i bike paris

such is the name of a bike tour company here in Paris owned by my two friends Paul and Christian. it's actually "Bike About Tours", but they have new t-shirts brandishing the ibikeparis logo.
what does this have to do with me, you ask? well i'm now the proud of owner of a bicycle. i've heard for the past 5 months that i've been here that seeing Paris on a bike really changes one's perspective. they say the city becomes a lot smaller, and you see a lot of things you've never seen before. so taking their advice, i got in touch with someone advertising on craiglist. it's a couple of college guys who pick up bikes and repair them in their spare time. the bikes aren't impeccable, but i guess their angle is value, selling a decent bike for a good price. (note: bikes in Paris are rather expensive, and the awesome city bikes are even more than mountain bikes, which can be purchased relatively cheaply at sports stores(150€ or more))

as for my bike, it's a baby blue "Mercier", complete with bell on the left handlebar with which i can kindly urge people to get out of my way. there's a light to announce my presence at night, but i think i need a new bulb. there's also a rack on the back complete with hinged clamp that i can use to secure books or whatnot. of course, preventing theft is an issue, as i daily see locks attached to fences but no sign of a bike. had i a courtyard in my apartment building, i'd gladly keep it there, but for now it's on the street, well secured, i hope.


by the next time i write, i'll be on my way to expert knowledge of the city. i just hope to avoid a repeat of my freshman year bike accident...

passing through?

well i'm back in Paris. i left off last in Barcelona, where i had an unforeseen extra day after missing my flight to Lisbon. i'm proud to say i caught the flight to Lisbon later that evening. upon arrival i was greeted with homemade french fries, i think for the first time in my life. Tania, the portuguese assistant at school at whose house i stayed and who served as tour guide, always ensured that i was well-fed. so my time in Lisbon consisted of lots of local pastries, as well as a delicious home-cooked meal wednesday night that made Jewish and Italian mother look like poor hostesses--i literally couldn't stop tania and her mother from putting more food on my plate. fortunately, it was good food so i didn't mind too much.

tuesday we visited Sintra, a UNESCO world heritage site and charming little town. we trekked up a hill/mountain to visit the king and queen's summer palace, which afforded a beautiful hike as well as nice vistas. upon returning to Lisbon, we rushed over to the opposite side of the city to visit the site of Lisbon's 1998 world expo. the architecture was stunningly modern. at this point, i was exhausted from the day, but Tania and Soraya just kept going. i thought we'd never stop walking or eat dinner for that matter.

wednesday Tania showed me the town, as we visited Belem, home to a romanesque monastery and nearly as ancient pastries. next we saw downtown and took a trolley ride up to the St. George Castle. the area surrounding the castle has incredible Moorish influence, and it was fascinating to stare down on the rooftops. after buying a few pieces of local ceramic for gifts, we hurried home for aforementioned homecooked meal.

thursday afternoon i flew home to paris, but not before a last stop at Lisbon's Modern Art Museum. i cut it close once again in getting to the airport, but i made it home last night, thankful to be home.

take a look at this album, and others from my trip:

Biarritz

i was intending to add a post-script about passing through, but i'll do it later. now i'm off to visit the city.