Elodie Day 2 Versailles and onwards to Conflans

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We have completed the day as a tired but happy bunch but lets go back to the beginning.

After our first night onboard and a delicious breakfast we were eager to get started with our first bike ride. We donned our lycra and hi-viz and readied ourselves to saddle up. We found a quiet corner of a park and adjusted seat heights, figured out how the gears and brakes work and did a few practice laps. Then, the bad news from (only one more hill Henry) - the first leg was to be the steepest climb of the day. It was a beautiful forested area but it was difficult to enjoy the view with the sweat blurring our vision!!

After a number of ups and downs we arrived at Versailles where we enjoyed our packed lunches in the amazing gardens (free to the public on Mondays whilst the Palace is closed).

The gardens are a demonstration by the French Kings that they rank almost equal to God and, certainly, above nature. Their rigid regimentation of the gardens and the precise pruning of the trees, hedges and bushes show that they are in charge (or so they thought!!)

After Versailles we passed through forests and areas of beautiful homes and gardens. The last climb of the day ("Trust me" says Henry) was up to St Germain en Laye, where we got our last glimpse of Paris from a spot adjacent to the birthplace of Louis XIV. From St Germain we cycled through streets, along paths and by the Seine until we sighted the beautiful Elodie moored along a wharf in the picturesque town of Conflans. What a wonderful and welcome sight. The first beer never tasted so good!!

For some, it had been their first ride of this length and type and was an enormous achievement. We cycled along busy roads (with traffic on the wrong side of the road), bush tracks, gravel tracks and bike paths. But it was all worth it. 45km clocked up in 6hrs 45 mins. Not Tour de France speed but we enjoyed the view much better than Cadel Evans ever would.

Another wonderful dinner, much laughter, conversations and story-telling before we all collapsed into bed, weary but happy.

Before I close, I feel I must mention the crew of Elodie: Chiel, the Captain, a quietly competent seaman with an obvious passion for Elodie and the rivers and canals on which she sails; (One more hill) Henry, the ubiquitous guide, a man of gentle disposition, voluminous knowledge and enormous patience, and; Jantien, the outstanding Chef who produces three course banquets each evening which are a delight to the senses, and who does so much behind the scenes to make our stay a true holiday.

We are richly blessed with this team and are most thankful for their collective enthusiasm and commitment to making this trip a memorable experience. Thank you from all of us to all of you.

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Photos

First Ride
Keen and Eager

First Hill
The muscles starting to ache