Barge Day 7: Melun to Paris!!

Today our ride will be a short 30 km as we will board the barge again three hours before arriving at our Paris mooring.  There will be more traffic.  Today we ride along the banks of the Seine to the lock of Evry, where we will join The Fleur for the final sail into Paris.

First another great breakfast and pack up those lunches!

A familiar sight by now...all the bicycles ready to go.  Today our number of riders is down to 8.  Nan is still “in!”

We come across another orchard farmer...this time...  “Have some figs!!  PLEASE!”  We call the barge and Chef Steffi says, “YES please!”

At first we think this fruit is pears...but it has a strange skin...more fuzzy....funny faces trying to figure it out!

Soon ....YES, a stop for coffee...

We come across a street market and take a few minutes to look around.  Not cooking tonight...so....and no picnics to buy for...

Interesting items....sort of.

By 1:00 p.m. we arrive to meet up with The Fleur.  We MADE IT!  (More like I, made it...)

I never doubted Steve would make it.  He rocks!

Now to play and sing our way into Paris...what a lovely afternoon!

The landscape is bigger, the lock is bigger, the river is wider...

The last dinner aboard tonight, and it’s a four course amazing meal.  Especially the cheese course.  Who’s ever had a cheese course before?  Not me.

Captain Kreiss gives us a farewell speech and toast of Port wine.  Perfect with CHEESE!  Of course.  He says we were great guests...and now he tells us he rates groups by their water usage while aboard.  We are stars...in only using what most European groups use.  We are all familiar with drought.  That’s the thing!

It’s a long, long dinner.  We play away what’s left of the evening...in warm enough summer air, with the lights of Paris all around.

Gee whiz....tomorrow’s a travel day.