Paris. Nothing can prepare one for the first time. Breathtakingly stylish, elegant, beautiful, creative, intelligent, erotic, decadent.... it seduces and mesmerises instantaneously and then, you're done for. Insatiably smitten.
'It is a beautiful spot, Paris' mused fellow South African rider, Jaco Cotter, as he gazed at Gare de l'est, the magnificent railway station across the road from our hotel. 'But, jong, the people are stubborn!' We arrived in Paris after a magnificent 2000km, 3 day transit trip across Austria, Germany and France to discover that the hotel we use each year for the start of the expedition was under new management and had not computed that a group booking of cyclists might possibly involve bicycles too.  'Impossible.' said the new hotel manager. 'Non. No bikes in rooms. No bikes in foyer. No bikes anywhere here. D’Accord?' We encountered stubborn, alright.
Thanks to a dollop of steely diplomacy, which masked an equal if not more resolute streak of intractability, our tour co-leader, Shanny pulled it off and by the time the riders started arriving a space had been cleared out back for the assembly and storage of 40 bicycles. A rider briefing, bike assembly, last moment food shop and a baggage inspection filled our bustling, busy day. The realisation that 46 of us are going to be sharing a magical two month journey with each other hit home. The excitement is palpable.
Some numbers:
Female riders: 12
Male riders: 28
Canadians – 18, Australians- 3, Americans - 9, South Africans - 3, New Zealanders - 3, British - 3, Swiss – 1; Dutch – 1.
The oldest rider: 81
The youngest rider: 27
Average rider age:Â 54
With less than a week to go, we feel certain that the 40 intrepid cyclists due to arrive in Paris for the start of the 4th annual Orient Express Bicycle Expedition will be comforted to know that logistics are well underway.
Over the past few days, highly effective staff meetings have resulted in top notch planning and intricate "To Do" lists... all from the burly ambiance of our new office on the outskirts of Bratislava - the Loli Bar. It's been challenging... but someone has to do it!
Trawling the consumer palaces of fast-developing Bratislava for provisions for the expedition has been a hunter/gather experience of note. For those of us who don't shop regularly in Slovakia, the battle of the brands takes on a whole new dimension. Identifying items in emporiums the size of soccer stadiums offering row upon row of unfamiliar products bearing unpronounceable names, has been time and energy consuming to say the least, especially with so much more to be planned and discussed back in the office!
In between the planning and the doing, which is just about all done, we did manage to escape the ubiquitous, brash, western style development mushrooming on the outskirts of the city and explore the gentle pedestrian squares, gorgeous gothic architecture, comfort food and subtly sexy city life of old, real, downtown Bratislava. It is magical. And by the time we return towards the end of June, it will be pulsating with festival life and folklore dancing.
Today, with all the vehicles checked and packed, we say 'dakujem' and 'goodbye' to Monika, our fabulous guide and translator, and head west for Paris to meet the OE 2008 riders... being sure, of course, to keep our eyes peeled for suitable new offices at strategic points along the way!
There are just 2 spots left on the 2008 Orient Express Bike Expedition! We have room for one male rider and one female rider on the section from Budapest to Istanbul.. Contact us today and ride from Hungary to Turkey this summer, passing through the spectacular Romanian and Bulgarian countryside!
