Europe - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 32

with the Canadian authorities and asked them to make the contacts. I did this because if I
went missing, they would be able to narrow the search. Finally, Elaine gave me the phone
number of a youth hostel in Paris and bid me a safe journey.
As Icontinued onmy way toward Paris, Inoticed that there wasn't any traffic leav-
ing it. I soon realized why. Coming into view were two large trucks crawling side-by-side
with a cue of vehicles behind them stretching as far as the eye could see. Later I found out
that the new legislation they were protesting required them to drive less continuous hours
and at a lower speed limit. If they didn't, violators would be heavily fined. They felt that
the legislation gave an unfair advantage to other European Union drivers.
When I finally arrived in Paris it was dark and raining. The shocking part was
that there were no vacancies in Paris…all the hostels were booked, the pensions, the ho-
tels…everything. I was tired, hungry and homeless. I began to search for a safe place to
sleep.Icameacrossarampthatledtotheriverwherethecanalboatswerelaunched.Itwas
perfect. The ramp was concealed under the road and relatively quiet. I stayed there for 10
minutes but then decided to move and look for a better place…I wasn't ready to sleep with
the sewer rats yet. I walked my bike to the Latin Quarter but found nothing. I then decided
to go to the Cathedral of Notre Dame to see if they had a place where I could stay.
As I faced the Cathedral, I noticed a building to its right. I assumed this to be
the rectory. So, I cycled past the opened gate and walked up to the darkened building. I
knockedonthetall,oldwoodendoors,buthadnoanswer.Insteadofleaving,Iwentbehind
the Church where I found dozens of gargoyles (grotesque Medieval statues used on build-
ingstoscareoffevilspirits)beingrestoredontheground.Theywerequitelargeandomin-
ous looking especially when they stared right at me. This was where I decided to sleep.
The well-lit work area was enclosed by a large fence which encompassed the rect-
ory. There was a large skip (an industrial-sized metal garbage container) near the fence. I
leaned my bicycle against its lip which, from chest high, tapered away at a 45º angle to the
ground. I covered the bike, opened my black umbrella and put all the panniers under it. I
lay my Thermarest pad on the ground between the base of the skip and my bicycle which
was completely protected from the rain.
ThereIwas,sleepingunderagarbageskip,besidelaCathédraledeNotreDameand
surroundedbydozensofgargoyles.Inallhonestly,Ifeltsosafeandaftermy125-kilometre
day, I slept like a baby.
The next morning was quite funny. I loaded the bike and walked over to the gate
that I entered through the previous night. To my surprise, it was locked. I spent 10 minutes