Cycling in France
Riding the Train from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Châtenay-Malabry, France
It was an
Air-Hitch flight with Martinair
scheduled to leave New York on the evening of July 23, 1990. Not only did Martinair clip
me for $50 bike transport, but the flight to Amsterdam left a good 12 hours late, arriving
at Schiphol in the late afternoon on July 24. I was able to check my bike, still in the
carton, to Paris and booked the night train, sorely in need of some sleep and a bed.
Walked along the Damstraat for a while until dark. No bed on the night train, just coach
seating, but managed some sleep while hugging my bags to discourage the thieves
that have
been known to prey on the unwary on this train.
Arrived at the Gare du Nord in the early morning and assembled my bike there, joined
the morning traffic over to the rue Mouffetard to see if the Y&H Hostel was still
there. It was, but was closed until 5 PM, so I cycled out the Port d'Italie along the
N7. At Villejuif turned west on the D55 and
D60
toward Sceaux and was hopelessly lost before finally locating the hostel at
Châtenay-Malabry. Gabe and I had taken the
bus out here to scope it out two
years before. It was around 2PM when I arrived and I took a glorious nap on the picnic
table until the hostel opened. No evening repas here, so had a sandwich for dinner and
went to bed early. After one night at Kennedy and another on the train, it was time.
