Day 1, 22 May 2013, Paris to Germigny

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris at 9.20 this morning.  It took 25 hours from when we walked out the front door.

 We put our bikes together in the arrivals hall as we always do, then rode out.  However, this was easier said than done. 

 We had made some effort to find out how you exit the airport, but it still took the better part of an hour.   This is the first European airport we have been to that does not have bike lane infrastructure.

 It wasn’t difficult and the traffic was sensible, so it worked out.

 We had decided we would ride along the Ourcx canal, and tried to follow our noses to get there, and made a navigational error, as you can see in the map. We got lost in a maze of Paris dormitory villages.  They are not the most attractive examples of urban development.

 Nevermind.  We then started to use TomTom  on my Iphone, as we should have in the first place. I think we were a bit tired.

 The canal ride was pleasant, through typically green French countryside, but it is a puzzle as to why the canal is not used.  This is so different from British or Dutch canals, which are swarming with boats, and every village has a pub for the boat people.  This canal has absolutely no infrastructure, not even places to tie up a boat.  Just a few locks, and no boats at all.

 Only 63km for the day as we got away from the airport a bit later than usual.

 The map is a bit dodgy, as the GPS failed and I had to add the latter part of the trip by hand.