Biked out to the Bois de Boulogne today. Camped in the Bois back in 1987 as a 19 year old. Was surprised then to see the Bois filled with prostitutes and their prospective clients both day and night.
Not much in the Bois has changed in 25 years. Even biking through you get the propositions from the working ladies. The Bois, once a great hiding place for bandits, is now a hiding place for Paris' biggest red light district.
Jardin à la française (the French formal garden) hasn't touched the Bois. Twice the size of New York's Central Park, the Bois de Boulogne is much more wild, with dirt paths, single-track trails, and horse riding trails.
Took another turn around the Arc-de-Triumph roundabout today. Unlike roundabouts elsewhere in the world, cars in the roundabout actually yield to cars coming in from the arteries. True "right of way".
French drivers seem very accepting of bike traffic. Only been honked at once, and that was from a scooter cruising through Montparnasse. No helmets on the bikers here in Paris. Feels like biking when I was a kid, free, and a bit dangerous.
A good barometer of the type of Paris neighborhood you are in, is the amount of dog crap around. "The nicer the neighborhood, the more dog crap!" commented Carl, a transplant from New Zealand, and Tour Guide at Fat Tire Bike Tours, Paris.
Tomorrow is the final day of this personal Camino...
Cheers!
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