Terrifyingly Magical
Paris, the City of Lights, has always been synonymous with romance, art, and charm. But what happens when you mix the magic of Paris with the chaos of its bustling streets? My friend Beth and I recently spent some time in France. Making the most of our stay, we booked a tour each day and on the second day, we scheduled an adventure, booking a four-hour night bicycle tour of Paris. Little did we know that our journey would be filled with unexpected twists, heart-stopping moments, and unforgettable memories. A friend had recommended the tour and couldn’t say enough good things about her experience.
To begin the tale, as my friend and I navigated the city for the first two days, we noticed how chaotic the traffic appeared. As we watched out the car windows, bicycles were part of the chaos and we thought our tour would not be traveling on the same busy and dangerous streets. Boy, were we wrong!
As we met our broken-English speaking, Italian, tour guide, we couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and a little apprehension/fear of the unknown. Once we picked up our bicycles, it quickly became clear. The tour guide didn’t check any bicycles, and we were on our own to grab one and quickly practice in the underground garage. There were no guidelines or safety rules stated and no helmets provided. One participant spoke up and asked about helmets and the guide responded, “Well, if you’d like one.” She randomly handed them out to about half the group (my friend and I included).
As we navigated out of the garage, it was terrifyingly clear our tour would be on the real streets of Paris, no quiet side roads in sight. The chaotic streets we witnessed inside a car now became a vivid reality upon our bikes. It quickly became overwhelming to the entire group since the tour guide sped off without looking back or even counting the participants.
At one point, I was in the middle of the pack and the tour guide crossed just as the light turned yellow and didn’t stop. In a panic, I kept going even though now the light was red and on-coming cars were approaching. A motorcycle almost hit me as the horns and voices escalated the situation. Oh boy, I narrowly escaped that one. Another girl had been near my lucky outcome which shook her to the core.
This went on for the next hour. The entire tour group was just trying to keep up. We started relying on each other, making sure everyone was accounted for. Waiting on those that fell behind or got stopped by a red light.
Just when our nerves were about to reach their limit, a moment of peace was waiting. We had a one-hour boat ride on the serene Seine River. It offered a welcomed break from our nerve-wracked souls. As we cruised along the landmarks of Paris our tension melted away. After the boat ride, we were able to enjoy a delicious crepe on the banks of the Seine River while taking in views of the nearby Eiffel Tower. It was magical.
Then it was off on the bicycles once more. We visited some of the most famous sights of Paris which were incredible. At one point we were approaching the Place de la Concorde (the largest square in the French capitol). It was the second place I almost got hit. This time by a man on a moped. He was coming straight at me as I quickly served to narrowly miss him. He waved a big thank you. Wow!
Our last major stop was at the Louvre Museum which was also beautiful. Then it was time to head back. Beth and I were at the front of the group and heard a crash and then shouts of help. A Parisian bike rider slammed into one of our participants. She collided with the curb, fell, and hit her head on the concrete. She was one of the people that opted not to wear a helmet.
Everyone stopped and the tour guide went to check on her. Shortly thereafter the guide said she was okay and continued on the road. We all made sure the woman was okay and able to keep up, by this time it was completely dark. Once we got back to the garage, we learned she was bleeding from the head. Her and her 18 year old daughter arrived alone that day. My friend and I gave them our phone number in case the daughter needed a person to talk to for medical help. The tour guide on the other hand couldn’t get out of the garage fast enough and never again inquired about her status.
The bicycle tour through the streets of Paris proved to be an adventure unlike any other. From the crazy traffic, near misses, and language barriers to the unexpected reprieve of the boat ride and delicious crepe. We experienced highs and lows between joy and fear. In two words it was terrifyingly magical. In the end we both agreed we were glad we did it and better yet, experienced it together. Do you have any similar frightening stories to share? I’d love to hear them.
xoxox…..Sheryl
PS … While we parked our bikes for the boat ride, I noticed a bunch of orange safety vests coming out of the tour guide’s bike satchel. I assumed she would have us wear them when it got dark, however, she shoved them back in her bag and away she went!
PSS … We met a couple the next day on a different guided tour who had taken the same harrowing bike trek earlier in the day as ours with the same woman. Their experience was just as terrifying.
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