THE FIRST TIME I ARRIVED IN PARIS

The first time I arrived in Paris it was in July, beautiful July and it was raining. They say when you arrive in Paris for the first time and it rains you will have plenty of luck, well so it was, we fell in love forever.

It was 1997, I took the TGV to San Michel then to Versailles, I marvelled at its grandeur but too fast, as I wanted to get to a auberge de Jeunesse before dark.

Searched everywhere but found nothing, rushing back to Invalides caught the SNCF to Ledru Rollin then cycled the rest of the way only to get my first puncture. A young Parisien girl and her boyfriend came by me and she sent him on his way home to get the puncture repair kit, she fixed my puncture in no time on Rue Soult and I was over the moon. Tired and bedraggled I then had an epiphany: the sun only sets at ten, goodness me, and here I was rushing to and fro...

Paris must not be rushed, lazy like the Seine, shimmering in the summertime I meandered on savouring the colours and the smells. How long have I dreamed of this moment, since 1988 when I first saw Pedro Delgado win his first Tour De France, yes I was in the most romantic city in the world coming to the most romantic sporting event in the world, Le Grand Boucle, The Tour de France.

I arrived in Paris on the 4th of July 1997, my room mate spoke no l'angeltaire and my French was really bad.

His name was Careme Marie-Rose Francais, (I googled him on Facebook but had no luck there)

Morning of 05^th July 1997

One boiled egg, a roll, two glasses of orange juice and a big cup of coffee, more like a bowl, that was my first breakfast in the city of love and boy it was good. I had to leave this place by 9:30 and find a cheaper accommodation, back then like now the Franc was stronger than the Rand as the Euro is stronger than the Rand still.

Is that a conundrum?

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées also known as La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful avenue in the world") was beautiful in spite the cloudy sky as I cycled to Maison Internale des Jeunesse.

Across the Place de la Concorde where the Tour de France ends each year with thousands of people this time of year, to me it was a feast for the eyes. I went to Laurent Cycles and did some window shopping. As always since the time arrived in Paris everyone was always courteous and friendly contrary to what others have said about the French I was learning differently and I liked every moment of it.

On that second day I cycled 54kms just moving around and about. I met Ryan Board a runner from 7305 90^th Lane Crown Point, IN 46307 U.S.A.

He was my room mate at this maison I was lodging at.

I visited the Gare de Lyon as stations and trains are my thing and in the evening Ryan and I took a stroll to buy supper and when we got back another young gentleman from England called Daniel Cooper joined in and we had a party. We spoke till 2 in the morning the way strangers do in a foreign land and when we woke up in the morning Paris was misty and fresh and soon I would be heading to Bordeaux.