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Bonjour All,

The French edition of Handlebar Highlights is a bite lengthy like the Switzerland one so only read what you have time for.

Oh Paris (Paree) 

I must admit the town does grow on you, I still say over rated, but definitely worth the week.

Jeannette, was able to be in Paris for most of my stay there, and she also had two friends (Susan, & Jen) meet her there so one of the nights in old Paris it was Duke and three women. Of course they were having fun flirting with the waiter trying to get the odds evened out.

The main attraction we did that night was go to the top of the Eiffel, what a view! A little chilly, but what a view.

Capitalism or Pestism 

I love capitalism, and I believe it is a great way to attempt to distribute wealth, but some of the displays of capitalism occurring on the Paris streets definitely appears to be a bit more like Pestism

I guess what I am trying to say is when you feel like you are being bombarded by the great salesmen of our time while you are waiting in the line for the attraction then it has gone to far....

Metro or Bike 

I do like some of the mass transit systems I have been exposed to especially for attraction hoping, but my personal opinion is that you learn about a city so much faster and in more detail on a bike.

Though I would preface you would not want me to drive you around the city, we would end up on every one-way the wrong way and more than one sidewalk. The great part is that on a bike it is acceptable, and in a few cities even posted and advertised that way in an attempt to get more people on bikes.

1000 Mile Mark 

While I managed to hit a 1000 miles of FGT (Full Gear Touring). I decided to keep my miles of FGT separate from my city miles since the biking is completely different. While I finally made it to 1000 miles this summer, and plan to reach a little over 1500 miles.

The great thing about hitting the 1000 mile mark was I happened to be about 20 feet from a campground the even better part was they had a pool (see Concealment Conspiracy), so I walked across the road and called it a day.

The French Concealment Conspiracy 

I had just hit the 1000 Mile Mark and it was a steamy afternoon on the French Atlantic Coast, I was hotter than a crack pipe at a free drug feast and the pool looked awesome. I grabbed my book, and my chair and hit the pool. Once I had found a spot to spread out I headed straight for the water. I was just about to feel refreshed when I saw the pool attendant coming my way. I stopped as he approached me and he than stated that I could not get in with my loose shorts on, I would have to wear a bathing suit. I explained that what I had on was a swimming suit. He understood, but he explained to me that it was the pool rules that you could not get in with that style of swimming suit since some people would wear that style of suit all day and then come swimming, so what I needed was to wear a tight swimming suit it could be longer in the legs it just needed to be tight.

I was not about to let the masterminds behind the Concealment Conspiracy get the better of me so I made a trip back to the tent and put on my bike shorts that I had been wearing all day. Once properly outfitted I proceeded back to the pool for approval. The pool attendant was so happy he gave me the thumbs up in a French sort of way (Fonze he was not), and I managed to cool off and clean my bike clothes all at once. What a great end to my 1000 Mile Mark day.

I need to take a moment to reflect on this rule: I understand the rule is in an effort to keep the pool clean etc., not just to see Duke in a Speedo, but they did not have a mandatory shower, and I would believe that just as many people would wear a Speedo Style suit as underwear all day at the beach and then go swimming in it as would wear a shorts style swimming suit. I would guess this just goes to show you that stupid rules can get created and enforced throughout the world.

Good or Bad Naked 

Okay the old Seinfeld episode of Good naked and BAD naked became all to clear on my bike trip along the French Atlantic coastline by Bordeaux. My route along the bike path took me through a nudist camp and beach area, here they call it Naturism. I know when I passed through it because my observations went from WOW, to okay, to What the Heck, don't look Ethel. I will provide you with what I saw and you can label for yourself.

A women in her twenties wearing a backpack walking down the path, a middle aged couple with towels strategically draped, and a fifty something year old man riding a bike. I don't care what your gender there is some BAD naked in that mix.

Lacanau Ocean 

After 2 months of intense bike touring I decided to follow the European culture to Holiday on the beaches of France, after all I needed it I had been "Sun Starved" along with all those Germans on the Rhine. I think I was exposed to almost every European nationality in the course of just a couple days, and I managed to get a little quality skin cancer time in.

I really liked Lacanau Ocean, a beautiful beach town. The one awesome thing about beach towns is they all have the same feeling so no matter what country it is in it feels familiar. The bonus with Lacanau Ocean was that they were having an international surf competition while I was there, so I managed to see some awesome surfing.

Wine Country  

The wine country tour was a bit shorter than planned, some because of rain and some just because you can not carry that much wine on an already loaded touring bike. Yes, the tasting was great, but most of the labels would be hard to get in the US, and so I was falling in love with all these wines that I would not have the opportunity to taste again. Rather than frustrate myself I choose to move on.

What can I say I am not one that believes it is better to have loved and lost than not loved at all.

Au revoir,
DUKE

Date	From	To	Miles
8/4	Paris Gare de Est Station	Camp Ground	12.6
8/5-8/11	Tour Paris
8/12 AM	Camp Ground	Gare Austerlitz Station	9.61
8/12 PM	Bordeaux Gare St Jean Station	Camping Les Gravins	5.36
8/13	Camping Les Gravins Villa De Ornon	Cassy (1000 Mile Point)	51.39
8/14	Cassy	Lucanau Ocean	31.29
8/15-16	Beach, Sun, Run
8/17	Lacanau Ocean	Soule-Mer	53.21
8/18	Soule-Mer	Bordeaux	82.75
8/19	Tour Bordeaux
8/20	Hotel to Gare St Jean, Paris Gare Austerlitz	Gare Austerlitz to Gare de Est	7.5
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Comments or for letters to the editor email me at duke@systemscoach.com