Post-retirement, French pedals his way through India

CHANDIGARH: Unlike the case with many of his contemporaries, his retirement didn���t see him with a wooden stick in his hand and a peaceful and relaxed time to spend the rest of his life. This 61-year-old French national didn?t choose to put his feet up but he travelled a 5,000-kilometre stretch of India, all on a bicycle.
A retired engineer of a private telecommunication company in France, Gerard Porcheret is out on an expedition to explore different parts of India.���Indian culture has always fascinated me and now that I have a chance to explore it, I want to do it my way,��� said Gerard, talking about his choice of a bicycle for the ride.
Though understanding perils of the rough weather was a little tough for him, he didn���t give up, whether it came to snow-covered lanes of Manali or shifting sand-dunes of Jaisalmer. Gerard started his expedition from Delhi on April 12, 2009 and has covered 12 cities so far, including Amritsar, Leh, Srinagar and Jammu.
Admitting that the withered roads of most of the cities gave him a tough time, he said, ���The potholes and chapped surfaces at most of the places made the journey extremely difficult, but to overcome the hurdles is what we call sportsman spirit.���
���I rather want to explore the whole world on my bicycle,��� added the bicycling enthusiast. He confessed that being in India, for him, is a divine experience. Hooked to the spirit of exploration, the aficionado cherishes every moment he has spent in the country. ���India is a land of variations in terms of culture, tradition and cuisine, but one thing I found common here is the feeling of - atithi devo bhava- (guest is God) in every city I have been to,��� he said.
Meeting and spending time with the locals is his intent.
Besides, relishing Indian cuisine has been his favourite pastime. ���I have fallen in love with mouth-watering dishes of the country and especially those of Punjab. I relished having chicken curry and malai kofta,��� he said.
Gerard is restlessly waiting to take a dip in the Ganges, with his next destination being Rishikesh, from where he will return to Delhi. Talking about India���s presence on the global platform, he said, ���With the advancing technology and rise in the development rate, India is fast being visualized as one of the favourite destinations of tourists. A mix of ethnic and modern values adds to the appeal.���