That's a good result, Frank! Gary Paree will be dumbstruck, and it was just a pity that he wasn't briefed - particularly given the preceeding weekend's activity - "a few bikes in Paris" etc! I'm still a bit zoned out, trying to work and recollect... not easy for me!
Obviously Claudine spotted the Sonny Clark reference (as if I would know to allude to that...) but I'm more worried about that bloke AKA Titus, who has not put his head above the parapet yet, has he? Holder of the trophy for the fastest wheel change of a Brompton on the Champs Elysees, he deserves bigging up for that alone. A sterling solo effort that meant Frank and I standing around, slugging most of a hip flask for medicinal purposes.
Our Man in Paris was last seen drinking coffee on Sunday afternoon before boarding the St Pancras express with his 'luggage'.
We did, however, rent the Velibs. Frank was using the basket as aero bars and hurtling down the street - it was a 'must be done' moment though, otherwise we would rue the day. Serried ranks of policemen kept an eye on everyone... from gentle gendarmerie to slightly better 'tooled up' Police Nationale, with the CRS as ultimate antidote to trouble. There was none.
Paul Smith's shop in Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré was joining in with the cycle playfulness - Frank pointing out that the 'la chaîne est un peu de mou' on this €1500 runabout...
Riding to the Sacre Coeur was good fun - a circular blast around Paris was definitely worthwhile - the cobbled route upwards to the highpoint would not have been so cool in the rain (or the descent!) but, until the Gary moment, we were experiencing tap-in after tap-in... even down to the adept violinist knocking out a few tunes in best Stephan Grapelli / Itzak Perlman mode. Classy all the way!