Dangerous Cycling

Franny's weekend in Paris was all we could have hoped for and more. After dazzling the family it was decided that she will be the au pair here next year. Good luck darling!
On Saturday we joined the family in Versailles and because the weather was so beautiful Franny and I decided to cycle there as it's not too far from here. So after getting out the bikes form the sous-sol which were covered in dust after an age of un-use we set off. Romain had warned us that his bike might be a bit wobbly but fortunately it was F who had to deal with it, I got the nice small lady bike. With a bar of barely used bikes we set off on the grand adventure. Nearly straight away we encountered a hill, a big hill which I at any rate was not prepared to tackle and we got off the bikes and walked through the park alongside. Which is actually not just any old park but the park at Marly-le-Roi which used to be the grounds for another royal palace like Versailles. So it wasn't a bad walk really, and in keeping with the day. When we got back on our bikes again we cycled along happily until suddenly we noticed there seemed to be rather a lot of cars. And up ahead there was a big sign pointing us on to the motorway! PANIC! I was shouting to Franny to change lanes but there were too many cars, plus it was the fast lane we would be going in to. I had no idea where we were going to end up. So we just carried on. Then it turned out there was another lane coming in which I think was the motorway one so at one point we were cycling in the middle of lots of lanes. Heavens above. Anyway something turned out OK and we didn't get on the motorway and everything turned quiet instead and a nice cycle lane appeared. I have no idea what happened but at least we didn't get knocked down by some angry French drivers.

The last part of the ride was lovely and it led us straight into the grounds of Versailles which are beautiful and actually best discovered on a bike because they are enormous. We met up with the family for a picnic lunch which was a wonderful French affair with du pain, du vin et du Boursin. Yum. For the return we managed to find a much safer and nicer route home which luckily avoided any kind or motorway or motorway junctions and instead took us down the most amazing winding, downhill road through the forest. We held up the cars behind us but who cares when you feel so liberated whizzing downhill in such splendour. Quel chance.

In the evening I took F to the wonderful falafel place in the Marais, a must go to for any visitor, and we sat eating our falafels in a little park cooing over an extremely cute French girl with beautiful parents. We then met some friends in La Perle bar which you might have heard of in the recent 'John Galliano Scandal'. It was where he was filmed saying remarks about Hitler. Anyway it's a super trendy bar, where the arty and chic of Paris' young things go to drink. We arrived and the whole of the terrace was covered in people wearing black. I honestly thought we were entering somebody's wake it was bizarre. But that's France, black is THE colour. The actual bar is not particularly beautiful or interesting but if you want to be in the 'in' place then that's where you need to head.