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Published: August 3rd 2006
Mixed fruit
Salad. Millie, Claudio, Emily.Content that my very average paint job had gone down well enough, I made my way from Ferriere Larcon. The break from travel in the Loire gave me the energy to continue adventures and most importantly of course, produce material for further blogs. So onward to Rhones-Alps.
It was nice to start off again in Lyon. The hostel was very sociable, and being out of the travel loop for just a week allowed me to freshen up my story for other travellers. After a free tour of the town in French with other hostellers, I had some great company for lunch and a team-effort dinner overlooking the town. It felt good to be on the road again.
Claudio was driving west so I joined him as far as Le Puy, with a nice old town but little to hold me longer than a night. So across to Annecy and more relentless heat. I think at that stage I'd had been about 3 weeks of mid 30s, no cloud, no rain, just sweat and discomfort. Fortunately the lake was clear, cool, and very inviting.
I discovered Semnoz, a great down-hill track and my first mountain biking since Melbourne. With
Birds fishing
The river in Tours. a bus-ride to the top and a 1500m decent over 25km, I can't remember a better ride. I started the red run with some full-faced helmet with body-armour nutters, but fortunately decided to take the blue run which was bone-jarring enough. Afterwards some riders from Salomon (based there) took me out for pizza by the lake, sitting on a pontoon, feet dangling in the water. Another great day. France was breaking all my preconceptions.
Lyon for another night and more good company before another rendezvous with Paris. By chance I'd met Noemie reading 'the Great Gatsby' (a favourite of mine) in an sncf queue at the Louvre complex a couple of weeks earlier. We chatted, she invited me to dinner with friends and gave me her card, which I somehow lost the same day. In fresh travel mode however, I wasn't willing to miss a bit of rare local contact, so with some help from host David, I had her number again, and we met again with her friends in tow at bistrot Victoires, for some of the best food, and certainly the best dessert of my trip. Just chocolat gateau I'm afraid.
Paris was absolutely baking, so
Lyon
Best hostel view yet. that meant a full day trying to avoid the heat, and another in the Musee d'Orsay. I left Paris in true tourist fashion, with a tacky but fun boat trip on the Seine. Finally 4 weeks of heat broke with a huge storm in later that evening.
London was a bit of an eye-opener. I was last there on a short visit to Jon and Jason about 6 years before, but I don't recall feeling as negative about the place as on this visit. I did enjoy catching up with Jess, who kindly gave me a vacant futon for a couple of nights, and wandering through a floor of the Tate modern, but I think the most I gained from the weekend was the certainty that I definitely could not work and live there.
On to Berlin (Germany again???), Potsdam, and a very relaxing few days with Marlene, who I met in Amsterdam. A true angel.
Sigh. So Europe draws near an end. There are a few butterflies, alot of nostalgia, and on reflection already I know I will have to come back. Damn this travel bug.
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