Day 10a: Paris to Champigny (62km)

If the French now a thing or two about forests, they also know a few things about designing and maintaining glorious parks and gardens, often on a monumental scale. There are an amazing number of beautiful parks and gardens in France, many of them designed by André le Nôtre, a famous landscape architect who is almost single-handedly responsible for most of the famous gardens in France. His most well-known garden is no doubt that of the Château de Versailles, on which many other gardens are modelled.

Monday morning - Park and Chateau all to myself

The morning dawns to a clear blue sky and sunlight streaming through the windows. How nice of Paris to welcome me with a gorgeous sunny day yesterday and then to farewell me with another unseasonably beautiful and (eventually) warm day!

My route out of Paris initially follows a bike path through La Coulée Verte, which is a nicely done green corridor with waking and cycling paths in the suburbs of Paris.  While riding, I notice on my map that the Parc de Sceaux is actually quite near my route. In all the time we lived in France, in fact not that far from this castle and its park, I never visited it (it was always a case of 'we'll go next weekend'). So I decide to take the opportunity that has now presented itself and I make a detour to the park. The gates are open and entry is free (some good things in life really still are free) so in I go for a ride around the park and gardens, which early on Monday morning I have almost to myself. The park is sort of like a mini Versailles, complete with forests, canals, lakes, and long symmetrical rows of trees.  'Mini' hardly seems appropriate in fact since even though it is undoubtedly smaller than the gardens of the Château of Versailles, the place is still vast. The park and gardens are also the work of André Le Nôtre, so the resemblance is no coincidence. The place is truly stunning and it's a joy to be able to freely roam around it on my bike.

Reflections in the Park de Sceaux

Back to reality outside, I return to the bike path which initially still follows La Coulée Verte but soon becomes slow going through suburban streets with constant reference to the map to check where I am. My average speed plummets, but today is a 'rest' day with relatively few kilometres to ride, so I can take my time.

Stop for the daily bread

Around lunch time I pass through a small village with an attractive boulangerie. It looks good and there's a stream of people going in and coming out with armfuls of baguettes and other nice smelling breads. I normally don't have a lunch break as such when I'm riding, but today I have a special treat: the friend I stayed with last night has taken the trouble to pack me a picnic lunch. So I buy a half baguette (yes, in France you can buy half a baguette, perfect for single diners) and I ride on, looking for a nice place to stop. I'm in luck because just after the village my route takes me along a section of a major walking track (a Grand Randonnée) and it follows the foreshore of a small lake; much nicer than following roads. So I have my picnic by the lake, kept company by large numbers of ducks and other water birds, which entertain me and themselves by alternately looking for food and chasing each other around the lake.

My bed for the night

The afternoon is surprisingly slow going, with both headwinds and hills (not a combination that endears itself to me) but since the day is relatively short I still arrive at a reasonable hour. The owner of the house I'm staying in has given me instructions on where to find the key and to make myself at home. I think it's great that such a level of trust still exists. I ride in to the property, and find the key exactly where it should be and let myself in to a wonderful house in the countryside. There's a beer in the fridge for me and all is right in the world (at least my little bit of it for now).