jackandthecitylights.org

Flayat to Limoges

All my material possessions neatly and deliberately packed away I said my goodbyes to Eric and rounded the corner to finish the another beautiful chapter of my life.

The familiar road rushing up to meet my wheels as I wounded down the snake like back roads through valleys and quiet french villages felt like an old friend I hadn’t seen for a long yesterday. The wind blowing through my hair and new sights that steadily glided past reminded me that I was free once again. Free from place, familiarity, and routines.

Along the way I unexpectedly received my very first flat tire since I had bought them in Omaha, NE. I’ve been riding Schwable Marathon Plus tires and I really wouldn’t recommend them to people who like to repair flats… After checking it out I discovered that it was not a puncture but the tube had just worn through on it’s side because I installed a liner slightly askew.

Luckily the rain held off for my entire trip into the center of Limoges to meet my amazing hosts Jana and Patricio for the night. I contacted my hosts on rather short notice and was readily accepted. Like old friends, “just come on over anytime!”, they replied to my request to surf their couch. Jana from Australia and Patricio from Chile are both currently working on their degrees in Limoges. They took me out to a bar that brewed what they told me to be hands down the best beer in France. After trying some I in no way doubt the accuracy of that description. Throughout the night we discussed issues close to our own hearts and remarked on the central connection they shared, being linked to the destruction of humanity itself through the futile pursuit of Consumerism Culture.

Limoges to Paris

First thing on my list of things to do today was to go to the train station to find out their was a problem with my ticket. As I had feared the one train I had booked had a special catch for transporting bicycles in that the required them to be put into a special bag and checked as luggage. According to the information desk at the train I either need to buy another ticket without refund of my original, or get a bag for my bike.Of course on all the other trains this was unnecessary. So I set off on a goose chase through downtown Limoges to find that the bike shop had closed just a few minutes before I arrived and wouldn’t open until my train left. With a contact in Paris scheduled to meet me in front of the National Opera House at 7 and my train leaving in an hour I was running out of options.

Jana and Patricio to the rescue! They called up a friend on his lunch break who had a bike bag and got it for me almost instantly. My huge bike would just barely fit with some disassembly. Completely unpredictably perfect last minute coincidences that make life amazing and confound reason seem to comprise my life on the road…

I arrived at the station just as my train pulled up to a stop. I quickly pulled my bike apart removing the front rack and seat as people are boarding and getting off. I find the right car at literally the last possible moment, and just as a helpful bystander threw my last bag up to me through the door it closed shut behind it like some choreographed scene from a movie.

Stepping out of the train onto Parisian soil, or asphalt rather, was memorable. Drunken shouts and hoots arrested my attention. A group of men holding flags with matching clothes and face paint chanted some slogan about some team they seemed to support. While reassembling my bicycle one brilliant lad thought it would be constructive to shout “Perpignan!!!” in my face while swaying to and fro nearly spilling the alcoholic contents of his plastic cup all over himself. “Qui, Perpignan” I responded sympathetically as he tried to force his eyes to focus on me. Thankfully he gave up this difficult task quickly and stumbled off undoubtedly unsure which one of me had said it.

Bike together I set off into my next adventure.