A fairly pleasant cycle ride in the park, though I had to resort to a bit of Googling for 26D & the landmark was not in the format I expected when I read the preamble.
Nice to be able to freewheel after all that digging about last week. Quelle domage that the preamble was so explicit (for a change !) - after entering 23 Down/27 Across it was possible to fill the 'last' 3 letters of 4 Down before even looking at the clue !
Spoke too soon .. saddle-ly this one did not quite ring my bell.
As Mysterons said, an almost over explicit preamble rendering the final outcome guessable very early on, coupled with a number of not-too-testing clues.
Never mind, leaves plenty of time for a sunny weekend in the garden.
Agree with the consensus - finished in about an hour, apart from 21a. I have been out and about with Mrs bobbycollins all day with the clue in my head. The penny dropped mid-afternoon over a beer at the front in sunny (yippee) Cleveleys Not the first time that this definition has held me up!
Plenty of time now for Spectator, EV and Mephisto....bring 'em on.
I agree that it was a very easy puzzle apart from a handful of devious clues, such as the one referred to by bobbycollins. Enjoyable nevertheless, but I was slightly disappointed at the absence of any other French localities en route. All I can see are a French d�partment , a French valley and a French moor, and they may be accidental. Any others?
agree with all the above - prob one of the fastest solves (approx 1 hour) and i guessed the landmark and how it was to be represented before starting. (21ac was my last one too!)
This map should help with directions - you should go South of Quai Branly, but North of Avenue de La Motte-Picquet, West of Avenue de La Bourdonnais but East of Avenue de Suffren - if you get lost, ask a gendarme.