Car Free, Skirt Free and Exhausted!

For the remainder of September, we are staying on Cape Cod - and this year's experience is both a joy and a challenge, since we are getting around exclusively on our bicycles.



We are staying on the edge of Provincetown, about 2 miles from the town center. Two scenic, but hilly miles. The town bordering Provincetown is Truro - which is not really a town at all, but a long stretch of dunes, salt water marshes and beach-front properties. The next closest thing to an actual town is Wellfleet - and that's 15 miles away. Fifteen very hilly miles.



Needless to say, I am pleased with the bicycle I ultimately chose to take to the Cape: "Graham Greene," my Rivendell Sam Hillborne. Though not optimal for cruising through the center of Provincetown itself, it is indispensable for pretty much any other kind of cycling we do here - from transportational cycling to any destination on the Outer Cape (as the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula is known), to the series of long rides we have plannedin our free time. I remembered this area being hilly from the time we stayed here with our bikes last summer, but I convinced myself that I was exaggerating. But now it is clear that my memory had not been exaggerating at all: It is darn hilly here; hilly with a capital "H"!



Although last summer we rode our bicycles on the Cape frequently, they were not our exclusive means of transportation: we simply weren't in good enough shape to handle it. However, this summer it is bikes only - and even now our physical abilities are being challenged.



Every morning begins with our cycling into Provincetown for breakfast, work, and various errands.



Our bicycle bags are packed with everything we might need for the day, including camera equipment (thanks to the Zimbale camera insert I recently received - and stuffed perversely into my Carradice saddlebag) and several changes of clothing to accommodate changing weather conditions and different activities. After that, we go about our day, cycling from one place to another and covering at least 15-20 miles purely as back-and-forth transportation. 15-20 very hilly miles, in case I failed to mention that!



On several occasions, we have had the opportunity to take long rides: We have gone on two 30 mile rides and one 60 mile ride so far (more on that later!). The goal is to do a century (100 mile ride) during our stay here.



For me, the weirdest aspect of riding a roadbike exclusively, is my resulting skirt-free wardrobe. But for a few weeks, I can live with it. Ultimately, my stay here will serve as a test of how well I can manage in a rural, hilly, isolated environment... with only my bike to rely on. While for some, a remote oceanfront location is associated with "Vacation", for me it is associated with "Home" and I miss it terribly. I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope with living in the city, even an interesting one like Boston. Something has to change - including my own endurance, if I am serious about living someplace like here andI want to continue cycling. I won't deny that I am utterly exhausted from the time I've spent here on my bike. But I am also excited by the mere fact that I have been able to do it so far. Wish me luck!



Amusingly, though there is no overhead light at our place, there is internet reception.Lovely Bicycle will continue as always, scribbled by candle light.

Shipwreck

This is what is left of the Peter Iredale that ran aground October 25, 1906. I had seen it before in .. but there was more of it showing this time. About all that is left is the metal parts of the ship and just a few of the pieces of wood under the top part where they are a little bit more protected. It is one of the few shipwrecks that people are alowed to right up to and explore around it and as you can see in the photo even on it. There were some young men who climbed up on top and sat there while we took photos. They were having a great time and I envied them their ability to get up there.

Second Life: on Cycling and Aging

Reading On My Own Two Wheels by Malachi O'Doherty*, I am transported from the North Shore of Massachusetts back to the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, where I spent some weeks on my bike this past Spring. The Belfast-based author describes many of the same roads I traveled on - the same challenging hills, treacherous weather and glorious scenery - making me long to return there even more than I do already.




But the main theme of the book - whose subtitle is Back in the Saddle at 60 - is that of the author's return to cycling after an absence of three decades, and of the relationship between cycling and aging. Overweight and diagnosed with diabetes at 60, Malachi O'Doherty turned to what had been a favourite pastime of his youth in attempts to regain his health and energy. What follows is a complex and engaging personal account that is part memoir, and part commentary on what it is like to ride again as a changed man in a changed world. It is no longer the 1980s and the author is no longer in his 30s. Confronted with a new breed of bicycles, high-traffic roads, newfangled cycling infrastructure, and a society where cycling is far from a normative behaviour, the author finds himself in a state that is a mixture of wonderment, disappointment, frustration, and delight.




On My Own Two Wheels is a personal narrative. It makes no generalisations, gives no advice, offers up no lessons to the reader. But I suspect the experiences described will be widely relatable. I would estimate that as many as a quarter of this blog's readers are middle aged men and women who had cycled in their youth and have recently gotten back into it, or are attempting to do so. I have met many such cyclists riding for transportation in Boston, and more recently at randonneuring and club ride events. I recall reading that the average age of a Paris-Brest-Paris participant is in their 50s.




There are some specifics in Malachi O'Doherty's story that I find intriguing. One is the way he faces changes that have taken place in the bicycle industry during his time off the bike. Of those who return to riding after decades of absence, many gravitate toward the type of bike that had been popular in their youth - seeking out vintage or classic machines, even taking pains to refurbish them with period-correct components. Some want to ride an exact replica of the bicycle they raced or toured on in their 20s or 30s. Others purchase the kind of bike they had dreamed of, but could never afford back in the day. But the author falls into the category that prefers a clean start and turns to contemporary industry standards. He went to a bike shop, asked for advice, and purchased a modern touring bike - fitted with brifters and clipless pedals in leu of the downtube shifters and toe clips he had used three decades earlier. The new aluminium bike is a size smaller than the steel bike of his youth. It handles differently. Far from feeling at home on the alien machine, O'Doherty nonetheless accepts the new technology and the challenges it presents. I get the sense that for him this is part of the deal: As fondly and nostalgically as he recalls the spirited rides and long touring trips of his 30s, reliving the past is not what he is after; he intends to start a new chapter.




Another choice the author makes early on is to stay away from the racing and club cycling cultures - or any particular bicycle culture, for that matter. He describes his preferred riding style as "tootling," or simply wandering around by bike. And yet, he notices contradictions in himself - competitive impulses and cravings for speed that seem to come out of nowhere and undermine (or enhance? it's not always clear) his experience of the two-wheeled journey. He relates these paradoxes in cycling to paradoxes in life. Perhaps cycling offers a means of understanding himself better.




At the time of writing this post I am 33 years old. What draws a person to the bicycle at the age of 50, 60, 70 and beyond I can only speculate. Some are motivated by health and fitness-related concerns. Others take it up as a hobby after retirement. For others still it seems to be a matter of nostalgia. But regardless of the motive, a not uncommon result is that cycling becomes more than just an interest, but a way of life. A "second life," as one local cyclist in his 70s put it, throwing a slender muscular leg over the top tube of his racing bike and giving me a meaningful wink: "I am in better shape now than I was thirty years ago and my mind is sharper." I believe him. Riding with some exceptionally strong cyclists in their 60s and 70s has made me look forward to that age in a way I hadn't done before. I'd like to be like them when I grow up.




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*Malachi O'Doherty is an online acquaintance, and I am a great fan of his political books and commentary. A reviewer's copy of On My Own Two Wheels was sent to me by the publisher.

Autumn Rolls In...

Autumn started last week with a heat wave. High freezing levels and cloudless skies brought the temps up and the climbers out. Plenty of guided parties and independent climbers summitted last week. As the snow continues to melt, interesting objects around the mountain have been appearing. Climbing Ranger Cliff came upon some old aviation wreckage on his patrol last week.

The conditions are still okay for late September. Approaches to the standard routes (Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons/Winthrop) are icy and have crevasses, but are definitely passable. Wintry weather can change climbing conditions quickly. The National Weather Service forecast read "The first storm of Autumn will begin to affect the region late Monday with cool and damp weather lingering through most of the week." Hopefully a week of stormy weather will bring decent skiing conditions.

Sunday, September 27th is the last day the Climbing Information Center will be open for the season. Self-Registration in Paradise will be open through the winter.

Paths Almost Crossed

Ruffed Grouse and hiker on a backwoods road in Northeast Minnesota.

An evening at Luden and some dose of Gooische Vrouwen

Last week, like the rest of the Dutch women in the Netherlands, I went to watch the ‘Gooische Vrouwen’ movie with Blondine, but before I delve into my quick film review, I’d like to talk about a restaurant I have discovered that night: Restaurant & Brasserie LUDEN (this restaurant badly needs their website upgraded, seriously)

I was really impressed with the grandiose interior and ambiance of this restaurant—CHIC. Where have I been? Why have I only seen this now? The place was lovely, elegant and stately. Vintage as well which really brings the character out of this restaurant. And oh, I had to be careful with my hair getting on fire from those tall candles as they were about my height. And in eating places like this, you do not have to complain about the elusive customer service in the Netherlands.

The unspoken rule of tipping in this country (based from what I understand how the locals handle this): Tip if you must, but most people here just round it off, so that is usually about 5% to 7%. Now, for those outside of Europe, you might want to know that service people in this continent have normal salaries and benefits, and tips are just additional income on the side.

At home the Dutchman is eating dinner that I especially made for him the night before. I hate it when he is feeding on some frozen pizza or microwavable lasagne from Albert Heijn so I make sure I fix him something (contrary to my rat race status, I could/should be a perfect housewife) while I go out and eat in... Luden, haha!

Blondine and I shared the starter: Warm goat’s cheese with bacon and a soft honey flower sauce with walnuts and greens. 4 stars out of 5. We are not dieting per se but our stomachs can only handle so much.

Then we both ordered the same thing for our main course: Grilled albacore tuna steak with dill – wine sauce under a bed of pasta, and a glass of white wine (think it was French from Languedoc, can’t remember anymore) to go with our dinner. 5 stars out of 5!

No more space in our tummies for dessert (not that I was looking forward to it, nope) except for coffee. I love food but not too much. So I had double espresso while Blondine had cappuccino.

Luden is located in Janskerkhof, Utrecht. I am coming back here, with the Dutchman.

Now for the ‘Gooische Vrouwen’ movie, don’t be misled with the poster design and layout. Looks like a copycat of Sex & the City and the Beatle’s Abbey Road right?

Firstly, the storyline is not even close to the Sex & the City except for the fact that the 4 leading girl characters love to shop. I think Gooische Vrouwen is a chaotic mix of the story line of Desperate Housewives (they were desperate housewives indeed with very interesting issues, lol), Sex & the City (the shopping, the fashion and the girly bond and get-togethers) and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (living up to the statuses and riches).

‘Het Gooi’ is like the Beverly Hills of the Netherlands, that’s why it’s called Gooische Vrouwen (Women from Het Gooi), and Gooische Vrouwen is actually a successful TV series in the Netherlands (and televised in Belgium and Germany as well) that ran between 2005 and .

Secondly, that isn’t Abbey Road but some random street in Paris. In the movie (after each had one setback after another), they all went to France to find themselves aka Eat, Pray, Love thingy but ended up shopping in Paris instead, lol. SIGH, I need to get my bum to Paris as well, soon!

I won’t bore you with long stories or more reviews about this movie but all in all, it was light and nice. Shallow yes, yet very funny, it kept me laughing until the end. And I have to admit that they did exaggerate many scenes in there but I guess that is part of the whole story line for these types of light comedy girly flicks. Go watch it if you are in the Netherlands and if you can understand Dutch. It’s gonna make you laugh and make you want to go back home to cuddle your man =)

Visit Period: March
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Let’s go for a ride with OVI…

To gorgeous Granada!!! So we’ve just collected our rental car that was special delivered to us at our hotel, and now we are on the road! I was actually getting worried when all the rent-a-car shops we’ve visited didn’t have a car available for us until we hit our luck. August is a terrible month to rent cars because most cars are taken, its high season obviously and the agency we’ve hit our luck with says he blames it on the Italians.

On the road, we see for the first time the exquisite countryside views of Andalusia. It reminds me of Crete, Greece for its rolling valleys of olive tree plantations and white-washed villages and Nevada, USA as well for the dessert-like expanse and the rock mountains.


Now, to help us get to our destination (Granada) in time we have my trusted ‘Free’ OVI Maps on my Nokia Mini N97 mobile phone. No need to buy or rent a GPS with the car when traveling, it’s on my Nokia phone! I can drive or walk to my set destination, there is a canned version of Lonely Planet and Michelin, as well as handy apps like weather and events. I am not a gadget geek so I have yet to really tinker around on these functionalities; so far I mainly use the ‘drive to destination’ thing.

So my OVI review:

(1) I used Route66 with my defunct Nokia Navigator phone so I had to get used to with the OVI Maps layout.
(2) Very easy to set a destination if going to a place. No need for a ‘specific’ address like in Route66, I just write—Granada and the GPS automatically picks it up leading me to the core center of the city.
(3) Sometimes the voice and map timing is delayed (maybe 5-10 seconds) with the actual driving position. It’s annoying when you are in an intersection and you don’t know if you should turn right, left or go straight!
(4) I love it when the GPS announces that I am driving above speed limit and especially when it’s warning me of a traffic camera ahead!
(5) GPS loses satellite connection if driving on a street flanked with buildings (at least 8-storey and up buildings) on both sides. A problem in the cities with tall buildings side by side.

OK, we’ve just arrived in Granada, the city known for its hip nightlife and the infamous Alhambra, and now looking for parking. See you on next entry.