I do believe that wintertime in Paris is just around the bend. Perhaps 5 months lie ahead of me that will be nothing but cold and wet. I hear that it doesn't snow in Paris, nor is there much ice, but as far as I can tell, it rains a lot. Although sub-zero temperatures (Fahrenheit) have never been my favorite aspects of wintertime in the Midwestern United States, 40 degrees and raining doesn't sound terribly pleasant either.
I ventured out into the rain today to meet Phillipe for what I thought was going to be a ride of some sort. We had talked on the phone briefly in the day and he told me to bring a backpack with another pair of shoes in it. I asked him what kind of clothes to wear, such as if blue jeans would suffice, but he told me that cycling clothes would do, since wearing wet blue jeans can cause one to catch a cold. I met him around 3 o clock with no idea of what kind of adventure we were about to debark on, and upon his arrival to our meeting place, he revealed to me the contents of the backpack he was carrying.
On previous rides, he told me that he was going to try to help me lighten up my bike. He said that by changing out a few parts here and there, we might be able to reduce my bike's weight by 2 or even 3 kilograms. I was skeptical since I knew that people can end up spending a lot of money to lighten their bicycles but he told me that we would find ways to do it inexpensively, by finding used parts or borrowing things that he had lying around his house. The first thing he commented on was my saddle, a Terry Gellissimo Butterfly, telling me that not only was it quite heavy, it also had padding more suited to long-distance riding. When using a padded saddle such as the Terry in racing situations, you lose energy into the cushion of the saddle instead of the energy going into the pedals. Which were the next point of correction. He told me that he had an extra pair of pedals that were similar to mine but were much lighter.
From his backpack he presented to me a new saddle (noticeably lighter than the Terry, but also much more firm) and a new set of pedals (that were also noticeably lighter). He also pulled out a raincoat, despite the fact that I was already wearing one, and told me that this one was too big for him and I was welcome to use it. Cleat covers, a yellow Trek baseball cap, a pair of tights (also too big for him), and other things he took out of his backpack and I stood in front of him not sure what to say other than "thank you mille fois" for his generosity.
(I forgot to mention a few posts ago that I was without a cycling jersey for about a week and a half since I was expecting a Hub Bike Co-op jersey in the mail from Minneapolis... I was on the look out for a respectable jersey at bike shops I went to and mentioned this search to Phillipe. The next time we met for a ride, he gave me a jersey to wear- one that he told me was also too big for him. It was a little big for me too but was much better than wearing a tee shirt- my primary cycling apparel up until that point. I think he told me that it was the jersey of Lance Armstrong's team in 1999 and features Trek, Volkswagon, and various other sponsors. This is the reason why he gave me the Trek hat today.)
After the presentation of gifts from his backpack, we left to go on our ride. He told me that we would be riding to a nearby sporting goods store, Decathlon, that was a bit north of our current location. It was raining a little and was kind of chilly- I was glad to be wearing leg warmers and my raincoat. It took us roughly 15 minutes to get to Decathlon and when we arrived, we haggled with the security guards to let us leave our bikes, supervised, at the front of the store. I changed my shoes and shed some wet layers and set off after Phillipe into the mega-store of sports. Decathlon had a department for everything it seemed- camping, cycling, jogging, karate, ballet, as well as an expansive apparel and nutrition section.
The nutrition section is what interested Phillipe the most. We arrived in the nutrition section and I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of bottles and jars and packets of supplements but Phillipe knew exactly what he was looking for. He showed me a container of recovery-aid powder, similar to something like Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite I imagine. 5 dollars a jug. Also, he showed me another container of something to use during the ride, probably something like Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuem. Also 5 dollars a jug. Amongst other things he showed me were dextrose tablets (mint flavored, and I haven't quite grasped the concept of what they accomplish... I just read on the Hammer Gel website that "glucose, sucrose, fructose, and dextrose are garbage" so I hope Phillipe has reasoning behind his faith in dextrose...), energy gels whose labels I don't quite understand, and a sport-cake mixture that you can supposedly mix with water to bake a cake to eat before going on a long ride. According to Phillipe, a piece of this sport-cake and a glass of fruit juice for breakfast before a long ride is good preparation for the day.
To be honest, I was quite skeptical of Phillipe's necessity for so many supplemental products. Perhaps my criticism stems from growing up in a family of cyclists whose primary source of nutrition was bagels, fruit, and Gatorade. It wasn't until recently that PAC Tour started carrying supplemental products like electrolyte tablets and recovery powders. Although I, myself have tried products and powders like Perpetuem and Recoverite and found them to be sufficient, I never really considered them necessary components to my cycling. And perhaps this is simply because I have not been completely dedicated to serious cycling. Also, maybe there is a difference between the diet of a long-distance endurance cyclist and the diet of a short-distance competitive cyclist. Not that long-distance cyclists aren't competitive, but based on my experiences with PAC Tour, already Phillipe's philosophies and those of my parents seem to have some opposing arguments. Or perhaps my parents haven't shared with me the details of competitive cycling nutrition because I've never needed to know about them.
My anxiety and uncertainty grew as Phillipe continued to add things to his basket in Decathlon and after nutrition, he headed toward the Cardio-meter department. I had previously talked with my dad about sending me a heart rate monitor so I was very hesitant to purchase one, knowing that one would be in the mail soon, but Phillipe firmly told me that 2 weeks was too long to wait for a heart rate monitor. He found one that cost only 20 euro and added it to the cart. We passed by the tennis shoe department and had he tried to outfit me with a new pair of tennis shoes I would have outright refused, since I am positive that my shoes from home will suffice, but luckily he must have just been browsing and we carried on our way.
As we approached the check out counter I grew nervous about how much this outing was going to set me back and I asked him if it would be possible to wait a day for the heart rate monitor to see if I could contact my dad about canceling the order of the one from home. He said it wasn't necessary, that it was only 20 euro and if I got a new one from home that I liked more, I could give him the 20 euro one to use. I suppose that's a French way of not taking no for an answer. I asked him if there was a cash machine around and he simply shook his head no. I reluctantly told him that I didn't think I had enough money for everything and he told me not to worry about it. 66 euros later, I had three containers of nutritional supplements, two packets of energy gel, a box of dextrose tablets, a heart rate monitor, and a bottle of vitamin water, all thanks to Phillipe's checkbook.
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about having such a benefactor, but I guess if he's willing to ride with me and train me and feed me, there's not much to object to. It's very nice to have such an encouraging person to ride with and learn from, but it is still a little unsettling not knowing he expects in return for his generosity. Once springtime comes around, does he expect me to start winning races? I can see that he has sees a lot of potential in me and my cycling future; I just hope I don't let him down.
While we were still in Decathlon we could hear the rain pounding on the building's tin roof and I was glad we weren't out on a ride somewhere, but the rain hadn't stopped by the time we left. The ride home was a lot quicker than it took us to get there, but my hands and legs were very cold by the time I got back to my apartment. Like normal, Phillipe wanted to review and analyze what he had told me today and as he transfered the contents of his backpack into a smaller bag for me, he did a short inventory and explanation of each item. He could tell I was cold so didn't elaborate as much as he might have liked and shortly after we established a time and place to meet tomorrow for another ride. 9:30 if the weather's good, 10:00 if the weather's bad. I don't quite understand his justification, but that's the plan.
That's certainly enough for now... perhaps more later.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Turtles, Tikits, and Too Many Classes
Yesterday morning as I was eating breakfast, I looked out the window and thought I noticed a new ceramic pet on the balcony. I thought I had seen before a bronze-colored turtle on the balcony in days previous, some garden-art amongst Mme C's various plants, but I could have sworn it had been facing to the left. I peeked around the corner of the window and saw him now facing another turtle, a ceramic yellow one, that I had never seen before. I watched them peacefully enjoying the morning sun as I finished my breakfast and thought no more of them for the rest of the day.
That night, Mme. C asked me if I had noticed the addition to her collection of outdoor pets, which I said I had. She told me that she had found her the night before outside on the curb by someone's garbage and decided to bring her home for a second chance at life. I'm glad she has a companion on the balcony, or else I would imagine it to be quite lonely.
I received a very exciting email today from the folding bicycle company Bike Friday. Before leaving the US, I sent them a document offering to do some promotional work for them, advertising a new bicycle they just came out with, called the Tikit. They responded to me today saying they would be happy to let me use a Tikit during my stay in Paris and would ship a bike to me after receiving a timeline for the tasks I proposed to accomplish for them. Such tasks include making a brochure for the Tikit in French, visiting local bike shops and demonstrating how neat it is (it folds very quickly!), and talking to people on the street about it. I hope to hear back from them soon regarding details about the bike (slick tires or knobbier ones?) and to find out how soon it might arrive! Exciting!
Yesterday I took Mme C's bike out for a spin around town. It is a three speed Dutch cruiser that didn't like it's highest gear too much, but it got me to the Bois de Vincennes where I did some homework for a while. It was a beautiful day which attracted lots of people to the paths of the Bois and while trying to maneuver around everyone, I almost ran into a dog and several children. It is very frustrating trying to ride a bicycle on what is labeled to be a bike path when there are many non-bicyclists using it as well. I saw a cyclist who I had ridden with last Sunday riding around the bicycle track in the Bois and he stopped to say hello and we rode a slow lap around the track before departing. Slow in comparison to our previous speeds going around the track, but as fast as the cruiser wanted to go.
I had my first day of classes today and after Questions of Aesthetics, I was scared out of my mind for how difficult the following semester would be. I knew beforehand that it would be a very philosophical course regarding "What is Art?" and "When is Art?" but I realized that if I wanted to do well in all of my courses this semester, I couldn't dedicate enough time to that course itself. My next class, Architecture of Paris, turned out to be much less overwhelming and I think I will enjoy that course over the following weeks. Roughly every two weeks we will have an outing on a Friday morning when we will go and visit a building or area of Paris that we had been learning about. The teacher is very nice and likes drawing pictures on the chalkboard, but her handwriting is kind of difficult to read.
After that class I had a two-hour break during which I ate some lunch that I brought from home and wrote some emails (most importantly, one to Bike Friday regarding my timeline!). My last class of the day was also very interesting, Contemporary France, that will examine aspects of current French society such as the educational system, immigration, religion, Left vs. Right and how it differs from Democrat vs. Republican, etc. I am also very excited for this class and the teacher is younger than the rest of my teachers- she seems to try to relate to the students as much as she can without being too lenient.
I decided this afternoon, after having reflected upon how much homework I had already been assigned and having considered what I had just agreed to do for Bike Friday, that I would drop my Questions of Aesthetics class and might try to take it next semester if I have the time for it. I know it would be a very interesting class and I would learn a lot about different periods of French art, but I didn't want to be too stressed and overwhelmed, trying to balance all of my tasks but not having enough time to still enjoy being in Paris.
On a Metro note, I received my Carte Imagin'R today- a Metro pass that is good for the following year that is not a ticket you put into a machine like I had been used to, but is a card with a sensor in it that I wave over the turnstile and it lets me through! Very modern. I can also use this card to rent the citywide bicycles that are a new service to Paris, called Vélib. It's kind of a bummer that it arrived today because I had already bought my weekly ticket that is good until next Sunday, but at least I have it before having to buy more of those weekly tickets!
As much as I like taking the Metro around Paris, I can't wait until I can ride my Tikit around Paris instead of having to wait for the train.
C'est tout.
That night, Mme. C asked me if I had noticed the addition to her collection of outdoor pets, which I said I had. She told me that she had found her the night before outside on the curb by someone's garbage and decided to bring her home for a second chance at life. I'm glad she has a companion on the balcony, or else I would imagine it to be quite lonely.
I received a very exciting email today from the folding bicycle company Bike Friday. Before leaving the US, I sent them a document offering to do some promotional work for them, advertising a new bicycle they just came out with, called the Tikit. They responded to me today saying they would be happy to let me use a Tikit during my stay in Paris and would ship a bike to me after receiving a timeline for the tasks I proposed to accomplish for them. Such tasks include making a brochure for the Tikit in French, visiting local bike shops and demonstrating how neat it is (it folds very quickly!), and talking to people on the street about it. I hope to hear back from them soon regarding details about the bike (slick tires or knobbier ones?) and to find out how soon it might arrive! Exciting!
Yesterday I took Mme C's bike out for a spin around town. It is a three speed Dutch cruiser that didn't like it's highest gear too much, but it got me to the Bois de Vincennes where I did some homework for a while. It was a beautiful day which attracted lots of people to the paths of the Bois and while trying to maneuver around everyone, I almost ran into a dog and several children. It is very frustrating trying to ride a bicycle on what is labeled to be a bike path when there are many non-bicyclists using it as well. I saw a cyclist who I had ridden with last Sunday riding around the bicycle track in the Bois and he stopped to say hello and we rode a slow lap around the track before departing. Slow in comparison to our previous speeds going around the track, but as fast as the cruiser wanted to go.
I had my first day of classes today and after Questions of Aesthetics, I was scared out of my mind for how difficult the following semester would be. I knew beforehand that it would be a very philosophical course regarding "What is Art?" and "When is Art?" but I realized that if I wanted to do well in all of my courses this semester, I couldn't dedicate enough time to that course itself. My next class, Architecture of Paris, turned out to be much less overwhelming and I think I will enjoy that course over the following weeks. Roughly every two weeks we will have an outing on a Friday morning when we will go and visit a building or area of Paris that we had been learning about. The teacher is very nice and likes drawing pictures on the chalkboard, but her handwriting is kind of difficult to read.
After that class I had a two-hour break during which I ate some lunch that I brought from home and wrote some emails (most importantly, one to Bike Friday regarding my timeline!). My last class of the day was also very interesting, Contemporary France, that will examine aspects of current French society such as the educational system, immigration, religion, Left vs. Right and how it differs from Democrat vs. Republican, etc. I am also very excited for this class and the teacher is younger than the rest of my teachers- she seems to try to relate to the students as much as she can without being too lenient.
I decided this afternoon, after having reflected upon how much homework I had already been assigned and having considered what I had just agreed to do for Bike Friday, that I would drop my Questions of Aesthetics class and might try to take it next semester if I have the time for it. I know it would be a very interesting class and I would learn a lot about different periods of French art, but I didn't want to be too stressed and overwhelmed, trying to balance all of my tasks but not having enough time to still enjoy being in Paris.
On a Metro note, I received my Carte Imagin'R today- a Metro pass that is good for the following year that is not a ticket you put into a machine like I had been used to, but is a card with a sensor in it that I wave over the turnstile and it lets me through! Very modern. I can also use this card to rent the citywide bicycles that are a new service to Paris, called Vélib. It's kind of a bummer that it arrived today because I had already bought my weekly ticket that is good until next Sunday, but at least I have it before having to buy more of those weekly tickets!
As much as I like taking the Metro around Paris, I can't wait until I can ride my Tikit around Paris instead of having to wait for the train.
C'est tout.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
End of the "Propedeutique"
In an attempt to save this blog from becoming solely a memoir of my biking adventure in Paris, I will write a bit more about my primary focus: school.
On Friday I had my last intensive French grammar class in which we took a test that reviewed all that we had been reviewing for the past week. I assume it was to be used to better place us in a grammar class for the rest of the semester, but even before the tests were graded, our professor told us what class we were in. Perhaps after the tests are graded, those who didn't make the cut will be further instructed to take a different class. After the test our professor also handed out a grammar and reading packet for the class, which I am not sure how she was able to determine without knowing the results of the test, but I'll assume the best and hope I get to stay in my same class.
On Monday, I will have three classes to attend and my day at IES starts around 10:30 and ends around 5:30. I'm glad I have a break for a few hours in the afternoon so I will have time to eat some lunch and maybe do some homework. Mondays and Wednesdays will be nearly the same schedule but on Wednesday nights, my drawing class will have a model available to draw (so I am told- I haven't found out much additional information regarding my drawing class at the Atelier de la Croix Nivert). Thus far, I do not have any classes scheduled for Fridays which could make for a nice extended weekend and good for traveling, or it will make it more stressful to have 18 hours of class condensed into 4 days. I'm not sure at this point how difficult my coursework is going to be, but I heard from previous students that the coursework is not as difficult as at home universities because IES assumes that students taking certain classes are not necessarily majoring in it. For example, I am taking Contemporary France, a sociology course, but it is not assuming that I am a sociology major and I know how to write up an ethnography how someone with background in the field would. I have no idea what kind of expectations the Questions of Aesthetics class has for the students, but I think I am most curious about that class and look forward to it quite a bit.
The IES Center where classes are held is actually a series of three separate buildings. The main building is on the first floor of 4 or 5 story apartment building so we share an entry way with private residents. In the main building, there are the offices of IES workers, a computer lab open to students, a small library, and one classroom. Behind the main building is a small courtyard with a garden where it is often nice to pass time between classes, but I find there isn't enough seating. The building behind the courtyard, on what I believe is the south side, is also part of the IES complex where there is a lounge area and 3 or 4 more classrooms. Down the block a ways is another building where there are more classrooms and an art studio with easels where the IES drawing class is held- not the class I am registered for. I imagine that I will be able to use the studio to do my art homework unless I need to be in the presence of a model, and for that I will have to go to the Atelier de la Croix Nivert, which is about 25 minutes by Metro from the IES Center. In all of the IES buildings, there is wireless internet, but I haven't tested out the reliability of the connection yet.
Yesterday after class I went on a picnic by a canal in the northeast area of Paris. I went with several other IES students and we brought bread and cheese and fruit and sat by the canal for a few hours, people watching and lunching. It was a beautiful day and I was glad to be enjoying one of the potentially last days of summer. Later that evening we went to a soirée at a friend's apartment where we were the obvious group of 5 americans amongst a group of french people who all knew each other. It was difficult at first to start up conversations with people but after a while we started to more freely integrate with the french kids. I left around midnight because I had to take the Metro home and be in bed at a reasonable hour to be ready for my ride this morning. I don't know how long my friends stayed at the party, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed past 3am. A little too late for me.
I met Phillipe this morning in the Bois de Vincennes at 10 and we rode for about an hour and a half on various loops around the park. There was a series of three hills that we rode a loop on that was fatiguing after a while, but still good practice for myself, not a strong hill-climber. Tomorrow we're going on a longer ride out of the city that should be around 70 or 80 kilometers, and for that I have to be up and out the door at 7:45! Quite early, considering I'm still awake and it's almost midnight.
On that note, I'm off to bed. More to come later, I'm sure!
On Friday I had my last intensive French grammar class in which we took a test that reviewed all that we had been reviewing for the past week. I assume it was to be used to better place us in a grammar class for the rest of the semester, but even before the tests were graded, our professor told us what class we were in. Perhaps after the tests are graded, those who didn't make the cut will be further instructed to take a different class. After the test our professor also handed out a grammar and reading packet for the class, which I am not sure how she was able to determine without knowing the results of the test, but I'll assume the best and hope I get to stay in my same class.
On Monday, I will have three classes to attend and my day at IES starts around 10:30 and ends around 5:30. I'm glad I have a break for a few hours in the afternoon so I will have time to eat some lunch and maybe do some homework. Mondays and Wednesdays will be nearly the same schedule but on Wednesday nights, my drawing class will have a model available to draw (so I am told- I haven't found out much additional information regarding my drawing class at the Atelier de la Croix Nivert). Thus far, I do not have any classes scheduled for Fridays which could make for a nice extended weekend and good for traveling, or it will make it more stressful to have 18 hours of class condensed into 4 days. I'm not sure at this point how difficult my coursework is going to be, but I heard from previous students that the coursework is not as difficult as at home universities because IES assumes that students taking certain classes are not necessarily majoring in it. For example, I am taking Contemporary France, a sociology course, but it is not assuming that I am a sociology major and I know how to write up an ethnography how someone with background in the field would. I have no idea what kind of expectations the Questions of Aesthetics class has for the students, but I think I am most curious about that class and look forward to it quite a bit.
The IES Center where classes are held is actually a series of three separate buildings. The main building is on the first floor of 4 or 5 story apartment building so we share an entry way with private residents. In the main building, there are the offices of IES workers, a computer lab open to students, a small library, and one classroom. Behind the main building is a small courtyard with a garden where it is often nice to pass time between classes, but I find there isn't enough seating. The building behind the courtyard, on what I believe is the south side, is also part of the IES complex where there is a lounge area and 3 or 4 more classrooms. Down the block a ways is another building where there are more classrooms and an art studio with easels where the IES drawing class is held- not the class I am registered for. I imagine that I will be able to use the studio to do my art homework unless I need to be in the presence of a model, and for that I will have to go to the Atelier de la Croix Nivert, which is about 25 minutes by Metro from the IES Center. In all of the IES buildings, there is wireless internet, but I haven't tested out the reliability of the connection yet.
Yesterday after class I went on a picnic by a canal in the northeast area of Paris. I went with several other IES students and we brought bread and cheese and fruit and sat by the canal for a few hours, people watching and lunching. It was a beautiful day and I was glad to be enjoying one of the potentially last days of summer. Later that evening we went to a soirée at a friend's apartment where we were the obvious group of 5 americans amongst a group of french people who all knew each other. It was difficult at first to start up conversations with people but after a while we started to more freely integrate with the french kids. I left around midnight because I had to take the Metro home and be in bed at a reasonable hour to be ready for my ride this morning. I don't know how long my friends stayed at the party, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed past 3am. A little too late for me.
I met Phillipe this morning in the Bois de Vincennes at 10 and we rode for about an hour and a half on various loops around the park. There was a series of three hills that we rode a loop on that was fatiguing after a while, but still good practice for myself, not a strong hill-climber. Tomorrow we're going on a longer ride out of the city that should be around 70 or 80 kilometers, and for that I have to be up and out the door at 7:45! Quite early, considering I'm still awake and it's almost midnight.
On that note, I'm off to bed. More to come later, I'm sure!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Biking with Phillipe
Today after class at IES I met Phillipe in the Bois de Vincennes at the same place I had gone riding on Sunday. As I was waiting and looking around for him, I noticed how different the crowd was from Sunday. On Sunday, there had been many people on cruiser bikes, leisurely making a tour around the park. Today, after a pack of 30 cyclists passed me at 25 miles per hour, I knew the spirit would be much different. Phillipe was riding in another group and came by shortly after the big pack passed me and stopped to explain the rules of the route. He warned me many times to always be very aware of what's ahead, behind, and to either side of me, because you can never tell what to expect when riding fast in big groups. He said most of the people riding were good cyclists and wouldn't do anything too spontaneous, but every now and then there's an obstruction in the road or something unexpected happens and people crash. His speech scared me out of my wit's end and I wasn't sure that I wanted to ride any more that day, but shortly after we departed and started accelerating.
We joined a group of 20 or more cyclists and for the first 15 minutes, I was terrified. Every time I went around a corner I thought I was going to crash. Every time I had to pass someone I thought I was going to run into someone else. The speed of the group wasn't too fast, and while we were riding Phillipe tried to explain to me the concepts of drafting, of "warming up", of signaling turns, of cornering, etc. After perhaps 4 or 5 laps with the group, Phillipe said it was time to test my heart. Or something like that. He moved to the left of the group and started accelerating more and signaled for me to follow. We passed the group we were with and kept going. I think I remember seeing 37 or 38 kmh on my speedometer, which I was able to hold for about three laps. After that, I felt my legs started to object and didn't want to pedal any more, and no matter how hard I tried to keep up with Phillipe, he pulled away from me. I gave him a shout and he slowed down and we rode slower for a while. It makes sense that I maxed out at that speed, because I can remember riding with Jeannette on the Hub Women's rides and after a mile or two of 22 or 23 mph, I couldn't stay with her. Hopefully my speeds will improve, because in comparison to race standards, I don't think 23 mph is all that fast...
Phillipe and I rode at a more moderate pace for a while and he explained more things to me, recovery, diet, cross training, proper clothing, all things that I am sure I have heard a lot about in the past but I could only understand about 60% of what he was talking about. I kept saying yes to make him keep talking, but I think that maybe he took that for me actually understanding him because then he would move onto another subject. My head was swimming after a while from all of the French and all of the cycling-specific rules and training tips and on and on and on... I don't have a very good idea of how long we rode and how long he talked but in all, we did about three more cardiac exercises, all ending with me shouting "Phillipe!" as he started to get away from me.
I don't have a good idea of who Phillipe is, but he must be a rather well-known cyclist in the Paris area. He told me that he has been involved with cycling, triathlons, running, and athletics in general for quite some time. He knew many people who were riding today and many people knew him as well, which makes me think that maybe the Paris cycling community isn't as big as I thought, or feared. I was the only woman I saw riding today and one time as a group of faster riders overtook us, I heard a half-dozen voices speaking at once to Phillipe with laughing tones, and when I asked Phillipe what they had said, he just said, "What do you think? They're guys." He talked to me about how in France cycling is definitely a male-dominated sport (what isn't?) but welcomed me wholeheartedly. I asked him if he enjoyed helping debutante cyclists improve and he didn't give me a direct yes or no, but said that he found it good to give back to the sport as he has learned a lot over the years from his mistakes and likes sharing his experience with those who haven't acquired it yet.
After we finished at the Bois de Vincennes, he told me that something special was happening at La Cipale, so we rode down there, perhaps only 4 or 5 kilometers from the loop we had been riding. When we arrived, I saw some super-muscular men with super-fancy track bikes and Phillipe told me, in a rather hushed tone, that the man sitting behind him was the World Champion of track. He couldn't remember his name but it turns out there were several world champions at La Cipale that day. I think Phillipe said that there was a television program being recorded on track racing? I don't really know. While we watched the track racers, Phillipe continue to tell me more about proper training and nutrition and what to take on rides and when to ride and when to rest, but by that time I couldn't absorb any more. I wanted to ask him to write me a list of 5 things I need to do right now and when I've finished those, give me another list of 5 things, but I think he was just excited to talk about all of the things he has learned. It was definitely a great exercise for my French skills! More listening than speaking, but still a good work out.
We rode home from La Cipale together and after arriving at my apartment, we arranged another rendezvous on Saturday morning. A short ride, at what speed I couldn't tell. Tomorrow is rest day, then the short ride of questionable intensity on Saturday, then a longer group ride on Sunday when we'll go out through the suburbs of Paris to the country. Phillipe said it would be about a 60 or 70 kilometer ride, and considering I did 50 today, I think I can handle it, as long as it isn't too fast. Upon saying our goodbyes, Phillipe said that I can use the "tu" - familiar form - of addressing him now, because the "vous" form is for... he made a gesture of a person with a big beard. I think I have made a friend! And also, possibly a physical trainer! He told me to go eat a banana and raisins because raisins have some special nutritious feature that I couldn't make out in French. And yogurt too, because it's also special. Hopefully the words will come to me someday...
I'm exhausted now, and look forward to sleep tonight.
PS: As I was leaving the Bois de Vincennes, I saw an older man who I had seen and briefly talked to at Service Velo a week ago. Again, when I was leaving La Cipale, he rode by me! I'm not sure that he recognized me in uniform, but it makes me very happy to already be able to recognize people in Paris.
We joined a group of 20 or more cyclists and for the first 15 minutes, I was terrified. Every time I went around a corner I thought I was going to crash. Every time I had to pass someone I thought I was going to run into someone else. The speed of the group wasn't too fast, and while we were riding Phillipe tried to explain to me the concepts of drafting, of "warming up", of signaling turns, of cornering, etc. After perhaps 4 or 5 laps with the group, Phillipe said it was time to test my heart. Or something like that. He moved to the left of the group and started accelerating more and signaled for me to follow. We passed the group we were with and kept going. I think I remember seeing 37 or 38 kmh on my speedometer, which I was able to hold for about three laps. After that, I felt my legs started to object and didn't want to pedal any more, and no matter how hard I tried to keep up with Phillipe, he pulled away from me. I gave him a shout and he slowed down and we rode slower for a while. It makes sense that I maxed out at that speed, because I can remember riding with Jeannette on the Hub Women's rides and after a mile or two of 22 or 23 mph, I couldn't stay with her. Hopefully my speeds will improve, because in comparison to race standards, I don't think 23 mph is all that fast...
Phillipe and I rode at a more moderate pace for a while and he explained more things to me, recovery, diet, cross training, proper clothing, all things that I am sure I have heard a lot about in the past but I could only understand about 60% of what he was talking about. I kept saying yes to make him keep talking, but I think that maybe he took that for me actually understanding him because then he would move onto another subject. My head was swimming after a while from all of the French and all of the cycling-specific rules and training tips and on and on and on... I don't have a very good idea of how long we rode and how long he talked but in all, we did about three more cardiac exercises, all ending with me shouting "Phillipe!" as he started to get away from me.
I don't have a good idea of who Phillipe is, but he must be a rather well-known cyclist in the Paris area. He told me that he has been involved with cycling, triathlons, running, and athletics in general for quite some time. He knew many people who were riding today and many people knew him as well, which makes me think that maybe the Paris cycling community isn't as big as I thought, or feared. I was the only woman I saw riding today and one time as a group of faster riders overtook us, I heard a half-dozen voices speaking at once to Phillipe with laughing tones, and when I asked Phillipe what they had said, he just said, "What do you think? They're guys." He talked to me about how in France cycling is definitely a male-dominated sport (what isn't?) but welcomed me wholeheartedly. I asked him if he enjoyed helping debutante cyclists improve and he didn't give me a direct yes or no, but said that he found it good to give back to the sport as he has learned a lot over the years from his mistakes and likes sharing his experience with those who haven't acquired it yet.
After we finished at the Bois de Vincennes, he told me that something special was happening at La Cipale, so we rode down there, perhaps only 4 or 5 kilometers from the loop we had been riding. When we arrived, I saw some super-muscular men with super-fancy track bikes and Phillipe told me, in a rather hushed tone, that the man sitting behind him was the World Champion of track. He couldn't remember his name but it turns out there were several world champions at La Cipale that day. I think Phillipe said that there was a television program being recorded on track racing? I don't really know. While we watched the track racers, Phillipe continue to tell me more about proper training and nutrition and what to take on rides and when to ride and when to rest, but by that time I couldn't absorb any more. I wanted to ask him to write me a list of 5 things I need to do right now and when I've finished those, give me another list of 5 things, but I think he was just excited to talk about all of the things he has learned. It was definitely a great exercise for my French skills! More listening than speaking, but still a good work out.
We rode home from La Cipale together and after arriving at my apartment, we arranged another rendezvous on Saturday morning. A short ride, at what speed I couldn't tell. Tomorrow is rest day, then the short ride of questionable intensity on Saturday, then a longer group ride on Sunday when we'll go out through the suburbs of Paris to the country. Phillipe said it would be about a 60 or 70 kilometer ride, and considering I did 50 today, I think I can handle it, as long as it isn't too fast. Upon saying our goodbyes, Phillipe said that I can use the "tu" - familiar form - of addressing him now, because the "vous" form is for... he made a gesture of a person with a big beard. I think I have made a friend! And also, possibly a physical trainer! He told me to go eat a banana and raisins because raisins have some special nutritious feature that I couldn't make out in French. And yogurt too, because it's also special. Hopefully the words will come to me someday...
I'm exhausted now, and look forward to sleep tonight.
PS: As I was leaving the Bois de Vincennes, I saw an older man who I had seen and briefly talked to at Service Velo a week ago. Again, when I was leaving La Cipale, he rode by me! I'm not sure that he recognized me in uniform, but it makes me very happy to already be able to recognize people in Paris.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Fall Semester Schedule
Here is the schedule of the classes I will be taking this fall, and when. If I find out that 6 classes is too many, I might have to decide between Questions of Aesthetics and Architecture in Paris.
Sorry it's so small- if you click on the picture, it gets bigger!
Sorry it's so small- if you click on the picture, it gets bigger!
Groceries, PCO orientation, Visit to the Doctor
I've had a couple of new experiences in the past few days that I would like to relate:
I went grocery shopping at a large supermarket last night where I found the rest of the population of Paris, as they had also just gotten out of work or class. As much as I would have liked to shop at a more relaxed pace, perhaps at several different specialty stores to find my dinner, it was nice to be able to wander around anonymously and search out what I needed. Earlier in the day, I had purchased a sandwich for 4 Euro for lunch and upon inspecting the ingredients, I decided I could make a sandwich just like it the next morning and not have to buy a pre-prepared meal that day. I gathered a baguette, a tomato, a head of romaine lettuce, a wheel of Camembert cheese, and a small tub of mustard, and there was my meal for the next day. I also bought a red pepper, an onion, and a box of pasta to cook dinner with. In all, my groceries came to merely 6,39 Euro, and with them I made dinner last night (with more than half of all of my vegetables remaining, plus more than half a box of pasta) and lunch for today. Tomorrow I intend to do the same, and I already bought my baguette for my sack-lunch. I saved the paper sandwich sleeve from the sandwich I had purchased and used it to hold my sandwich today, which worked very very well. Several students at IES asked me where I had bought it (making polite small talk, as we all know you get sandwiches at the boulangerie), and I happily told them that I had made it at home. C'est genial, they said. Vraiment une bonne idée.
Last night I also returned to La Cipale to inquire more about the cycling team, Paris Cycliste Olympique. Inside the Velodrome gates I found a meeting room with the lights on with voices echoing inside. Here I found a table with three men sitting behind it and several others sitting on my side of the table filling out forms. I caught someone's attention and asked if this was where I could find out information about P.C.O. and I showed him a brochure Mme C had found for me. He led me to a chair at the table, where I sat and spoke with what turned out to be the President of the team. I filled out a short form with my name and phone number and he gave me some more forms to fill out at home. Also, he told me I had to get a physical examination done to have another form completed with the doctor's permission that I am fit to race. I was also told to find a photo of myself (from a photo booth on the street) and turn it all in the following Monday with a check for the license and dues to the team. With the dues I would receive a jersey and pair of shorts with the PCO's colors and logo.
There were a few riders standing around in costume, perhaps they had just returned from a ride, and the uniforms are okay... I've gotten accostumed to wearing mostly black but the uniforms are quite blue with some red and white. Pas mal. I sat around and talked with / listened to a few of the riders talk about how they usually train throughout the winter since the season is about over for the year, and exchanged phone numbers with two members of the team. (I received a SMS - text message - today from one of the riders and we're meeting on Thursday to ride in the Bois de Vincennces.) At the end of the meeting, Jacques, the President, offered to give me a ride home in his car as he lives not too far from Rue Hénard, and I graciously accepted as it had started raining and would have had to walk quite a distance to the Metro station. After he dropped me off near Rue Hénard, in celebration I bought myself a chocolate bar at the grocery store where I had bought groceries earlier.
This morning, I asked a woman at IES how I might be able to meet with a doctor soon. She explained to me that the French do not make appointments for their doctor's visits and instead just go to the waiting room and wait to be attended on, on a first-come first-served basis. It is very expensive in France to have a medical office and even more expensive to have a secretary, so this is how they operate. At 10:30 this morning I went to the doctor's office down the street from the IES Center and waited until about 11 to meet with the doctor. His office was one large room, about the size of a living room in the US, with his desk in one corner and the examination table in the other, separated by a bookshelf. I showed him the form that I needed filled out and he said it wouldn't be a problem. The physical was pretty standard of moving joints around and checking my blood pressure and heart rate; the only bizarre part was when he attached a velcro strap around both of my wrists that had a small metal part in the middle. There was a hole in the small metal piece that he plugged two wires into and plugged the wires into an ancient looking machine... it kind of like a machine that senses earthquakes... I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was testing the electricity in my heart. I told him that as long as he wasn't going to electrocute me, it was okay. Something in the wrist-sensors must not have been working because he had to put two more on my ankles, which strung me up like a marionette, but soon that test was over and he signed my form and sent me on my way. After collecting 30 Euros, of course, for the visit.
Voila, there is my exciting past day. I think I've been averaging about one adventure a day and I'm finding it quite exhausting. I took a nap this afternoon which was absolutely wonderful. Now, I'll go help Mme C with dinner. A bientot!
I went grocery shopping at a large supermarket last night where I found the rest of the population of Paris, as they had also just gotten out of work or class. As much as I would have liked to shop at a more relaxed pace, perhaps at several different specialty stores to find my dinner, it was nice to be able to wander around anonymously and search out what I needed. Earlier in the day, I had purchased a sandwich for 4 Euro for lunch and upon inspecting the ingredients, I decided I could make a sandwich just like it the next morning and not have to buy a pre-prepared meal that day. I gathered a baguette, a tomato, a head of romaine lettuce, a wheel of Camembert cheese, and a small tub of mustard, and there was my meal for the next day. I also bought a red pepper, an onion, and a box of pasta to cook dinner with. In all, my groceries came to merely 6,39 Euro, and with them I made dinner last night (with more than half of all of my vegetables remaining, plus more than half a box of pasta) and lunch for today. Tomorrow I intend to do the same, and I already bought my baguette for my sack-lunch. I saved the paper sandwich sleeve from the sandwich I had purchased and used it to hold my sandwich today, which worked very very well. Several students at IES asked me where I had bought it (making polite small talk, as we all know you get sandwiches at the boulangerie), and I happily told them that I had made it at home. C'est genial, they said. Vraiment une bonne idée.
Last night I also returned to La Cipale to inquire more about the cycling team, Paris Cycliste Olympique. Inside the Velodrome gates I found a meeting room with the lights on with voices echoing inside. Here I found a table with three men sitting behind it and several others sitting on my side of the table filling out forms. I caught someone's attention and asked if this was where I could find out information about P.C.O. and I showed him a brochure Mme C had found for me. He led me to a chair at the table, where I sat and spoke with what turned out to be the President of the team. I filled out a short form with my name and phone number and he gave me some more forms to fill out at home. Also, he told me I had to get a physical examination done to have another form completed with the doctor's permission that I am fit to race. I was also told to find a photo of myself (from a photo booth on the street) and turn it all in the following Monday with a check for the license and dues to the team. With the dues I would receive a jersey and pair of shorts with the PCO's colors and logo.
There were a few riders standing around in costume, perhaps they had just returned from a ride, and the uniforms are okay... I've gotten accostumed to wearing mostly black but the uniforms are quite blue with some red and white. Pas mal. I sat around and talked with / listened to a few of the riders talk about how they usually train throughout the winter since the season is about over for the year, and exchanged phone numbers with two members of the team. (I received a SMS - text message - today from one of the riders and we're meeting on Thursday to ride in the Bois de Vincennces.) At the end of the meeting, Jacques, the President, offered to give me a ride home in his car as he lives not too far from Rue Hénard, and I graciously accepted as it had started raining and would have had to walk quite a distance to the Metro station. After he dropped me off near Rue Hénard, in celebration I bought myself a chocolate bar at the grocery store where I had bought groceries earlier.
This morning, I asked a woman at IES how I might be able to meet with a doctor soon. She explained to me that the French do not make appointments for their doctor's visits and instead just go to the waiting room and wait to be attended on, on a first-come first-served basis. It is very expensive in France to have a medical office and even more expensive to have a secretary, so this is how they operate. At 10:30 this morning I went to the doctor's office down the street from the IES Center and waited until about 11 to meet with the doctor. His office was one large room, about the size of a living room in the US, with his desk in one corner and the examination table in the other, separated by a bookshelf. I showed him the form that I needed filled out and he said it wouldn't be a problem. The physical was pretty standard of moving joints around and checking my blood pressure and heart rate; the only bizarre part was when he attached a velcro strap around both of my wrists that had a small metal part in the middle. There was a hole in the small metal piece that he plugged two wires into and plugged the wires into an ancient looking machine... it kind of like a machine that senses earthquakes... I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was testing the electricity in my heart. I told him that as long as he wasn't going to electrocute me, it was okay. Something in the wrist-sensors must not have been working because he had to put two more on my ankles, which strung me up like a marionette, but soon that test was over and he signed my form and sent me on my way. After collecting 30 Euros, of course, for the visit.
Voila, there is my exciting past day. I think I've been averaging about one adventure a day and I'm finding it quite exhausting. I took a nap this afternoon which was absolutely wonderful. Now, I'll go help Mme C with dinner. A bientot!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Orientation, Dinner with Addie
Finally, I have a reliable usage of a computer! Before getting too far ahead of myself, I will recap the past few days:
I’ve been keeping close track of my expenses so far on this trip and according to my calendar of costs, Thursday was a big day for spending. We had another day of orientation at a large meeting hall and listened to topics like safety, cell phones, how to meet French people. Some of the topics were quite useful (what is the best deal on cell phones?) and some of the topics were kind of “old hat,” (don’t use an ATM on a deserted street at 2am.) but all in all, it was nice to get familiar with the staff of my school and practice my French listening skills. For the most part, the staff made the presentations in French and when they wanted to reiterate something important they would drop English words in the middle of a sentence.
During orientation, we ate lunches together at the meeting hall’s restaurant, everyone getting the same menu of salad, main course, dessert and coffee. For some people it was difficult to spend an hour and a half eating lunch and making small talk while we waited for food, but I didn’t find it too unbearable. I’m sure lunches during the school day won’t last quite that long.
I met Madame C's son on Friday night. He goes to school in the suburbs north of Paris and comes home on the weekend to see his friends, girlfriend, etc. The three of us ate dinner together and I spent most of the meal trying desperately to understand a few words they were saying. I managed to gather that Leos, Madame C's son, is in his first year at the university and Madame C was very curious about his apartment, his classes, his friends. It was the first time he had been back from school yet this year, so I’m sure Madame C had the same curiosity my parents had when I left for college.
At times, Leos or Madame C would direct a question my way and I would be able to join the conversation, but most of the conversation was between Leos and his mom. Leos and I talked a bit about biking in Paris and he told me that he bikes everywhere and hardly uses the Metro. He much prefers biking because you can get somewhere that would take 45 minutes by Metro in just 10 minutes by bicycle. I’m not quite convinced that I’m ready to start biking around Paris by myself since I don’t exactly have a commuter bicycle and I don’t know my way around too well. Paris isn’t organized in a grid-type system that I can figure out and there are lots of one way, diagonal streets that are easy to get lost on.
I heard before I came here that a lot of socializing in France is done around the dinner table, and I am beginning to believe that. I was invited to dinner last night by a fellow IES student who studied abroad here for 6 months when she graduated from high school. We went to visit her former host family toward the outskirts of Paris and we spent a good 3 hours having dinner and talking. Dinner was held at her former host family’s house and another family attended dinner as well. In all, there were 13 people at dinner- Addie, my friend from IES, her host parents, her host parents three children, a neighboring couple who knew Addie, their three children, and another boy who may have been the neighboring couple’s son also. It was very difficult to keep up with all of the different conversations, but was a good challenge for me. Addie’s host father cooked most of the dinner, fish on a barbeque, a zucchini casserole, and salad, but they were not alarmed when I explained that I was vegetarian and didn’t eat fish. They gave me a tomato to add to my salad and offered to cook up some eggs, but I said I’d be find with salad, zucchini and all of the other food they had to offer at dinner. The food was spectacular and after the main course (fish + casserole) they brought out a platter of at least 12 different kinds of cheese. I had gotten used to seeing three, maybe four kinds of cheese on a cheese platter, but the one last night was almost overwhelming! Nearly impossible to pass around the table! I sampled a few different cheeses with bread and later had some dessert, what they called “Crumbel” (An apple crumble that doesn’t have a French name).
After dinner, Addie and I took the metro back to her apartment where we watched a movie and I spent the night, since by the time we got back to her apartment the metro lines were starting to shut down for the evening. It was kind of strange staying in yet another different apartment, but was very interesting comparing her homestay to mine. I didn’t get to meet her host family because they were out of town at a wedding, but their apartment was certainly nice.
Tomorrow I will continue taking preparatory intensive French classes at IES, and later in the evening I have a meeting with the French Cycling Federation at La Cipale, the velodrome that I visited a few days ago. At the meeting I will be able to find out more about joining a cycling league here and potentially borrowing a track bike to see if I like riding track. Also, I need to find out more information about a racing license and cost of a uniform and such. Lots to do!
I now have my computer up and running with internet access in my bedroom, so hopefully I will be able to update my blog regularly.
Love from France,
Rebecca
I’ve been keeping close track of my expenses so far on this trip and according to my calendar of costs, Thursday was a big day for spending. We had another day of orientation at a large meeting hall and listened to topics like safety, cell phones, how to meet French people. Some of the topics were quite useful (what is the best deal on cell phones?) and some of the topics were kind of “old hat,” (don’t use an ATM on a deserted street at 2am.) but all in all, it was nice to get familiar with the staff of my school and practice my French listening skills. For the most part, the staff made the presentations in French and when they wanted to reiterate something important they would drop English words in the middle of a sentence.
During orientation, we ate lunches together at the meeting hall’s restaurant, everyone getting the same menu of salad, main course, dessert and coffee. For some people it was difficult to spend an hour and a half eating lunch and making small talk while we waited for food, but I didn’t find it too unbearable. I’m sure lunches during the school day won’t last quite that long.
I met Madame C's son on Friday night. He goes to school in the suburbs north of Paris and comes home on the weekend to see his friends, girlfriend, etc. The three of us ate dinner together and I spent most of the meal trying desperately to understand a few words they were saying. I managed to gather that Leos, Madame C's son, is in his first year at the university and Madame C was very curious about his apartment, his classes, his friends. It was the first time he had been back from school yet this year, so I’m sure Madame C had the same curiosity my parents had when I left for college.
At times, Leos or Madame C would direct a question my way and I would be able to join the conversation, but most of the conversation was between Leos and his mom. Leos and I talked a bit about biking in Paris and he told me that he bikes everywhere and hardly uses the Metro. He much prefers biking because you can get somewhere that would take 45 minutes by Metro in just 10 minutes by bicycle. I’m not quite convinced that I’m ready to start biking around Paris by myself since I don’t exactly have a commuter bicycle and I don’t know my way around too well. Paris isn’t organized in a grid-type system that I can figure out and there are lots of one way, diagonal streets that are easy to get lost on.
I heard before I came here that a lot of socializing in France is done around the dinner table, and I am beginning to believe that. I was invited to dinner last night by a fellow IES student who studied abroad here for 6 months when she graduated from high school. We went to visit her former host family toward the outskirts of Paris and we spent a good 3 hours having dinner and talking. Dinner was held at her former host family’s house and another family attended dinner as well. In all, there were 13 people at dinner- Addie, my friend from IES, her host parents, her host parents three children, a neighboring couple who knew Addie, their three children, and another boy who may have been the neighboring couple’s son also. It was very difficult to keep up with all of the different conversations, but was a good challenge for me. Addie’s host father cooked most of the dinner, fish on a barbeque, a zucchini casserole, and salad, but they were not alarmed when I explained that I was vegetarian and didn’t eat fish. They gave me a tomato to add to my salad and offered to cook up some eggs, but I said I’d be find with salad, zucchini and all of the other food they had to offer at dinner. The food was spectacular and after the main course (fish + casserole) they brought out a platter of at least 12 different kinds of cheese. I had gotten used to seeing three, maybe four kinds of cheese on a cheese platter, but the one last night was almost overwhelming! Nearly impossible to pass around the table! I sampled a few different cheeses with bread and later had some dessert, what they called “Crumbel” (An apple crumble that doesn’t have a French name).
After dinner, Addie and I took the metro back to her apartment where we watched a movie and I spent the night, since by the time we got back to her apartment the metro lines were starting to shut down for the evening. It was kind of strange staying in yet another different apartment, but was very interesting comparing her homestay to mine. I didn’t get to meet her host family because they were out of town at a wedding, but their apartment was certainly nice.
Tomorrow I will continue taking preparatory intensive French classes at IES, and later in the evening I have a meeting with the French Cycling Federation at La Cipale, the velodrome that I visited a few days ago. At the meeting I will be able to find out more about joining a cycling league here and potentially borrowing a track bike to see if I like riding track. Also, I need to find out more information about a racing license and cost of a uniform and such. Lots to do!
I now have my computer up and running with internet access in my bedroom, so hopefully I will be able to update my blog regularly.
Love from France,
Rebecca
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Les Vélos a Paris
This is an excerpt of an email to my dad; does a blog have to be genuine material?
Concerning bicycles:
I visited a velodrome today- La Cipale in the Bois de Vincennes. I watched some young boys practice, perhaps they were 10-15 years old. Some of them were pretty fast! It was very interesting to me how cyclists in Europe, or in France, are started and trained at such a young age. It seemed as normal as T-ball to these kids. I wonder how many of them chose the sport and how many are children of cyclist parents and were pressured into it, versus soccer. The bicycles they were using were just like the bicycle I use with brakes and derailleurs, only much smaller. 10 year old sized. I saw a few Bianchis, a Cinelli, a Giant, and many others that I did not recognize. I wonder how much one of those miniature bicycles cost!
While I was standing in the bleachers, two young boys were talking off to my right. Suddenly, one of them threw a chunk of dirt in my direction. I figured he couldn't have been throwing that at me, so I gave them a look and remained standing. They kept talking and then again, the same boy threw a large seed pod / nut at me! He ran over and picked up the nut and threw it over the balcony behind me. He ran off and left the second boy standing off to my right threw yet another nut at me! I gave him a shout and he ducked a little and ran away. I figured it was time to go, since the little boys were taking shots at me, so soon after I walked back to the Metro and came home.
I also visited two bike shops today- one was a mega sports store called GoSports and their bicycle section had a lot of hybrids, a few road bikes (2) and lots of kids bikes. No one spoke with me when I walked into their department and the repair area had a line out the door. I left that shop and went to another shop that Mme C told me about; a smaller business further away that she prefers to go to. I found it, and it was quite charming. A small storefront full of bikes with about 50 used bikes parked outside for sale. There were three men working inside, all doing some kind of repair, and one greeted me as soon as I showed interest in their shop. They had a few new bikes (I think, maybe two or three? All were Giants) but lots and lots of old ones. I'm sure when they close up for the night, all of the bikes outside come inside and there is no longer any floor space.
Anyway, I bought some handlebar tape (that cost considerably more than at GoSports) and looked around some more. After one of the men noticed me loitering around, he asked if there was anything else I needed and I asked him if he knew much about riding on the velodrome. He told me you need a "special" bike for that, and I said yes. He told me that about three times that they did not have any at his store and he would write down the name of a shop that carries these special bikes. (A track bike is called Une Piste, in french)
After another series of events, they were flipping through the Giant catalogue to find a track bike for me because they said they could not be rented, when an older man entered the conversation. He told me to contact the PCO- Paris Cycliste Olympique- and ask to see if anyone would let me borrow their bike to try out on the track. I read on a poster at the track that you need a bike, a helmet, and a license to use the track, but no one at the shop could tell me anything about the license. One man said all you need is an insurance card and join a club.
I couldn't find an email address for the club but instead found the street address for the velodrome that I visited today as well as a phone number. I don't know if I have the courage to call the telephone number, but I might as well give it a try.
Concerning bicycles:
I visited a velodrome today- La Cipale in the Bois de Vincennes. I watched some young boys practice, perhaps they were 10-15 years old. Some of them were pretty fast! It was very interesting to me how cyclists in Europe, or in France, are started and trained at such a young age. It seemed as normal as T-ball to these kids. I wonder how many of them chose the sport and how many are children of cyclist parents and were pressured into it, versus soccer. The bicycles they were using were just like the bicycle I use with brakes and derailleurs, only much smaller. 10 year old sized. I saw a few Bianchis, a Cinelli, a Giant, and many others that I did not recognize. I wonder how much one of those miniature bicycles cost!
While I was standing in the bleachers, two young boys were talking off to my right. Suddenly, one of them threw a chunk of dirt in my direction. I figured he couldn't have been throwing that at me, so I gave them a look and remained standing. They kept talking and then again, the same boy threw a large seed pod / nut at me! He ran over and picked up the nut and threw it over the balcony behind me. He ran off and left the second boy standing off to my right threw yet another nut at me! I gave him a shout and he ducked a little and ran away. I figured it was time to go, since the little boys were taking shots at me, so soon after I walked back to the Metro and came home.
I also visited two bike shops today- one was a mega sports store called GoSports and their bicycle section had a lot of hybrids, a few road bikes (2) and lots of kids bikes. No one spoke with me when I walked into their department and the repair area had a line out the door. I left that shop and went to another shop that Mme C told me about; a smaller business further away that she prefers to go to. I found it, and it was quite charming. A small storefront full of bikes with about 50 used bikes parked outside for sale. There were three men working inside, all doing some kind of repair, and one greeted me as soon as I showed interest in their shop. They had a few new bikes (I think, maybe two or three? All were Giants) but lots and lots of old ones. I'm sure when they close up for the night, all of the bikes outside come inside and there is no longer any floor space.
Anyway, I bought some handlebar tape (that cost considerably more than at GoSports) and looked around some more. After one of the men noticed me loitering around, he asked if there was anything else I needed and I asked him if he knew much about riding on the velodrome. He told me you need a "special" bike for that, and I said yes. He told me that about three times that they did not have any at his store and he would write down the name of a shop that carries these special bikes. (A track bike is called Une Piste, in french)
After another series of events, they were flipping through the Giant catalogue to find a track bike for me because they said they could not be rented, when an older man entered the conversation. He told me to contact the PCO- Paris Cycliste Olympique- and ask to see if anyone would let me borrow their bike to try out on the track. I read on a poster at the track that you need a bike, a helmet, and a license to use the track, but no one at the shop could tell me anything about the license. One man said all you need is an insurance card and join a club.
I couldn't find an email address for the club but instead found the street address for the velodrome that I visited today as well as a phone number. I don't know if I have the courage to call the telephone number, but I might as well give it a try.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
LynnAnne's Bike
Yesterday I had a grand adventure retrieving a bicycle from the suburbs of Paris. A friend had used a bicycle during Paris-Brest-Paris and left the bicycle at the hotel she stayed at for me to pick up and use during my stay in France. Since I had also stayed in the town where her hotel was in the past, I figured it would not be terribly difficult to take the train to her area, walk to the hotel, fetch the bike and retrace my steps. The train ride out wasn't the hard part. It took me about 45 minutes to reach St-Quentin-en-Yvelines where I started my walk to the Auberge de Manet, LynnAnne's hotel.
It took some wandering to find the first street I needed to walk on, and I only managed to do so because I stopped at the Campenile Hotel where I had stayed previously and asked for directions. They seemed surprised when I told them I wanted to walk to the Auberge de Manet, but told me what street I was looking for and I set off on my way. I noticed that none of the streets were named as I had thought they would be, but I continued in the direction I thought I should head until I realized how hopeless this journey would be. I stopped breifly to ask a woman where my second turn was and she pointed it out to me, but also was surprised that I wanted to walk there, especially without knowing the area, and said if she were me, she would take a bus.
I returned to the train station and tried to find a taxi, since I have never been too certain about getting on strange busses, but there were no taxis to be found. I asked at the information desk how I could possibly get to the Auberge de Manet and they also told me to take a buss- the 414 that cost less than 2 euro- and gave me precise directions on how to find it. I found the bus stop, got on the crowded commuter bus, and held on tight to a handlebar near the driver. He pointed out the stop that I needed to get off on and I easily found the Auberge from there.
At the Auberge, I explained my situation to a confused receptionist, but luckily another man overheard my story and understood. He went to the coat room behind hte desk and wheeled out the bicycle in its pink glory and I thanked him profusely. I asked the recptionist to phone a taxi for me which whe did, and waited 30 minutes in the Auberge for a taxi. I noticed the sunlight starting to hit to the tops of the trees and started to grow a little concened of the time of day, as I had no watch, but the taxi arrived shortly after I finished eating an apple and away we went back to the train station.
The driver was very friendly and we talked breifly about the bicycle and I explained how my friend had finished using it on PBP and lent it to me. It turned out that he was also a cyclist- he had spent the last weekend cycling in Provence. He has hopes to do PBP in four years if his health is good then (He looked about 50 years old). It was very nice to be able to connect with someone about bicycling and perhaps I will run into him again someday. I commented on the interesting television monitor / computer mounted to his dashboard that had a map which tracked our direction, but he did not understand what I was trying to say and when I pointed to it, he said happily, "Ah, it's GPS!"
At the station, I unloaded my bike and suitcase from the taxi and rolled it into the terminal. Not sure how I was to get it through the ticket receiving area, I asked a man in front of me to help out holding the blockade for me. He held the door, I pushed the suitcase under the turnstile (correct word?_, I handed the bike over the turnstile, put in my ticket and went through myself. It was eight o clock at this time and my train to downtown Paris left at 8:25. There were few people on the train so I was able to put my bike in the main area with my suitcase next to it and sat on the suitcase next to the bike for the entire train ride.
An hour later, I arrived in Paris at my stop and began walking back to my apartment. It was dark but the streets were not completely desolate. I asked once again in what direction I was to walk and a woman pointed me in the direction of the bridge over the Seine. I knew fairly well where to go from there, and after a half-hour of walking while dragging the 25 lb suitcase, I arrived back at my apartment. I was worried my host-mother would be angry with me for disappearing until late at night, but when I arrived home she said she was glad to see me and figured I had gone to find my bicycle. We then ate dinner (around 10 o clock) and I recounted the events of my day. Finally, at midnigt, my day was over and I went to sleep satisfied.
It took some wandering to find the first street I needed to walk on, and I only managed to do so because I stopped at the Campenile Hotel where I had stayed previously and asked for directions. They seemed surprised when I told them I wanted to walk to the Auberge de Manet, but told me what street I was looking for and I set off on my way. I noticed that none of the streets were named as I had thought they would be, but I continued in the direction I thought I should head until I realized how hopeless this journey would be. I stopped breifly to ask a woman where my second turn was and she pointed it out to me, but also was surprised that I wanted to walk there, especially without knowing the area, and said if she were me, she would take a bus.
I returned to the train station and tried to find a taxi, since I have never been too certain about getting on strange busses, but there were no taxis to be found. I asked at the information desk how I could possibly get to the Auberge de Manet and they also told me to take a buss- the 414 that cost less than 2 euro- and gave me precise directions on how to find it. I found the bus stop, got on the crowded commuter bus, and held on tight to a handlebar near the driver. He pointed out the stop that I needed to get off on and I easily found the Auberge from there.
At the Auberge, I explained my situation to a confused receptionist, but luckily another man overheard my story and understood. He went to the coat room behind hte desk and wheeled out the bicycle in its pink glory and I thanked him profusely. I asked the recptionist to phone a taxi for me which whe did, and waited 30 minutes in the Auberge for a taxi. I noticed the sunlight starting to hit to the tops of the trees and started to grow a little concened of the time of day, as I had no watch, but the taxi arrived shortly after I finished eating an apple and away we went back to the train station.
The driver was very friendly and we talked breifly about the bicycle and I explained how my friend had finished using it on PBP and lent it to me. It turned out that he was also a cyclist- he had spent the last weekend cycling in Provence. He has hopes to do PBP in four years if his health is good then (He looked about 50 years old). It was very nice to be able to connect with someone about bicycling and perhaps I will run into him again someday. I commented on the interesting television monitor / computer mounted to his dashboard that had a map which tracked our direction, but he did not understand what I was trying to say and when I pointed to it, he said happily, "Ah, it's GPS!"
At the station, I unloaded my bike and suitcase from the taxi and rolled it into the terminal. Not sure how I was to get it through the ticket receiving area, I asked a man in front of me to help out holding the blockade for me. He held the door, I pushed the suitcase under the turnstile (correct word?_, I handed the bike over the turnstile, put in my ticket and went through myself. It was eight o clock at this time and my train to downtown Paris left at 8:25. There were few people on the train so I was able to put my bike in the main area with my suitcase next to it and sat on the suitcase next to the bike for the entire train ride.
An hour later, I arrived in Paris at my stop and began walking back to my apartment. It was dark but the streets were not completely desolate. I asked once again in what direction I was to walk and a woman pointed me in the direction of the bridge over the Seine. I knew fairly well where to go from there, and after a half-hour of walking while dragging the 25 lb suitcase, I arrived back at my apartment. I was worried my host-mother would be angry with me for disappearing until late at night, but when I arrived home she said she was glad to see me and figured I had gone to find my bicycle. We then ate dinner (around 10 o clock) and I recounted the events of my day. Finally, at midnigt, my day was over and I went to sleep satisfied.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Rue Hénard
Bonjour!
I have arrived at my new home! I took a shuttlebus from the airport to my apartment in the 12th arrondisement and Mme C came downstairs to meet me. She helped me bring my luggage up to her floor via elevator and introduced me to her lovely apartment.
It is on the top floor of a somewhat modern building, I can not tell the exact date of when it might have been built. Her apartment is a two-story flat, the kitchen, living room, and her bedroom on the first floor and my and her son's rooms, along with a second bathroom on the second floor. The kitchen opens out to a wrap-around balcony that connects to the living room and to her bedroom, and my bedroom does the same.
I have a lovely room with a large south-facing window. Among the furnishings in my room are a bed, desk, linen wardrobe, and small bedside table. I have all of my things put away in their new homes and my huge suitcase has gone to live in the basement storage area.
I just finished eating lunch with Mme C; we ate salad with seitan and pineapple and some white radishes. I also ate some cheese and bread, while she ate some shellfish. She has a wheat and dairy allergy, and I don't eat meat, so we're going to have to agree on salad for a while.
I'm going to take a nap for a while, then maybe later this evening I will go explore my neighborhood.
Exciting! Paris!
-Rebecca
I have arrived at my new home! I took a shuttlebus from the airport to my apartment in the 12th arrondisement and Mme C came downstairs to meet me. She helped me bring my luggage up to her floor via elevator and introduced me to her lovely apartment.
It is on the top floor of a somewhat modern building, I can not tell the exact date of when it might have been built. Her apartment is a two-story flat, the kitchen, living room, and her bedroom on the first floor and my and her son's rooms, along with a second bathroom on the second floor. The kitchen opens out to a wrap-around balcony that connects to the living room and to her bedroom, and my bedroom does the same.
I have a lovely room with a large south-facing window. Among the furnishings in my room are a bed, desk, linen wardrobe, and small bedside table. I have all of my things put away in their new homes and my huge suitcase has gone to live in the basement storage area.
I just finished eating lunch with Mme C; we ate salad with seitan and pineapple and some white radishes. I also ate some cheese and bread, while she ate some shellfish. She has a wheat and dairy allergy, and I don't eat meat, so we're going to have to agree on salad for a while.
I'm going to take a nap for a while, then maybe later this evening I will go explore my neighborhood.
Exciting! Paris!
-Rebecca
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Leaving for the Airport
I'm leaving soon (about 15 minutes) for Chicago O'Hare airport... My plane will depart tonight at 5:20 and I have a direct flight to Paris. My flight lands at 8:30, where I will find my shuttlebus and make my way to my host family's house in downtown Paris. I'm getting very excited and nervous! Next post? PARIS!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Last week in Wisconsin
Welcome to my blog documenting my year in Paris, from September 2007 to June 2008. This first post is a test to see if my new blog actually works. I depart for Paris on September 9th and hope to post regularly (bi-weekly?) after that date.
Enjoy reading!
-Rebecca
Enjoy reading!
-Rebecca
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)