Paris wedgy

Looking down at the world of Paris from the Montparnasse tower at all the boulevards fanning outwards is great for getting bearings. I had no idea where I was in Paris until I could look down on its beautiful wedges!

We saw where we had been in Rodin's garden the day before.

Metro day today across Paris to find some clothes to wear to Bech's sister Mahi's place for dinner ... metro line number 2.  How wonderful to meet Mahi and her gorgeous girls! Such a happy family night!

On jeudi 28 Octobre Quai Bronly ... masques, wonderful settings and light in the yellow-leafed tree enchanted me. I've been here before, and it's such a treat to come again! Especially to eat the polenta I had for lunch!

On a boat trip up and down the Seine I found peacefulness just sitting and looking. Ahhh relaxation! Sometimes its great to stop. I remembered the day at Sarlat when we had to wait for four hours for the bus and all we could do was sit in the sun and read ... ah bliss!

Today (friday 29 october) we had a bike ride along the canal San Martin. Riding in Paris is really great. Wonderful networks of bike paths! We stopped for a coffee along the way in a nice corner cafe with a happy labrador inside who smiled and wagged his tail, but didn't get up.

Then we had an 'interesting experience' visiting per la chaise cimitiere. A spooky suburb of the dead ... all up a hill and quite a little creepy in the autumn light. Trees shedding their leaves with shivers of goulishness.
It was very respectful, quiet and still being there. Thankfully not a tourist experience.

We rode home via rue de Mouffetard to check on the cheese situation for Tuesday's journey into Africa.  Yes, the cheese was there! So was some lovely bike rider's beer to wet the whistle.

Home again home again jiggity jig to lie on the bed and say ahhhhhhh! Another amazing day in Paris!

Paris familiar

We arrived in Paris Montparnasse on Friday afternoon and walked a familiar route to hotel du parc. We decided to stay in Paris for a week instead of going to Barcelona.

Monday Monday so good to me ...
Monkey and I rode around Paris today in the sun. We (monkey I mean) found Paris velo 8 and 4 and 7 and 5!! We rode past the Eiffel tower, the trocadero, tried to find the photographic exhibition ... Which we found but it wasn't open. Tomorrow!

Yesterday I was spoilt! Let me tell you about it! Monkey took me shopping and I am now the proud owner of a faux fur coat and I feel quite gorgeous all of a sudden!  A beautiful silk shirt is also proudly slipped over my shoulders and wait! There's more! On my shoulders is my new hair cut! Oh the luxury of new clothes! New hair! Paris look at me!! Tres chic moi!! Thanks monkey - you make me feel gorgeous!

Warm sun on my face. I just saw an exhibition of photos. Shocking juxtapositions of fashion and war. The story of ourlife. Also at the petit palais an exhibition of paintings by De Nittis (Giovanni)

Also strange, but not shocking, juxtapositions of detail and looseness. De Nittis captures expressions of face exquisitely and then rushes through the rest of the canvas in a hurry to finish ... background not important! The technique worked well in the pastel drawing of a standing woman but looked mish-mashy in oils.

I'm watching Paris pigeons eyeing monkey and I. Probably seeing if we have anything to eat. Monkey is writing a poem to his mum, sitting on the steps of the palais. The sun divine!!

Perigordian meanderings

Wanderings through ancient histories. Riding up hills in cold weather. Lovely hilly cold days with caves, art on walls ... ancient art, villages perched!

We managed to squeeze the last warm week out of Switzerland but since we have been in France the temperature has plummeted. We have both had colds and want to be well again. Strength to us! May the sun come out to warm us!

The food in France has been limited because our vegetarianism is not catered for. What more do you need than bread cheese and wine?

We are in Vitrac Port tonight. The bedspread is apricot sateen quilted to match the curtains, wallpaper and mood.

Strange dreams abound around up and down. Kate in a red dress with feet enclosed trying to hurry along in tiny steps.
What does it mean?

We changed plans to ride around the perigord region to check out all the prehistory. The villages inserted in cliff walls and caves and ancientness everywhere is astounding.

 People say this region is spectacular for it's food! Not if you are vegetarian! However, we had some wonderful wines and beautiful truffles all earthy and black.

We are on the train to Paris and it is Friday 22 October. Trying to get to Barcelona but maybe just stay in Paris. Gee we are getting good at putting our bikes on the train! Very neatly too! Strikes in France make getting anywhere difficult but we have been supremely lucky this week.

top of the dordogne

medieval washing day

Sarlat

vale tent

Small pieces of life

He slid along the souls of his shoes to a halt around the tables of the restaurant. Like a dancer. The waiter at the train station in Bordeaux.

16 October 2010
Happy birthday Mum

Birds are singing for you mum, in the forests of France where the alysium grows wild, near the cave paintings. Just for you!

Bag lady

Picture this. Red dress, crumpled, black long cycle nicks, yellow cardigan, conflicting yellow jacket, milanese shoes ... sitting in a restaurant, eating omelette, drinking wine, with Monkey, wearing, crumpled cycling outfit. Does he care?  No!  Do I care I have only one dress and a few cycling coordinates? No! I have the shoes! Cycle touring is difficult for the sensitive dresser.

Picnics, riding along the river and art history watching in the Musee D'Aquitaine doesn't require design haute ... but sometimes it would be really nice to put on a pair of jeans and boots and a cute jacket and tiptoe through the  tulips of our travels in style!!!!

Oh well ... I'd rather be travellin by bicci than lookin in the mirror!

On with the ride ....

Wooden Pez

Wooden Pez ! Wooden Pez! Great big wooden pez!

The contemporary art musee in Bordeaux has a great old arched barn space. Fabulous to see the new amongst the old.

The old amongst the old is very interesting too ...

All amongst the bells Gothic. Look up! look up!

Stop the train! Vive la revolution!

Journey by two wheels across Paris at lunchtime in a strike (travail pas!). Feel the ground drumming with a thousand thousand feet marching in a tsunami wall of people. Vive la France! Vive la revolution! Vive la difference!

Malheureusement, we are not traveling in the same direction. Stop the revolution! We have a train to catch! Hahaha ... There's a slither of a chance on the far left (haha) to go against the grain so to speak and finding a path to Montparnasse ... tick tick tick ... push push push ... quick quick quick.  Cacophony everywhere and sheer madness in a wonderful moment of our trip.

Bagged the bags at Montparnasse and jumped on the train to Bordeaux and breathed again ... we caught the train! Amazing we caught it; amazing there was a train in a strike!

Doona doona doona day!

After viewing a great exhibition of beasts photographed at the palais lumiere, riding a whole 50 meters, I went back to bed and monkey rode to thonon ... Several times. I read my book and drew. When monkey came back we walked around town then went back for a lovely evening 'at home'. We found the source of evian this morning and filled all our biddons with lovely fresh evian water! Maybe that's what made me sick??? Hahaha!

Turn around Villeneuve

We rode from Lausanne to Villeneuve and stopped at Chateau de Chillon to check out the dungeons and see Byron's name that he scratched out on the column there.

We ate picnic lunch along the way.

What a glorious ride around the lake in Switzerland. We reached the edge of the country and found out that the road into the French side of the lake is dangerous for bikes. Now we are plotting our alternate course for the day.  Ride back to Lausanne and maybe go by ferry to Thonon les Bains.

Evian! Yes! That's where the ferry went so that's where we are/ it's beautiful! We found a hotel by psyche! hotel de France. 5th floor ... looking at Lac Leman from the French side.

Milano shoes Milano shoes Milano shoes

From Milan to Milan … via Casana D’adda, Cesano, Bellagio, Bergamo, Lurano, Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Padova, Venezia, Ferrara, Stellata, Courte Casella, Firenze, Milano!!

Best of Italy? Riding the Navigli Milanese, visiting Lanfrance, Bergamo coglioni haha, Bellagio, the Po River ride, the ride up the tuscan hill, the shoes I bought in Milano. Oolalal! What more can I say?


Dig this crazy train ride with techno techno wise music powering up phone blogging amazingment with the best view in the world. Alps. And it’s great because we can sit in comfy chairs and not worry about our biccis … unlike regionale trains in Italy.

Now we are in Switzerland. Being in Geneva reminds me of Kate. Funny being in Geneva without Kate. The tourist info place is in the post office on Rue de Mont Blanc. We find our way to the hotel whizzing through Geneve on bicycle paths all the way. Civilized city! 


The hotel is inside a palace of consumption …it’s like woden plaza, only 100 times bigger. Mad … but it would be a dream for train enthusiasts … we opened the curtains and …dada … The railway goods yard. Monkey was fascinated.

From Geneve we cycled North along the shores of Lac Leman until we stopped at Rolle. We rode through vineyards and orchards and always had a glimpse of the lake  and enormous snow covered mountains. Tonight we are camping! First time! Monkey has been lugging the tent around Italy for 4 weeks. We were spoilt with hotels. 

Finding space

Sitting in the gardens in Milano ... finding space in the day to sit. Listen. Birds. Green life. Autumn leaves. Colour. A feather finds its slow way to my feet. Slow time. Italian time. Garden time. Still.
The train ride from Milano to Geneve is all beautiful storms and light; wet sunshine brilliance past lago de Stresa that reminds us of the lake at Como with its enormous mountains.
Great train ... Monkey has plugged in his laptop itno his seat and we are busily updating blogs, listening to music, looking at the amazing Bella vista Italiano! Ruminate. How glorious is Italy? What a fabulous Italian holiday.

Firenze, Firenze, lovely lovely Firenze!

The bells in Florence sound really old. Sounds like they come from centuries ago all the way to today!
Ah! My homecoming.
Firenze! Home to my ancestors. Tizzana to Tizzana. Mother's line.
Beautiful hilly outlook with lots of terracotta roofs. I picked up a piece of Boboli/Piti Palace ceramic from the ground ... [thinks to imbed it in a ring].

Monkey and I rode to a hilly town on the road to Sienna.

Laundromat in Florence

Very romantic. Watching the darks and lights whizzing around. Mesmerising. Later today we'll be at the Uffizi to  look at art.

Yesterday was train day. We left the wonderful Corte Cassella after an amazingly good breakfast of cake. Cassella is an artist. Artist of the kitchen. The night before, she cooked us three pasta dishes and a really crunchy parmesan cup filled with zucchini  and other vegies. So superb! We rode all day and came home to sumptuousness.

We left on Friday morning, as I said, after breakfast and rode along the Euro Velo 7 into Mantova.

The Euro Velo 7
The beautiful cycle paths in Italy! Along the side of rivers on levy banks, well maintained, asphelt, flatish, easy! The Eurovelos are routes across Europe. Number 7 was interesting! The part we rode was an off-road mountain bike-worthy and we rode it and walked it for about 10 klms. In between are one agritourismo and the next. Tough ride, fantastic and memorable. isolated from tourists, even locals. Just birds, fields and frogs.

Ride around Ferrara

Ride ride round and round. Haha ... we said we wanted to ride around Ferrara! Finally found the route on the piste ciclabile towards Bondeno... where we met a woman who made great bruschetto with toast; a plate full of tomato and mozzarella; side dish of garlic and chilli; bottles of oil and balsemic. Monkey had pasta. We asked her about the town and told her we were heading 'somewhere'.  Hadn't quite decided ... maybe Modena; maybe Mantova. She said Mantova was one of her favourite places and much nicer than Modena. When we had eaten her beautiful lunch we took her advice and headed in the direction of Mantova, knowing it may take a few days.

Light rain and nice cool ride along the Po river for about 30 klms (all day) and then Dada!! Agritourismo when it just started to rain!! Yes. Let's try it! behind the gate a beautiful farm with sheep, horse, chooks and gardens and a lovely room amongst the herbe aromaticas! Tasteful and quiet and feels like we are on holiday. Fifty seven klms today across rural country near Mantova. The smell of earth; the sound of bells; the Po river on one side and riding far from the madding crowd..

This morning Nigella sent us on our way with some herbe aromatica and some nigella seeds.

Po-ness - um. It was a long off-road track that was isolated but beautiful and natural. I saw a frog! Reminded me of the time Clivey saw a frog for the first time. It was again for me! I saw a pheasant too - all golden brown and oh so savage in the wilderness of Po-ness. Riding along the rocks on levy bank which was the piste ciclabile along the Mincio river on the Po delta. Rocks and puddles and soggy bits ... we had to walk through most of it. Ten long klms - but thrilling and real. All the way to Mantova. Monkey read the maps. Its a bit like reading cards! We didn't have to ride with trucks; we rode with frogs and pheasants. I trust his mapping skills. Wow, froggy!