Prepping

Perhaps we're just naive about this, but we are surprised at how efficiently our prep process is going.  It consists of:

- mapping out our tentative travel plans

- getting gear and making our bikes road-worthy

- packing, minimalist-style

- hanging up our lives in Paris for two months, and all that that entails (i.e. waiting for hell to freeze over so that the French administration will approve our paperwork to continue working here.)

Follow the yellow brick road

Mapping is pretty easy.  As mentioned in the previous blog, we've decided in our first stage to start in Paris, scoot down to Orléans, then town-hop our way to Nantes, then to Rennes and St-Malo, sticking to small roads.  We'll be gauging our progress along the way to determine where and when exactly we'll head after that.  We're hoping to cover about 50-70 kilometers a day, which, depending on who you talk to, is either a completely feasible stroll through lovely woods on a fine day, or is really begging for a whupping.  (As we tell people about our plans, we've met everything from, "You can totally do it! Wish I could go too!" to "Wow! Are you sure?" to swallowed laughter and skeptical looks under raised eyebrows.  Of course, this only makes us want to get out there all the more.)

Drawing from Girl Scouting theory, we've decided to give ourselves "Challenge by Choice," meaning that we'll be trying to push each other to go that extra kilometer and to leave behind that extra shirt, but respecting each other's limits.  

So, we've chosen what major stops along the way we'd like to make and, with the help of Google maps, estimated daily distances and patrimonial pit stops along the way.

The solar protection factor

Have we mentioned that Hilary is white?  We mean, send-small-chilluns-running-in-the-other-direction, put-your-sunglasses-on, don't-look-directly-at-her-legs white.  Mm hmm.  So, as to avoid mid-day grilling, we'll be biking in the morning and evening (and marinating her in 50+ SPF, of course).  This works out perfectly, in fact, as it allows us to take refuge in towns during the hottest hours of the day, using the cooler morning and early evening hours to move from place to place and to locate a camping spot for the evening in the countryside.  (Bear in mind, American readers, that "countryside" is a term we use rather loosely here.  "Wilderness," as many of us know it, doesn't really exist here, at least in this part of France.)

Tuning up, gearing up

Joe's got a fantastic road bike that he bought last year.  He's already done shorter trips of this kind, so he's got his saddle bags, tent, sleeping bag, helmet, etc.  Short of a little tune-up, he's pretty much ready to go.  

Hilary is another case.  She's starting from scratch, square one.  

Having invested in Hygina, she needed to fit her out, clean her up and slick her down.  Fortunately, she's a quality bike who cleans up well.  We spent two good days at Joe's place fitting Hilary and Hygina out (helmet, gloves, blinky red rear light, luggage rack, saddle bags, security lock and chain, spare inner tubes), degreasing and relubricating chains and gears (admittedly, not too environmentally friendly -- does anyone know of products that are eco-gentle?  We degreased with a little dish soap as far as we could, but had to revert to degreaser that made our hands very very cold), tightening brakes, calibrating gears, mounting the luggage rack, getting grease all over our hands, and serving as waterpistol targets for the twin 5-year-olds Joe au pairs for.  

The luggage rack posed a particular challenge worth noting.  We had to mount part of it to the bolt that supports the saddle, and for that we needed a long yet thin bolt.  We went first to the bike shop a few blocks away.  Bolt?  Nope, sorry.  Hardware store?  Don't know of one.  Sorry, I can't access the yellow pages here.  WTF?  So we dragged our feet reluctantly to our next best bet a few blocks away -- Carrefour (Europe's Wal-mart -- shudder).  They didn't have squat.  Deep down inside, we were happy they didn't have the bolt we needed.  We then scoured the streets by foot for one -- just one! -- hardware store for one -- just one! -- bolt.  No one knew of a hardware store in the community.  We walked the main stretch for forty-five minutes, passing innumerable dollar stores, hair salons, and butchers, to no avail.  Amazing.  In a service-oriented economy, there is little service and no access to any product that is slightly outside the lines.  Finally, we cranked up our noodles and located exactly what we needed in the garage at Joe's place.  Bof.

Hilary went through Hygina withdrawal for one day, but was joyfully reunited with her girlfriend shortly thereafter.

Call for opinions

Bike experts, we need some advice!  We degreased Hygina's back wheel, then reapplied lubricant several times, allowing it to soak in overnight.  It turns fine, but sounds a little rough, as though the ball bearings weren't rotating properly.  Any ideas?  Will this pose problems on the road?

If you'd like to see photos of our bike tune-up and Joe's new caterpillar suit, go here:  http://gallery.bobarmadillo.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=albur98

The 2x2 Challenge

Okay, one BIG CHALLENGE: packing effectively and efficiently for TWO MONTHS in TWO BAGS.  Have any of you tried to do that?  Between the two of us, we have four bags measuring 32 x 36 x 15 cm each.  That's 17,280 cm-cubed each, or 34,560 cm-cubed total.  Nay, be not misled, this is a deceivingly small number!  Despite appearances, this is a blessing, because it naturally forces us to pare down all that we're taking to a bare minimum.  We'd hate to be in the middle of nowhere, cursing that extra pound we'd packed on as we struggle up hills.

Challenge by Choice: how much can we go without?  What can we leave behind?  Joe, you might have to part with your iPod (he didn't); Hilary, you might have to leave behind that skirt (she did).

This is our packing list so far: 

Housing

Tent

2 sleeping bags

Headlamp/flashlight

batteries

Bike equipment

spare inner tubes

water bottle

taillight

helmet

gloves

sunglasses

Electric gear

cell phone + charger

camera + charger

Joe: mp3 player

Papers

passport + copy

titre de séjour (French "green card")+ copy

addresses (anyone want a postcard? let us know!)

journal

pen

book (Hilary: Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés; Joe: No Mercy, by Colin Forbes)

wallet: including cash, bank card, and credit card

train reduction card (just in case!)

Food

silverware

cup

Clothes

rain jacket

bike shorts

1 pair of jeans

socks x 3

undies x 3

Hilary: sports bra

cycling shoes

alternative pair of shoes

belt 

t-shirt for cycling x 2

decent shirts for town x 2

shorts

Hilary: swimsuit

Toiletries

toothbrush + paste

deodorant

washcloth + towel

sunblock

nail clipper

tweezers

biodegradable soap

razor

prescriptions

tiger balm

toilet paper

Hilary: eyeliner and mascara (for town!)

What is all this shit?

Cutting down how much we'll take is incredibly difficult!  Do I really need this herbal foot lotion?  It might be useful climbing into the tent after having sweaty sneaker feet all day!  Hilary, you're just going to have to realize that your red hair will fade without shampoo or conditioner.  And what about this book?  Will we even have time or energy to read?  

Actually, we may have solved the book problem.  We're thinking: book swap.  As meet up with people along the way, we could exchange our books with them.

We're both packing up our rooms for two months to leave in storage while we're gone, and we're amazed at just how much we HAVE, especially considering that we both originally came over on an airplane with two suitcases.  Two!  Papers and books accumulated over here alone account for much of the weight, but clothes we never wear as well...!  What a good opportunity to see how much we can do without and donate the extra goods to charity.

C'est parti!

Now it's 6pm on leaving day and we are still blogging in Hilary's apartment.  We have analyzed and scrutinized our respective piles of "equipment" (read: ball and chain) and Hilary has heroically cut her shirt supply in half.  She couldn't give up the bathing suit, though, and Joe is ruthlessly clinging to his mp3 player (we decided to bring it for its hard drive capacity to load our photos as we go (excuses, excuses...)).  Check out the photos for our final provisions.

Not wanting to deal with Parisian traffic on loaded bikes, we're planning to take the TER or the RER C (regional train) from the Gare d'Austerlitz to somewhere just southwest of Paris this evening, then ride until about 9 pm or until we find a suitable camping spot before it gets dark.  Looking at the map, there's a lovely forest just north of Orléans, but we doubt that we'll make it that far today.    

Okay, well, we must dash!  A bientôt!

Not your typical summer plans

Prelude.

This past winter, two highly compatible Americans stumbled upon each other in Paris with the help of a certain mutual English friend. They got along well, learned they had mutual interests (to be expanded upon later), and then made it past the small talk to get to the juicy stuff. They were pleased to find that they still liked each other -- even so much as to continue stumbling upon each other on a regular basis. Meet Joe and Hilary.

A tale of one city. The French one.

Fast forward a few months. Faced with the stark reality of the state of the Parisian real estate market, Joe was looking at summer homelessness -- square in the face -- and it's not a lovely face to look at. Blessed with the legendary summer holiday granted to all (or most) in the teaching business, he decided to stick it to the man, traveling from place to place in France and England, with stops along the way at friends' and relatives or pitching a tent on the side of the road.

In order to stick it further to the man, to refuse to pay for polluting transportation and overpriced touristic lodging, to taste, drink, breathe, and sweat Europe (yes, we count the British Isles as part of Europe) at the speed it was designed to be experienced (slower than that all-too familiar petrol-powered polluter), to live simply and with as little "stuff" as possible, to push his long legs to the limit, to prove that Lance Armstrong is not the only American capable of long-distance biking on la terre française...bref, it seemed like a gosh darn good idea to go by bike.

She says, "Yes!"

Fast forward to June 2. Hilary, also a teacher of English, on break during that lovely semaine blanche between classes and the hurricane of exams, invited Joe to accompany her to La Fleche d'Or, only one of the best indie rock venues in Paris. Overpriced beer in hand, they bopped along to a few groups signed to the Co-op label.

Of course, summer plans came up.

The Plan came up.

Her eyes lit up.

It's crazy, revolutionary, spontaneous, and reeks of adventure like a trash can that's been sitting in the sun on a summer day. She's been wanting to see Europe like this -- get out of the cities, but without a car, and for the same reasons as his aforementioned ones.

What? Really? Yes!

Can she really do this? Yes!

So, they dance the tentative tango -- I-want-to-go-but-don't-want-to-step-on-your-toes, I'd-really-like-you-to-come-too-but-don't-want-to-pressure-you, -yeah?-, -uh huh-, -let's go!-, yippee!

Let's paint your bike so no one will want to steal it, Joe.

Hygina.

By June 4, Hilary was searching craigslist.paris.org for used bikes suitable to both such a voyage and her budget. Boy, did she cash in.

She called Hugo. 18th arrondissement? Saturday? 50 or 60 euros? Okay!

18th arrondissement? Hm. Expecting a sketchy deal in a shady neighborhood, and honestly not knowing at all how to buy a decent bicycle, Hilary asked Joe to come along. They were very pleasantly surprised to see that at the other end of the telephone was not a balding, greasy man looking to take unsuspecting 'Ricains, but a funky little vintage shop run by two hipsters. Not seeing too much in the back room, Joe and Hilary asked Eddy to pull down a small, yellow-green bike. She was saddle-less, so Eddy swiped a leather saddle from another bike, turned the alan wrenches a few times, and Hilary was off up the street.

'Twas love, true love, before she reached the end of the block. By block two, they'd shared life stories. Turning right up the final stretch, they bonded. Crossing the shops threshold, they were life partners.

"What's your name?" Hilary asked the vélo.

"Hygina," she replied with a slight French accent. Ah, oui.

According to the stamp on the bottom of her light but strong frame, she was born on the 27th of September, 1979, making her Hilary's senior by a few years.

Dude, we're so plugging you guys:

18 Vélo Vintage, 58 rue du Ruisseau, 75018 Paris (06 03 89 61 21; 06 13 13 42 27).

The tentative plan.

As of today. It is very much subject to change at any time at the whim of those in charge -- us! Oh, and our legs. And chance. And any other mysterious forces left here unnamed.

Anyway, we plan to leave Paris June 26th-ish (perhaps cheating on the first step by taking the train out of Paris...it is after all besieged by boring suburbs), get to the Loire river and follow her down to Nantes, where one of Joe's sisters lives, by July 3rd. Then, we'll cut up western Brittany by Rennes and get to St-Malo by July 11-ish. We're thinking then that we'll hop on a ferry or -- even better -- a fishing boat to get to Guernsey, hopefully before the long Bastille Day weekend shuts down all of France for that weekend (this is a good chance for you, dear reader, to wikipedia "Bastille Day," and learn some French history). The idea is to be in England by July 15th. At this point, we plan to tackle the British Isles one of two ways:

- taking a ferry from southwestern England to southern Ireland, biking up to somewhere around Dublin, crossing back over to Liverpool, and cruising down south from there, stopping in places like Birmingham and Oxford, or

- the inverse.

We haven't quite decided when or from where we'll depart England, or to where we'll go next, but we're thinking Amsterdam, Belgium....well, they are the natural choices.

Our social and environmental responsibilities.

We see this trip as a challenge to ourselves and inspiration to our fellow humans. How much "stuff" can we pedal along without? What interesting people and things and places will we meet along the way? How far will we get?

We also want to share this with you! Though we are merely two mortal beings born by comparatively minimalist mechanisms, we recognize our role in the larger human community. We're blogging this so that you guys can see all the amazing things we get into, and perhaps be inspired to take on crazy projects too! Oooo, age of electronics.... (how liberating it is!) And do give us feedback and suggestions -- we want to be inspired by you, too.

We hope to blog regularly, but we have no idea how often we'll be able to access the internet. Keep checking in and hopefully we'll have something tasty for your eyeballs to lick.

PS

Hilary is quite excited that the font selection includes "Georgia" and "Webdings."