that looks right to me" when it is nowhere near the right road or direction.  The guides get a kick out of him. We found the right road and a little while later we saw Pascal driving the van looking for us.  I stopped to tell Pascal what happened and he laughed and said, "you have a funny life."  I am not quite sure if he meant "fun" or if he really meant "funny."  The language barrier shows up quite often.  But either way, he is right.  Pascal also keeps  telling me that Mark is lucky to have me.  I quite agree!  

One of the reasons I love biking so much, is that I have a lot of time to think about random things.  I started thinking about how I took a wrong turn really enjoyed it and then had to pay a pretty steep price to get back to the right place.  A little repentance analogy that I had a good time thinking about even though I was unhappy with the bad guidance from Mark.  Lunch was a picnic prepared by Stephan and Pascal, our guides.  It was my favorite kind of eating, lots of really amazing snacks.  We talked with Evon and Penny from Ottawa while we ate.  I loved the conversation and the food.

 Our French guides, Stephan and Pascal

 Gwen decided to ride with us today since Randy is still in the hospital waiting for the medical evac flight to come.  Hopefully it will be here tomorrow morning.  After being in the bleak hospital room for 4 days on his back with only tylenol,  he is not a happy camper.  It is hot and the food is terrible.  We sent him some snacks last night and tried to find a fan but they are "out of season."

 This is for Liz!

 We rode through beautiful vineyards, pine forests and olive orchards as we made our way up hills and down valleys.  We stopped at a Winery and even though we didn't do the tasting, it looked so pretty with all the different wines.   

We made it to our new hotel, La Magnaneraie in Villeneuve Les Avignon.  It is a more traditional hotel that is so beautiful.  We have a nice big room with a king size bed and an alcove that has bunk beds.  

We had a group dinner at the hotel.  It was wonderful--stuffed zucchini flowers in mushroom sauce, sea bream (a tender white fish) with polenta and a trilogy (their name) of creme brulee for dessert.  Of course, I loved it all!