Sunday 11th May 4th Day

Sunday morning in Paris.  What a revelation, what a change from the night before.  Saturday night, thousands of people milling everywhere, lovers kissing, horns blasting, cars, vans, scooters, bikes everywhere..... Sunday morning up and out at eight... silence, empty streets,  bar tenders with fags hanging from their lips moving tables and chairs back outside after their few hours indoors.  The Paris street cleaners, machinery washing down the streets, painted elderly ladies walking their poodles, plastic bags at the ready, bakers shops open already, bags filled with a dozen baguettes, going where.  Amazing pastries ready to be bought for Sunday lunch.  

This is so different from anywhere in the UK.  I walk round the corner from my hotel to breakfast in a cafe on the corner of Rue Gobelin.  Freshly squeezed orange juice, a croissant, a tartine, buttered and served with jam in a little glass pot, Cafe au lait, dark and freshly brewed with a jug of hot steamed milk.  What more could you ask for at the start of the day.

I'm amazed to find on the other corner of this intersection, that there is a Starbucks.   Why in the city that made coffee available in quality for everyone, would there be a need for a Starbucks.  After breakfast, I walked across to take a look.  The place was really buzzing, with of course Americans, not a French voice, there they stood like the pillocks that they are drinking substandard Lattes out of paper cups, when just across the road, there existed the world that they presumably had come to visit.

Tried to see cousin Patricia again this morning, but couldn't raise her on the phone, so eventually got back on the bike to travel only a few miles to visit my Aunty Andrea and Uncle Maurice who live just outside Paris at Champigny sur Marne.  

Those who read the previous blogs regarding the HT lead repaired last night by the man with no tools, will not be surprised to hear that again it let go today, but this time on what the French regard as a major road or motorway.

Eventually the lead was a replaced by yet another second hand one, and I was able to motor on towards my destination in Troyes.   Almost exactly half way there, 560 miles to go and the same already completed.