Vélib' Vendredi

A new series...Vélib´ Vendredi! Vélib´ is the shared public bike system in Paris, and I've made it my goal to bike 'just because' at least once a week in a different area of the city. Vélib´ Vendredi (Friday) will include photos from said bike ride and highlight the beauty of this city.

So why did I start this? Thanks to the major construction work on both the metro line and train line that are closest to our apartment this summer, it has been a major pain getting around the city. In July, I decided to ditch my monthly metro pass and instead sign up for a year-long Vélib´ pass. Best decision ever! Not only is the cost of the yearlong Velib pass less than one month of my metro pass, but I found it made me more active and gave me a greater appreciation of the city. I actually understand how the city is connected now, instead of coming up from the metro and mindlessly relying on my little blue dot on my iPhone to tell me where I need to go.

Then August hit, also known as the mass exodus of locals from Paris for les vacances. Literally, most everything in closed. These are just a handful of the signs from one block. So, I had an idea...why not bike just for fun?

And how glorious it was--staying away from the tourist areas {which, of course, are teeming with tourists at this time of year} meant I had streets to myself. No people, very few cars, perfect for aimlessly biking through streets. This ride was through the area not too far from my apartment, where the 7th meets the 15th, southeast of the Eiffel Tower.

Even found a new little hidden park!

Now August is close to over and people are trickling back into town. By next week, la rentrée will be complete, and things will be back to normal. My goal, though, is to continue my weekly rides as long as the weather permits. So stay tuned! :)