Day one. I rock into Paris after an overnight train from Berlin. For a bike ride, you need a bike. Fortunately I have the best spreadsheet man in France on the job. “Mick”. In the box it says buy bikes. We drop off our gear at our hotel, and head off looking for bikes at a couple of local bike shops. The first one is just down the road, and it has a fine spread of bikes that sort of look suitable just outside the shop. The guy in the shop is busy so we head over the road to a local brassiere. Le menu is the staple of the French working man. For 17 euros we get a three course lunch. Terrine, Roast  chook, and crème brûlée, washed down with Evian, and whatever else looks suitable. A couple of hours later we are back. After a quick inquiry, we are disappointed to find that the bikes out the front are the locals in for repair. No problems, we have a list of other targets. Three bike shops later, two actually, one had been turned into a dress shop, still no bikes. Time for plan B. Decathlon is a large category killer sports store. All you need is cash.  Four hundred euro’s later, I have a bike, pack rack, panniers, even a stack hat. It’s not even dinner time and we are ready to roll.

       The plan is head south down the Seine, along the canal to the Loire, through the hills to Lyon, then south along the Rohne to Avignon. We start by heading down to the junction of the river Marnie, and the Seine. Scenic highlights here are car wrecks, and a huge abandoned Chinese restaurant. You gotta start somewhere. Navigation isn’t all that difficult. 1. We are following a river. 2. Europe has a system of long distance bike trails called the Euro velos. Euro velo 3 starts in Norway, and finishes in Spain via Paris. At sometime we will jump to Euro velo 6 towards Lyon. They are well marked, and run along either bike trails or very quite roads. Our plan is to do 30 to 60km, a day. Stop at every patisserie. Find a “menu” for lunch, and a cheap hotel with a magnificent view, comfortable beds, and a crowed bar for dinner. Not too much to ask really.

        River’s don’t really do hills, this is a good thing when you are on a bike. We stop at Melun for lunch. This is inspired, because for the rest of the day we don’t see much other than quite canal paths, and little houses. Our 50kms for the day takes us to Champagne sus seine, not much here. We head on to the next town past closed b and b’s and not open yet hotels. It’s s early June, so the summer rush hasn’t started yet, so lots of stuff is still closed. Finally we see a sign for a campground. A cabin maybe. I guess I could stoop as low as that. Mick my French expert handles the negotiations. We have a place. That’s it “a place”. Back to reception, there are cabins here but you can’t rent them. The owner offers us an old tent for ten euros, it’s late, and we are tired. Deal. I find some cardboard boxes t stick under the tent, and pinch a blanket from the laundry.  Town is a couple of klicks away, and it is actually quite lively. Crepes  for dinner, then back to the dirt. It’s still light at ten, and our site has power, with free bugs included. Amazingly I sleep like a log, and the showers in the morning are hot. 
          That’s the routine for the next ten days. We stay in hotels, apartments, gites, b+b’s, and even a convent. One French family welcomed us into their home. We were getting kicked out of our hotel in Villemandeur because of a cat show. Françios graciously agreed to house us cat evicted orphans, and proceeded to even feed us. I am forever great full for being shown the French tradition of drinking a soup bowel full of coffee, out of a soup bowl for breakfast. Just the thing to set you up for a long days riding.

         Good things can’t last forever, and we have an appointment with our French county mansion. The last ride is thirty km from Avignon. I’ve been here before and I remember the roads being narrow and busy. Then out of the blue we stumble on an unfinished rail trail. In Victoria this would be sealed off waiting two years for the final sign off from some UN body. Here in France not finished open. It’s even heading in the right direction. Eventually I recognise the shops about 5 minutes from our new home. Baguettes, check, Milk, check, six pack of cold Heinekens for 5 euro, check. Peddle for a couple of minutes. Jump in the pool. Check. We’re here.

          Thanks to Mick for the navigation and the planning. For the local experience “Warm showers” is a bike touring website, that connects bike tourer’s with people who have spare rooms.