Sue and I arrived in Italy knowing only four people. We left 6 days later with over 100 new friends. Viva Italia
Upcoming Ride. Cape Cod Canal. Both Sides Both Bridges. Sunday Sept. 20th
Meet Sunday Sept. 20 at 8:15 for an 8:30 start at the Buzzard Bay Parking lot adjacent to the RR Bridge.
Don’t miss this one. It’s a favorite of mine and a very cool ride. Be sure to bring your camera.
Directions:
Set your GPS to 61 Main St. Buzzards Bay.
We will cross both bridges and ride both sides of the canal, visiting Mashnee Island, the Sandwich Power Plant. Scussett Beach and the railroad bridge like you have never seen it. There are “secret” access points to both the Bourne and Sagamore bridges giving access to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. It’s safe and fun to cross these bridges.
Meet Saturday Sept. 12 at 8:15 for an 8:30 start. This is a very easy 25 mile flat ride with a couple of stops for photos.
Click Here for everything you need to know about this ride. Directions, photos, etc.
New Bedford, MA
I took a ride into the city across the river. It’s one I do often and no matter how many times I do the same route, I find something different. I stopped for ice cream at the business I owned back in the mid 80s. Stopped and talked with the locked out United Steel Workers at their plant. Rode the elevated bike way along Buzzards Bay, and looked around the originals Berkshire Hathaway complex that once employed twelve thousand textile workers. The complex is gradually being demolished saving as much of the valuable brick and lumber as possible, for resale.
As always,click any photo for big. Click again for bigger Hit back button to return to post
The Bikes of Iceland
While in Iceland recently visiting local shops in Reykjavik, I noticed all the bikes passing by. I decided to hang out in the street with my phone camera and began taking candid shots. I’m always on the lookout for people on bikes and Reykjavik at the end of the work day was a golden time for bike watching.
As always, click any photo for big. Click again for bigger. Hit your back button to return to the page.
Europe
We are winding down our European vacation with a day at The Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Our trip began with the wedding of a young couple who spend a few months with us while they made seaworthy a derelict 29 foot sail boat they purchased. As destinations weddings tend to go, this was a week long affair in the Italian Alps. What made this so wonderful is that it is not a destination for Americans and we were able to immerse ourselves into the Italian culture.
Some on the Italian side spoke a little English but the American’s Italian was even more limited. By the end of the week however, both sides, were able to communicate with a mix of spoken and sign languages just fine.
Cialvrina Village made everyone feel welcome and made the week truly special for the over 100 wedding guests. We took over the whole hotel and the staff soon became not only our host but part of the wedding. For instance, on our last night at the bar, the bartenders were mingling onto the dance floor and partying like it was 1999 with us. Fortunately for us Yanks, the dress was casual because trying to out dress the Italians was futile.
We had a very busy time in Italy including a hike to the glacier in the Italian Alps. A bike tour of Milan, and a train ride from Milan to St Moritz through the Swiss Alps
Sue and I are ending our trip in Iceland by driving the Golden Circle and visiting the Blue Lagoon. I spent the last afternoon in Reykjavik taking random photos of people on bikes. It’s very hip to ride in work clothes using the streets that are only open to pedestrians and bikes.
Traveling
Played a lot of tennis this week which put a damper on the bike miles. There is some business to attend to in the Italian Alps next week, and some bike riding to do in Milan. A few days in Reykjavik will round out the next couple of weeks.
How times have changed for travelers. The bulk of my items for this trip are technology stuff. Camera’s, laptops, outlet adapters, power cords. Speaking of which, what ever happened to ISO 9000 standards? Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our power needed devises could us the same cords?
Rides, Rides, Rides Dress Like Your in Amsterdam
Thursday – August 13, 2015
Mike Klek’s Thursday evening bike ride. Mike Klek, a member of the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen, will be leading a bike ride through the local area. It starts at Bristol Community College and then heads north into toward Freetown. Mike has marked the ride by placing “Green Arrows” on the road along the route. This is how the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen mark their rides and it is easy to follow. This ride is for experienced cyclist since it will be all on-road. Riders will have a choice between a 20 mile route and a 27 mile route. Here are the details:
Meet-up for the ride is 5:45pm, with a 6:00pm start. Riders are to park their vehicles at Bristol Community College, the northern parking lot that is at the corner of Elsbree Street and Valentine Street. Since this ride starts at 6:00pm riders need to make sure that their bike are equipped with headlights and flashing lights for visibility and to be seen. Helmets are mandatory for this ride. Make sure to have water and a snack.
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This one looks to be a humdinger.
On August 15th, join us for a celebration of the new bike path section in Coventry, RI, known as the Trestle Trail. It is a part of the Washington Secondary Trail, and was completed in 2014. In addition to celebrating the opening of the trail, we will honor the memory of Guy Lefebvre, longtime trail advocate from Coventry parks and recreation, without whom this trail segment would not have been possible.
Schedule for the event is as follows:
9:30 – Providence bike train departs from Providence City Hall
10:00 – Bike train departs from Washington Secondary @ Garfield Street in Cranston
10:40 – Bike train departs from Washington Secondary @ Sue Street
12:00 – Celebration at Washington Secondary @ Log Bridge Rd, Coventry (at the end of the trail, by Summit General Store) with words from the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, state agencies, and Town of Coventry representatives.
12:45 – Enjoy lunch at the General Store
1:30 – Providence bike train departure
Weelmen Have a Really Good Ride This Sunday.
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The Miles Add Up Very Fast. (3307 Miles On The Bike)
I do group rides once or twice a week. They range from 25-40 miles and they are OK. Every day, including those weekend rides, I am on my bike pretty much all day. To the market, to the park, into the city, evening rides to the coffee shop. It’s very seldom less than 25 miles a day and those miles add up very quickly. Much quicker than I though.
Every once in a while I take my speed-o-meter mileage off my “commuter bike” and add them to my log. I don’t do this daily so my miles on one day may read a hundred miles or more. This is an accumulation of many days. I reset the gadget to zero, ride a few days and repeat. On the club rides, I’ll use my Garmin, which automatically posts that ride’s miles. Today I looked at the total and was shocked to see the number 3307. Three thousand three hundred and seven miles. That seems like a lot until I look at the miles on my car. In June, I had the oil changed and the miles are prominently displayed on the little sticker on the wind shield. A look at my odometer tells me that I have driven my car 183 miles since June 17th. Ironically, almost all of those miles are riding to the start of a group bike ride. Go figure.
Nice Day For A White Reception.
As always, click any photo for big. Click again for bigger
The evening was a fundraiser for the Fairhaven, MA Historical Society. Our friend bought a table and each table provided it’s own pot luck dinner. A beautiful evening for and outdoor dinner, at sunset, under the steeple of the Unitarian Church, where everyone was asked to wear white. 
A Midnight Rider 