We're ready to roll

How did it get to be May 31 already? I bet if I was a kid and it was my birthday it would still be six months away. But I'm not. Pity I acted like one when all those marvellous opportunities for riding presented themselves since I first had this 'good' idea to join a European bike tour. So, there's no longer any hiding to be had, the truth will out in about ten hours.

I thought this was a clean-living tour so I was a tad surprised when I overheard the hotel staff explaining to a couple of chaps in our goup who had only just met that yes, they would have to share the double bed as there were no more rooms with single beds. I don't think they thought the staff were serious as they took the key and went unprotesting to their room, but they were down soon enough and sat waiting for another allocation. I finally got my key (I mean who's ever hung around all day in a hotel lobby anywhere, let alone Paris, for an hour and a half waiting for a room?) so I grabbed the bags, the spare tyres - the bike's that is - and pounded up to the eight floor and slotted the key in, pushed open the door and there saw what seemed like a very naked male bottom, atttached to legs and torso of course, lying across the only bed in the room. The bottom's owner didn't seem all that happy to have me as a roommate, and I wasn't so keen myself as there didn't seem to be an awful lot of room left on the bed. However, the hotel staff were very understanding and didn't charge me for the extra and indeed found me another room in barely forty minutes. I didn't like to say anything to them, but it does have two single beds in it so I'm thinking that there is a hotel fairy who just changes the bedding arrangements in rooms willy nilly as part of a delightful but little heard of Parisian tradition.

I'm hoping the fairy will materialise in my tent tomorrow night complete with bed, doona and pillow but I suspect the only thing to materialsie will be me, and I will snuggle into the Swedish Princess and will not stir again until hearing the melodic morning songs of French sheeeeeeps.