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A Row Through Paris: La Traversée de Paris en Aviron
It was a cool, clear September morning as over a thousand rowers slipped their rowing sculls into the Seine on the edge of Paris. The full moon reflected off the water as the rowers took their seats in the boats and waited patiently in the darkness. At exactly 7:00 AM, the horn sounded and the oars of 220 sculls began to churn the water. Overhead, on the Pont de Sèvres, fireworks heralded the start of our 28 kilometre journey, la Traversée de Paris et des Hauts-de-Seine, a row through Paris. The Crew Convenes My Toronto crew and I had begun our tour experience the day before, convening at le MiniPalais…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Haybes & Givet
My fourth day on the water of this epic European rowing tour once again dawned hot, sunny and bright. This time in the town of Haybes. And we made our way to the boats, my fellow rowers and I took in some of the local beauty. Architectural Charms Again we found an array of architectural styles and eras nestled among the rocky hills of the Ardennes region of France. This charming village had a variety of treats tucked away for us, from lovely streets winding uphill, to little book boxes tucked away on a window sill. And all topped off with a romantic floral arrangement at a front entrance. Valley…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Charleville-Mézières & Deville
My first leg of this rowing tour of the Meuse river was no picnic. It had been more than three weeks since I had last been in a scull. On top of that, it was a hot, sunny day with temperatures in the low thirties. Add to that the fact that we were basically rowing a marathon or so a day and this was my first time rowing more than 12 kilometres at a time. Overcoming Adversity Needless to say, I struggled. Which, unfortunately, negatively impacted my rowing mates. By late in the day, my hands were slipping from perspiration. And my thigh muscles were tightening up so that it…
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A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Sedan
I’ve never been big on making New Year’s resolutions. However, early in 2018, I did set a huge goal for myself. Actually, the seed for this objective had been planted the previous September when I came across an exciting Facebook post. It was for La Traversée de Paris, a one-day rowing excursion through the City of Light! Imagine rowing past such iconic monuments as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Rowing the Meuse I’ve been a recreational rower for about ten years and the prospect of such an excursion excited me immensely. So I shared it with a few of my rowing mates and then with our coach. Being of…
