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Take a
Paris boat tour on a bike?!
When you visit Paris, there never seems to be enough time;
time to either squeeze in all of the sightseeing or for stepping back in
time (not the guillotine part, of course).
On the night bike tour that we took with Fat Tire Bike Tours,
time was economized.
In a four to five hour period, you squeeze in sightseeing of
the left and left banks of the Seine, watch the lights of Paris come up,
eat home made ice cream looking at Notre-Dame on the Pont Saint-Louis as
the sun sets, take advantage of the photo ops at the Louvre and the
Champs Elysées, ride a boat along the Seine (and be the only group
allowed to bring their own “beverages” or have it provided); Phewww!
That’s economizing your time!
The bike tour was an adventure on two wheels along the
streets of Paris. You have to be quick and pay attention.
The “boule” players saw us coming and one of the men in a red
short-sleeve shirt took measures to guard the metal balls and the
playing field, stretching out his arms as we rode past to the far end of
the Champ de Mars. He had obviously seen this tour in action before.
We were clad in day-glow vests for the adventure of riding in
the bike/taxi/bus lanes.
The taxis weaved in and out of their lanes to avoid us; the
buses only hoped they would not end up behind us! We didn’t exactly stay
in a tight pack.
Our guide, Stacy, turned her head constantly to
ensure that the group was together. She did a great job checking
that the rear guard of “Vanessa and Nate” was doing their volunteer
job properly.
What to expect
The tour offers an occasion to see the sights
at a different speed (slow and relaxing) rather than walking or the
speed of a bus.
The declining day light is more noticeable on a
bike as the sky, streets, buildings and trees turn new shades of
color.
The Eiffel Tower and the lights of a May Paris
illuminate as the boat ride along the Seine begins at 10 p.m.
The first opportunity to really have a bite to
eat is on the boat ride.
A couple of the guys bought crêpes to-go
around the corner from
Berthillon
during our ice cream break. (Berthillon
is famous for their fresh made-daily ice cream and sorbet).
I would advise either eating a good meal before
you go or bring a sandwich for later. We brought can duck (rillettes
du canard) and baguette. It was a balancing act trying to spread
the duck on baguette pieces and hold a cup of wine...there were no
tables…. Make your picnic simple if you plan to eat that late.
Who goes
For the students, the tour is an opportunity to
exchange ideas (not academic by any means!) between semester breaks,
do the “awesome” European vacation, begin summer work or take the
graduation break before the serious job entry.
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Since four of us had probably graduated from
college in the 80s or before, those other 21 participants took us
back to college days of rowdiness and whooping it up!
The nationality and age make up of the crowd
varies; our group of 26 consisted of Australians, Canadians,
Americans and a Swede. A normal group size is 24.
Getting started
The group meets at 7 p.m. at the Eiffel Tower’s
south leg by the big yellow sign. If there are too many, Fat Tire
just breaks it up into two groups.
When we met, our group was up to 36. The family
of ten and five others made up the second group and left long enough
after us that we did not bunch up; they caught the 10:30 p.m.
cruise.
"Vanessa and Nate" who pulled up the rear were
In fact part of the tour group. They were asked to remain as the
last ones and wore the same orange vest as Stacy
What to bring
Food
Bring food in your back pack. Wine during the
boat ride is included in your initial ticket price and is
carried by group volunteers. The Fat Tire Bike Tour is the only
group allowed to bring liquor on board. You may bring your own beer
and wine.
HINT: Someone asked me about where to
buy alcohol on Sundays.
Wherever you stay in Paris, you will see small
shops open on Sundays with vegetables and fruits out front. Go
inside. These shops are similar to an old mom and pop operation
where you can get all of your basics when regular grocery stores are
closed, including beer, wine and water.
Otherwise, Fat Tire has water available (2
euros for a large bottle; 1 euro for a small) or wine for 5 euros;
and other drinks).
Rain gear
In case the weather is threatening rain, it is
not necessary to run out and buy rain gear. Fat Tire sells ponchos
for one euro. If you do not use it by the end of the evening, they
will buy it back from you. We never used ours, but they are so
compact, we are keeping them for a future emergency.
In the past four years, only one tour has been
delayed due to the weather. They waited it out and then took off! As
they say at Fat Tire, “In Paris the weather always passes!”
Who is Stacy?
Stacy came to Paris for the first time in 2005
to run the Paris Marathon, fell in love with the city and decided if
she found the means she would stay; et voilà! our guide for the
evening.
Stacy did a great job, chatted with just about
everyone, and made the group feel good! By the end of the evening
when we had returned to the office the bulk of the gang was
regrouping inside to head over to the Canadian bar together.
We decided to limp home in a cab, to nurse my
rarely used muscles behind my knee! and go to bed like some
22-years-ago college graduate! |
November 2008
