Minnesotans in France

  Any Canucks who want to join this?  Let me know and I can give you the contact info of the Minnestoans who visited with us on the 29th August.

Hello Malcolm...yep...traveling, especially by cruise ship (18×  greater I read), is just a bigger for GHGs. But we riders get credit for biking most places so it could be worse.

Feel free to pass the bike and boat invite to the others....I have 4 spots left and it would be fun to have some cannucks (sp?) On board😊.

Hope we get to cross paths again soon.

Mary

On Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 6:59 AM Malcolm McRae wrote:

Hello Mary

   Thank you for the invitation.   The boat / bike tour of France sounds like fun but I don't think I will be able to join in.

   I laughed when I read of your angst over the GHG cost of  flying to Europe.  My wife and I recently did a trip of Vienna and Budapest, and we also had similar feelings about flying.  We will be going to a wedding in France next year and I have been looking into the relative merits of taking  a plane or a ship.  Cruise ships have very GHG per passenger / mile compared to planes.  In favor of the ship however, it really should count as number of vacation days as all the time on ship is time not spent doing whatever else causes GHG's.

   Then I thought some more about it, perhaps the best way for a regular person to get to Europe is as a passenger on a container ship.  Tickets for these apparently can be bought and one can make the argument that the ship is going anyway and your travel is not contributing at all (or very little).  The container ship industry should promote this form of travel to this new market of angst filled consumers.

  Anyway I wrote about my impressions of the transit in those cities along with the regular Montreal Bicycle Club musings on the MBC blog.

Malcolm

  

 

 Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 10:44 AM

Subject: France Bike and Boat May 16-23, 2020

Bon Jour Mes Amis:

With this lovely weather and my sluggish knee recuperation, I have
been making arrangements for Bike and Boat Tour Deux. This is the
same boat (Clare du Lune) and captain (Marco) as our 2018 tour from
Compagnie to Paris. It was delightful. This tour should measure up
as well unless Mr. Trump screws up world peace in the meantime.

This time we are traveling from Paris to Epernay (the Champagne
region) east of Paris on the way to Reims. (Leaving Paris May 17).
For more info, see
www.cycletours.com/tours/bike-barge/france/champagne-paris-epernay-3/

The area is steeped in WW1 history and vineyards. Our superb guide
will again be Wieger Duomo who knows every backroad and cow path as
well as having an unmatched encyclopedic memory of history in the
region.

The tour is designed for ALL abilities. Cycling averages about 30
miles per day with generally easy terrain. Additional cycling is
usually available after we dock for the day. E-bikes are available
for an extra $100 ($40 insurance optional). Or you can stay on the
boat and sip vin, snack on fromage and contemplate la belle vie.

Trip costs ($1450 based on the exchange rate today) include 7 nights
on the boat, bikes, Wieger our guide, tips, breakfast and dinner and a
sack lunch, although a daily trip to the boulangerie will still be
necessary for those of us who prefer our minimum daily allowance of
chocolate. Air (RT MSP-CDG is $764 this am via Aer Lingus). Trip
insurance is at your option.

The boat is a classic 1938 French freighter/barge remodeled to
"Comfort Plus" now with AC (can you say climate change?* ) and plenty
of room for all. Cabins are en suite. Some have one double bed,
others have two singles. Rates are based on double occupancy. I will
arrange roommates based on your preference/request.

The last trip filled up fast (like 36 hours fast) so if you have an
inkling, you should inkle quickly. Send a deposit of $500 to reserve
your spot to 730 Birchwood Av, White Bear Lake, MN 55110. Deposit is
refundable as long a roommate-fungible replacement is available.

I will host an organizational meeting sometime in the next two months
to sort out the minutia. Other questions: 651-653-1022.

I hope you can join me.
m

PS. Week deux is pending. I am working on a B&B stay outside of
Grenoble. Check it out at www.lacharmetiere.fr It is hosted by a
family that has deep roots to here in Birchwood.

Options include day hiking, hut to hut hiking or maybe e-biking (les
montagnes sont grandes dans les Alpes!)

Let me know if you are thinking of opting in for the second week. It
is an option even if you chose to opt out of Week Un.


* MPR this am stated that those who fly more than 6x per year are
contributing disproportionally to the problem. Nevertheless, there is
some climate change guilt attached to this trip. Sorry.