Bernard's Apartment is in the Paris suburb of La Courneuve. Dave performed the daunting task of following Sophie around the peripherique and out to La Courneuve. Not exactly the Rive Gauche, this neighborhood is home to people from all over the globe. We pull the cars into a courtyard inside tall solid metal walls in front of Bernard's building and everyone we encounter greets us warmly and are obviously thrilled to see Sophie. Lots of French kisses for Sophie!
We walk into a huge tile-floored space with a covered pool table beneath large skylights, a beautiful curved bird's-eye maple bar and a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. Offices open off the main room and upstairs are a few apartments including Bernard's and one occupied by an employee. We had pictured the typical French apartment with all our bike boxes filling every inch and having to walk on beds to pack up the bikes. Wrong. I'd say the building was about the size of the Fishbowl!
Rick and I got the bed in Bernard's apartment, Cathi & Dave got the fold-out couch in Bernard's office and two other mattresses were arranged on the floor in other offices that were not in use for Bob and Lisa and Sophie. How to thank Bernard. I must find a way. Sophie said not to worry, someday I will find a way.
The next morning Sophie and Rick took Lisa and Bob to the airport. Our little family was splitting up, our trip drawing to a close. waahhhh....! Cathi and Dave had to go into Paris to get their rail ticket validated, an errand they'd been working on for weeks. Rail workers in the provinces didn't quite understand the process. So, although they said they'd be right back, I said don't waste your trip into town, have some fun. Rick and I had some work to do with his bike and ferry reservations to England so we opted to stay in La Courneuve. I vacumed Bernard's car and helped Rick wash it when he returned from the airport. The least we could do. While we were doing this Sophie got a call from her mechanic that her 1973 Citroen was ready. A friend had been refurbishing it for the last three years! He drove it over, Sophie opened up the front wall of the great room and backed it right inside. She said there is always an old car in this space.
We walk into a huge tile-floored space with a covered pool table beneath large skylights, a beautiful curved bird's-eye maple bar and a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. Offices open off the main room and upstairs are a few apartments including Bernard's and one occupied by an employee. We had pictured the typical French apartment with all our bike boxes filling every inch and having to walk on beds to pack up the bikes. Wrong. I'd say the building was about the size of the Fishbowl!
Rick and I got the bed in Bernard's apartment, Cathi & Dave got the fold-out couch in Bernard's office and two other mattresses were arranged on the floor in other offices that were not in use for Bob and Lisa and Sophie. How to thank Bernard. I must find a way. Sophie said not to worry, someday I will find a way.
The next morning Sophie and Rick took Lisa and Bob to the airport. Our little family was splitting up, our trip drawing to a close. waahhhh....! Cathi and Dave had to go into Paris to get their rail ticket validated, an errand they'd been working on for weeks. Rail workers in the provinces didn't quite understand the process. So, although they said they'd be right back, I said don't waste your trip into town, have some fun. Rick and I had some work to do with his bike and ferry reservations to England so we opted to stay in La Courneuve. I vacumed Bernard's car and helped Rick wash it when he returned from the airport. The least we could do. While we were doing this Sophie got a call from her mechanic that her 1973 Citroen was ready. A friend had been refurbishing it for the last three years! He drove it over, Sophie opened up the front wall of the great room and backed it right inside. She said there is always an old car in this space.
The next morning Cathi and Dave headed off on their Switzerland hiking adventure while Rick, Sophie and I headed north to Calais for the 10:15 ferry to Dover. The ferry ride was much like any ferry although the boat was a bit fancier upstairs than the average Washington State ferry. The weather wasn't too bad although a bit wet outside. It didn't REALLY start raining until we got onto the motoroute in England!
With Rick driving we made it to Cheshunt and the Marriott Hotel without problems. Unable to find a back door into the hotel, we decided to just waltz by the front desk with our bikes to see if we could get away with it.
Nope. The manager on duty stopped us in our tracks. "Where are you going with those bikes? No, no, no, no. you can't take those into your room. There is not enough space. If there were a fire, you would not be able to get out with those in the way. There is a bike rack around the side of the hotel where you can lock them up."
With Rick driving we made it to Cheshunt and the Marriott Hotel without problems. Unable to find a back door into the hotel, we decided to just waltz by the front desk with our bikes to see if we could get away with it.
Nope. The manager on duty stopped us in our tracks. "Where are you going with those bikes? No, no, no, no. you can't take those into your room. There is not enough space. If there were a fire, you would not be able to get out with those in the way. There is a bike rack around the side of the hotel where you can lock them up."
Right. We tried to explain that we do not leave our bikes outside and asked if there was a room we could lock them in. She tried for the rack again so Rick picked up his bike and quietly told her how much the bike was worth. She blinked a couple of times and then decided the manager's office might be a good place for them. As we squeezed our three bikes into a corner next to his desk, Sophie asked, "where will you put the bikes for the other riders?" That sent her into a tailspin. We left her trying to figure out what she would do with 20 or 30 bike riders like us!
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