Today we rode through Paris on the way out of town. Those in the short group rode the barge through the middle of Paris, starting their bike ride at a later time, further down the road. The long group cycled through Paris. It was tedious, stopping at red lights every block or so and stopping for Jannicke to ask directions. But we saw some beautiful,sites, including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumph. We rode around the Arch d'Triumph, just like they do at the end of the Tour deFrance.
After that we followed the Seine on one side and the other, up a VERY large hill to the palace St. Germain en Laye, where French King Louis XIV was born. There is a huge terraced garden by the palace, with views down to Paris in the distance, and a huge forested area below the terraces. 
After the hill we rode down through the forest to la Confluenz, which is where the Seine joins the Oise river, ending our first day.
This is a copy of the flame at the top of the Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the US for the centennial in 1876. It's located on the underpass where Princess Diana lost her life.
Then we rode to the la Defense area of Paris, which is full of modern high rise buildings and modern art. There's a modern arch there to parallel the Arch d' Triumph, which you can see in the distance from La Defense.
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