Good Bye Laurie - thanks for an amazing time here in Paris
Food - summer fruits, sorry to all those who are back in the Southern Hemisphere, the peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines are just amazing. Even better when you pick them (or is it stealing) from a tree in the country side. I remember doing this last year with figs, this hasn’t been replicated thus far this year, maybe during my stint down in Macon.
Weather - In reading a little bit about Paris weather, they say that it never rains for more than an hour. I can prove this wrong, it poured the other night and caused some pretty good flooding, especially around Jeff and Aurelia’s place, she was kind enough to post it on facebook, hopefully this works for all those who need something to fill in your day that much more!? Besides that I too can vouch for it only raining in Paris for an hour at more then stopping. 
Mode of Transport - Was it the Dacia DUSTER that we hired to go out to Giverny, Monet’s Gardens, or was it the millions of dollars worth of cars that were in the Avenue Foch car park in Paris? We rented a car from Europcar near the Arc d’Triumph. The pickup location is in an underground car park which runs underneath one of the most expensive areas in Paris. Needless to say these people have the cars to go with the area. Then again, most of them have not been moved in what looks to be months and in some cases years! I’ve only ever seen one Mercedes Maybach in my life back in Sydney, Mosman to be exact, whereas down in the car park there were two just sitting there collecting dust. Not to mention the Lamborgini’s, de Tomatso’s, Aston Martins, classic Mercedes and yank tanks and of course Bentley’s and Rolls Royces! That’s right all of them plural and many of them dozens of them! Maybe the Dacia (a cheap Renault) doesn’t take the cake today.
Conversation - the lady in Monet’s Garden who upon seeing a lady with a dog in her handbag saying “you’re NOT supposed to have a dog in here” - my direct, word for word translation, and the owner just sounding out “humph” and shoving the dogs head into the bag so it couldn’t be seen! Animal - the poor dog above!
What else of note: the area outside of Paris in the Giverney region is just magic, how I would have loved to of been on the bike around those quiet country lanes and little villages. Next year I suggest a trip there!
Parting thought of the day/blog: After a week of not being on a real bike, does a Duhon count as a real bike, it will be interesting to see where my legs are up to!? Not that I’m nervous about what is ahead of me ... here is a section of the last email the organisers of Haute Route sent out to the riders:
The race will be timed from Bonne in Haute-‐Savoie, France. You will cycle past Saint Jeoire and reach Marnaz at the bottom of the first big challenge of the Haute Route 2011, the Col de la Colombière. Then a fast descent towards the Grand Bornand before climbing the Col des Aravis. The final part of this first stage takes you through Val d’Arly, after passing through Flumet, before reeling in the last 10k’s of the day which is a gentle climb, and cross the finish line in Megeve, after 109 km in the saddle!
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