Travel Day 16 - Paris

 The rain has stopped and it's been a nice day weatherwise - no rain and not too hot.

Peter had some friends to catch up with today so after breakfast Stephen and I tppk ourselves off to check out the Pavillions at the local fan zone park - the first one we tried to enter, India, we found you had to pre buy the tickets and sorry, but they were all sold out for today! It was just after 10:00 a.m. and there were very few people around in fact we asked ourselves several times as we were walking around the perimeter fence if they were in fact open. Eventuallu we came to and "Entree" gate for the French pavillion so marched in there, were body scanned and bag searched only to find out it was ticket only! Okay, where do you buy tickets, around further to your left - off we walk and yes we eventually find the main entry gate but no ticket sales! We ask and the fellow pointed in a direction that we followed ony to come to a dead end! I think it was his idea of having fun. The people at the bike parking station couldm't help us and sent us back to the main gate and eventually we found the ticket office only to be told :Sorry, sold out"!

We then decided to head back to the Hostel and map out a route for a ride around Paris. Now that can't be sold out and we can't be excluded or told we need tickets. Half an hour later Stephen and I were away on a 52 km self guided bike tour of Paris. It was a good ride that kept away from downtown Paris and took in a couple of parks. Interesting to see in the Parks they have adopted the "no mow" policy and there was rank grass growing through the undergrowth of the forest trees. There were lots of people and family groups out enjoying the lovely summer's day with a walk or picnic in the Park.

We encountered quite a bit of the tie trial course still set up and commented how it is such a different day to that of yesterday and how with the dry roads there would not have been as much carnage for the riders.

We got back about 6:30 p.m. and had a shower before putting on our new "Alkira" shirts and caps that have been following us across Europw. Peter's fundraising effort is for Alkira which is an Australian Charity that provides opportunites for people who because of a handicap would otherwise not receive that care. In this case he is raisinf funds specifically to help fitout the teaching Cafe in which the participants will learn the skills requied to become a barrista or other Cafe hospitality skills. Currently he is up to $32,000 which is a pretty good effort.

He arranged Alkira shirts and caps for Stephen and me to be couriered to a friend in Bolonia in time for us to colect them. However we beat the Italian courier system abd so then the next place to have them sent would be to yet another friend's daughter who is living in Paris. This time  eventually made it in time for Peter to collect them today. This means in the last few days I have retired two tee shirts, bought two more and have been given another. Now the trick is going to ve getting themall packed into my limited luggage space - I think I will manage it!

This is our last night in Paris and we are ready to move on and get back on the bikes, It's been a good break in our journey and something we've not done before - staying put in one place for as long as this (six days)!

Not too many pics today and we're going to have to find out the back story as to why we came across a Kangaroo on a plinth holding on to a rugby ball! It's that new the safety fencing has not yet been removed nor the information station erected.