Paris Bike Ride (no helmet)

Summertime lunch (pasta, Frascati) with our Paris Pal, and Seattlest carries on about the failures of Velib as if it were the end of Western Civilization. (Velib is the city's brand new, one-way, hourly bike rental program; see "Paris When it Fizzles" entry on our other blog, Cornichon.) When we pass a Velib "station" near the Arc de Triomphe, we triumphantly demonstrate that American credit cards won't work. Then Paris Pal swipes his Amex...the gates of Paradise swing open and a 3-speed bike is released from its stanchion. Blazer and shoulder bag into the bike's basket, and we're off in the mid-afternoon sun, no helmet (this would never fly in Seattle), down the bone-jarring cobblestones of the Champs Elysées, right at Le Fouquet's, past the George V and the American Cathedral down to the Place de l'Alma and across to the Left Bank, passing directly above the Princess Di crash site.

We can't believe we're actually cycling past the Eiffel Tower! Once we're on the Boulevard St. Germain, there's a dedicated lane shared by bikes, buses and taxis. On TV last night, a "cycle-ologist" showed viewers how to do this: stick to the right and you're fine. Unlike our bicycle behavior in Seattle, we dutifully stop for traffic lights and don't climb the curbs. An 80-year-old guy gives us a thumbs-up. "A bit heavy, but practical," he says. "Bonne visite," says a young Frenchwoman. A hot, 45-minute ride. Bike reattaches to rack near our hotel. ParisPal, we owe you a euro!

Okay, you Fremont Naked Bike Riders: we get it now.