Return to Paris

September 10, 2022

By the time dinner ended last night, I had pretty much decided to take the train to Strasbourg rather than cycle there as originally planned. Though the forecast for rain factored into my decision, it was more the idea that Suzanne and I were part of a joint adventure and we needed a more symmetrical closure. So, we decided to delay our morning checkout until eleven, cycle together to Bühl, have a farewell lunch with some Black Forest Cake, and see each other off at the train station.

There was a little bit of second guessing when morning arrived but the rain did not. However, we set off to Bühl as planned, and wasted about twenty minutes trying to purchase tickets from the vending machine. Finally giving up, we found a nice café – Chat Noir – where we each had a sandwich and salad and shared a piece of the iconic Black Forest Cake, forgetting to take a picture until we’d halved it and dug in. Then it was back to the train station to close out this adventure and looking forward to our next outing sometime in 2023.

Another CycleBlaze joint adventure comes to an end

My trip back to Paris was uneventful, which is saying a lot for train travel with a bike. There was a connection in Appenweier between Bühl and Strasbourg, but both the platforms and the bike cars were accessed without stairs. The connection in Appenweier was twenty minutes, long enough to chat up an English cyclist Tom and learn a little about his London to Istanbul tour to raise awareness for mental health. The Strasbourg station had a lift, and there was sufficient boarding time to make the two trips required for loading 1) Vivien George, and 2) the panniers. I arrived at Gare de l’Est in Paris about 7:30 and was home thirty minutes later.

Tom (@twotyretommy) is cycling from London to Istanbul to raise awareness for mental health, especially men's mental health. Good luck, Tom

Back home, to my Paris apartment above the laundromat on a quiet street in the 15th arrondissement

I want to thank Suzanne for making this short tour such a rich and rewarding experience. Her routes were varied and interesting, including some great miles deep in the forest and visits to some of the quintessential spa towns and medieval villages of the region. The Black Forest was a wonderful place cycle, and Suzanne was a fantastic cycling companion.

I’ll be staying in Paris for the next short while, waiting on parts to refit Vivien George’s brakes. In addition to leisurely walks around Paris, I’ll be catching some of the new art exhibits and making plans for a fall tour somewhere in France. Stay tuned.

Today's ride: 6 miles (10 km)
Total: 2,698 miles (4,342 km)

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Rachael AndersonWhat a great tour and I’m glad to hear you got your Black Forest cake! I look forward to finding out where you are going next!
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