July 8, 2018 to July 12, 2018
Rouvray to Paris
The final day of biking
I arose after a night of fitful sleep and was on the road at 6:35. As I'd hoped, traffic was light and I made good time to Avallon, well in advance of my 9:43 train. I found a bench across from the empty train station and the finality of my tour ending hit me. I sat there for a long time, pondering the last five weeks and not quite believing that it was over. In somewhat of a daze, I found a bakery and returned to the train station with coffee and pastries. Feeling fortified, I opened the SNCF app on my phone to purchase my train ticket. I was shocked to learn that my train was cancelled. The next train was scheduled for 5:30 pm, which was more than nine hours away. I broke down, physically and emotionally drained.
My options for getting to Paris were limited. It was likely that I could get a train from Auxerre, but the trip would take more than three hours using national roads, an overwhelming thought in my current state. Prepared to spend the day sitting on the bench waiting for the next train, I called Christine to tell her I wouldn't be in Paris until that evening. She said that was fine, but she encouraged us both to think of other options. People were starting to arrive for the 9:43 train and I went into the station to see if I could get any information. There were no SNCF employees, just travelers in the same boat as me - but none had a bike.
Our train was scheduled to go to Cravant, where there would be a 1.5 hour wait until catching a train to Paris. The Paris to Cravant train was running as scheduled, and an elderly couple suggested I could ride to Cravant, 20 miles away using the national road. We were in the hilly Morvan region of Burgundy, and using smaller roads would take too long. I must have looked pretty forlorn as the couple made me a most unbelievable proposition: if I could fit my bike in their car, they would drive me to Cravant. I jumped at the chance, extending a great number of "Merci beaucoup."
Paul and Marie Dupuis had come to the Avallon station to drop off their grand-daughter Lison, who had been visiting them and was now on her way back to Paris. With a great can-do spirit, we rearranged their bags, found room for Vivien George and my gear, and all squeezed into their small station wagon. We had a wonderful time learning a bit about each other during the 45 minute trip to the Cravant station. After hugs all around and many thank you, Lison sat on the platform and waited for the train to Paris. Over the next 90 minutes, the platform filled with dozens of people who had made their way to Cravant after their connecting train had been cancelled. Each had their story to tell, creating one of those moments where strangers bond over shared predicaments. The train arrived and a young man carried on my panniers as I loaded the bike. There was no specific spot for bikes as on the other train, so we placed Vivien George and panniers in the luggage area. She seemed secure, but at each successive stop the train filled with Parisians returning from holiday, crowding the space with suitcases and travelers. At one point, a young man climbed up on Vivien George to sit on a shelf above the luggage area! We arrived at Gare de Bercy around 1:30 and I made my way across Paris to my rented apartment in the 15th. We were home.
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Christine came by a little later with some things I had left in Magny, and we went for pizza at a neighborhood restaurant. I thanked her profusely for all she had done in making my trip a success - from giving me the final push to "do it" when I visited Paris last fall, to sharing her homes in Magny and Sète, to her unwavering support and friendship.
Tomorrow I leave to return to the US. My last three days in Paris were spent doing laundry, packing, and catching up on the journal. I did return to the Pasteur for a lab lunch and the "after" photo, but otherwise stuck to walks around the neighborhood and visits to my favorite shops and cafes.
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Because of the change in plans, I did not finish in Magny to complete the full circle of my grand tour. I don't like loose ends, so I will soon return to bike in Burgundy, and to keep my promise to Eddy and Ria to bike with them in Belgium. In the meantime, I will take a ride across Iowa with some of my family and 20,000 other crazies in spandex: RAGBRAI 2018.
Today's ride: 18 miles (29 km)
Total: 1,303 miles (2,097 km)
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