6.7.2011 Ride: When life Gives You Faulty Systems...

Here is the picture from The Royal hall of Justice that I couldn't get uploaded yesterday.

The sun was (is) shining through partly scattered clouds and there was a modest cool breeze.  On such a morning, surely the system would be happy and all would be right with the world.  But THE SYSTEM did not get the message.  As I strolled toward the bike shop to inquire about a bike for hire (when in London talk, like the Londoners), I passed another bike station and tried again.  Strike two.  A resident with a quick pass also had no luck.  The bike shop did not hire out bikes but he gave instructions to a place he thought did.  I passed another bike station.  Strike three.  On to The London Bicycle Tour Company located by The Thames.  At first, I thought that I would just rent a bike for an hour to get in my daily ride.  But, as I thought about it further, I did not need to have the continued hassle over whether the bike station would work, especially on Thursday when I plan to do a very early ride before heading to Paris.  Or, given that I was up to 2:00 AM last night, a midnight ride.  So, a two day rental it was.

I had a great exchange with Josie, who helped with the hiring of the bike at London Bicycles. 

Okay.  I'm back.  Everything above was written in the late morning as I waited for Carol to get back so that we could go out and about.  I have lots of pictures, it's already 10:15PM and I don't want to be up till midnight working on this, so, I'm going to rush through the remaining text.

After I got the bike, I rode along the walkway along the Thames for a bit and all felt right with the world on my new rental.  A big load was taken off my shoulder not having to worry if the bike stations would work or not.  In a tunnel, I came across an accordion player whose music was actually agreeable to me as I'm not usually a fan of the accordion.

And, here is my obligatory picture of Big Ben and The Parliament Building which was rather striking from my view along the Thames.

I was only able to get in about half of my ride before I had to get back to the hotel to meet up with Carol.  But with the sun setting at 9:00, that gave me plenty of time.  On the agenda today was St Paul's Cathedral and The Tower of London.  St. Paul's was indeed impressive and I liked it much more than Westminster Abbey.  Though, what I liked the best was the climb to the top of the dome which was 87 meters or about 270 feet high.  Once at the top, we walked on a small concrete catwalk of sorts around the top dome.  I have a fear of heights and I was nervous at first but before I knew it, the fears melted away and I was having a great time up there taking pictures.

I liked the building above that reminded me of a Faberge Egg.

I wondered if this was an old plaza that eventually became surrounded by modern buildings.

The Eye and Waterloo & Westminster Bridges on The Thames

I liked the looks of this building which reminded me of Cubism painting.

Millennium Bridge

Kylie was trying to take a picture of herself with The Thames in the background so I offered to take one for her with her camera.  We continued talking and I found out she was from New Zealand, via a 2 months trek through the U.S. which she enjoyed immensely.  I asked her to pose again for me.

It was with much regret that I descended back down.  I felt as if the most spiritual part of the building was there at the very top.  But, down I went.

We then made our way over to The Tower of London. Along the way we passed a monument by Christopher Wren in commemoration of the 1666 fire that burned down virtually all of London.

 

We arrived at The Tower with only an hour before they closed.  I found the sign by the ticket window a bit amusing.

I wondered if I could have asked for my voluntary deduction to be removed from the ticket price.

While seeing the Crown Jewels was interesting as was the old structures, all-in-all the visit there was disappointing as it seemed very touristy.

We finally arrived back at the hotel and I was exhausted, almost falling asleep when I lied down for a moment. Since the traffic was still so heavy, Carol had the great idea that we go eat dinner before I squeezed in the remainder of my ride.  It was an excellent suggestion as by the time I was on the road around 8:30ish, the traffic was much lighter and it was very enjoyable pedaling around.  Here was yet another time, where I was amazed how invigorated I felt being on the bike even though 30 minutes before I felt so wiped out.  It was a great ride.

The elevators in the hotel are glass and look down on the dining area.  I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Today's Ride:  65mins.  8 miles.  60 degrees.  Miles YTD: 3,473.69

6.6.2011 Ride: Systems That Try a Man’s Soul

If we can get a man to the moon…

Crazy... or devoted & determined…or both...you choose.  

It was with great hope and anxiousness that I ventured out this morning looking for a bike station.  Would my card be accepted or would I have to wander the streets of London seeking a bike station that would take my credit card?  I found a station nearby, gingerly put in the card, slipped it out and…Viola!  a code to get a bike was quickly provided.  This seemed promising and I had visions of riding all over London today.  My first stop was Westminster Abbey, followed by The National Gallery.  

The ride started down a very quiet business street with lots of small shops.  It quickly fed on to a much busier street and I headed for a bridge which would take me over the Thames and then the Abbey.  However, when I got to the other side, and wound my way looking for familiar streets, I found myself on Charing Cross, which meant that I had taken the wrong bridge.  That was okay.  First stop, after eating, would now be The National Gallery.

Small Road in Charing Cross

I have a tradition when I’m on bike trips to stop at small post offices that I pass and send Rachel a post card.  Passing a post office in Charing Cross, I thought to do that on this trip.  Going in was quite an experience.  Taking a number, I waited until an automated voice (activated by one of the 13 clerks) instructed “Ticket holder 104, please proceed to station N.”  The process was very efficient but humorously eerie as if we were robots waiting to be processed at the stations.  I will say that my clerk was very friendly.

At lunch, I sat at a small window counter looking out on the street as I ate and eventually, I became aware of a curious optical illusion.

This appears to be a typical street scene photographed out the window.  But, the woman walking in the white coat is actually walking in the opposite direction.  Right of the red post is a mirror and not a window so it is reflecting what is happening to the left of where I am sitting.  It wasn't until several minutes passed that I realized what was happening, thinking that the mirror was actually a window. That white cup on the counter is my lunch sitting in front of me.

A smaller part of The National Gallery is The National Portrait Gallery.  I went in, not expecting to spend too much time.  But, it turned out to be quite an exhilarating experience as I marveled at the intricate art work involved in creating some of the portraits.  Photographs were not allowed but I had to take at least one for the blog.

This painting, acrylic on linen, is about 9 feet long and 6 feet tall.  There was another one of a queen from the 1700s who was wearing a black dress with incredibly detailed lace work.  Even looking at it a few inches away it appeared to be a photograph of a real dress.  I wanted desperately to photograph that one as well but I didn't want to push my luck.

After a quick visit to The National Gallery to visit the Impressionists, I headed for the closest bike station, ready to slip my card in and be provided once again with an access code.  It was not to be.  Leaving that bike station I walked to another one where two guys were also having bad luck.  They were on the phone with the help line and it turned out something was wrong with the system.  So much for the grand plans of riding all over London.

Making my way towards Westminster Abbey on foot, I was in need of directions so I asked a gentleman who was waiting next to me for the light to change.  He happened to be going in the same direction I needed to go so we walked and talked.  He turned out to have an interesting background as a British diplomat but he seemed reluctant to expand on his position; I believe more out of humbleness than because he had something to hide. His name was Hooky Walker and here is a bit of info that I garnered after Googling him:

From 1956 to 1992 he was a career diplomat, serving as British Ambassador to Bahrain (1979-81), the United Arab Emirates (1981-86), Ethiopia (1986-1989) and Iraq (1990-91).  Since retiring in 1992 he worked almost entirely in the voluntary sector having been President of CARE International from 1997 to 2001.  From 2001 to 2008 he was Chairman of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.  Interesting who one might run into.

 On to Westminster Abbey.

The building is indeed impressive as are many of the old structural sights.  To think that this was built back in the 1300s is really extraordinary.  Though, I wanted to try and focus on details.  Walking to the main entrance, I passed this small side door which captured my attention as much as the grand tall towers.

Relief from left side of door.

Maybe it was because I was getting tired, maybe I was frustrated because of the bike situation, maybe it was the crowds but once inside the Abbey, I wanted to leave.  The ceilings were amazing with their arches though the rest left me empty.  "What about all that history?" David asked me when I got back.  Well, there is that though there is something about grandeur and opulence that just doesn't sit well with me. So, I made a tour and left, looking once again for a bike station to complete my daily ride.

Thankfully, the system was working again and I was glad to be back on wheels.  I headed for Hyde Park, a trek that was further than I anticipated. Once there, I had to dock the bike so that I wouldn't be charged and then get another one, which meant acquiring a new access code.  I was hesitant to do so but I had hoped the system was permanently back on track.  However, when I swiped the card, the results were negative.  I was too far from our hotel to walk back so I caught a train and made my way to a bike station nearby.  I only had about 10 minutes left to fulfill my ride for that day and the perfectionist in me would not let it go at 50 minutes.  Fortunately, the station worked and off I went for another 12 minutes.

I tried to stay on quiet streets as I had enough of competing with the traffic.  Though, I must say, one hasn't biked until one has had a double-decker bus riding on one's back fender down a London avenue.   I wish I could have taken a picture of that.

Walking back to the hotel, I tried to capture The Eye in a somewhat different perspective. I like the feel of it being a giant spoked-wheel that has broken free and is rolling through the streets of London

Attendees of the conference were treated to dinner at the Royal Hall of Justice.  I captured this picture in one of the hallways.
(Well, it seems as if the server just does want to upload this last picture. I will try again tomorrow.)

And...I noticed a bike shop not far from here. If I encounter problems again tomorrow, I will see if they rent bikes

Today's Ride: 62 minutes. 8 miles. 59-65 degrees. Miles YTD: 3,465.69

6.5.2011 Ride: London, Day 1

Waking up to the first morning in London.  All went smoothly on the flight over and I was successful in getting in a bike ride yesterday after I arrived.  More on that in a moment.

Back tracking to the beginning of the trip.  The first leg of my flight was to Detroit.  Our flight seemed representative of just how depressed that city is as there were only five people on the plane. I assumed that that had to be an anomaly or else the airline would quickly cancel Detroit as a destination from the Fayetteville area.  However, flying into the city, even from the air, there was a vacant quality to the metro area of Detroit as car traffic appeared very light.  Landing, there were plenty of planes parked at the gates but I was struck by how quiet it was inside the terminal.  When I found the Departure monitors to check on my flight to London, I did several takes in disbelief of what I saw, or didn't see...

On 10 monitors, only 5 flight departures listed.

Escalators in Detroit airport

London was certainly a different story.  Fortunately, coming in on a Sunday, the traffic was relatively light and taking the Underground from the airport to Downtown with a suitcase in tow was not a problem.  On the train, I struck up a conversation with a woman who was traveling with her family.  She was living in Ohio but was born in DeQueen, Arkansas.  Who would've thought.

Arriving in a new city for the first time was fun but, of course, I was eager to get on a bike not only to get my daily ride in but to experience London by bike.  I met up with Carol and David at the hotel with plans to meet the mother of one of Carol's students for dinner later in the day.  In between, they would walk around Kensington and Hyde Park while I bike rode.

There had been some very light sprinkles all day but nothing much to worry about.  However, when we caught a taxi, it was raining harder.  The cab driver dropped me off at a bike station near Hyde Park while he took Carol and David further on.  I was somewhat familiar with how the bike stations worked from when I used them in Montreal.  This was good and bad as it took us over an hour in Montreal to navigate their system.  I was hoping I would not have a repeat situation of that here in London and I looked online beforehand to try and become as familiar with it as I could.  Alas, easy access was not to be.  The trouble seemed to be in the units being able to read my credit card.  I tried for 40 minutes, in the rain, to get the system to work, running my card over and over, walking from one station to another in the hopes of finding a unit that liked my card.  I would have success in bits and pieces.  First getting accepted by the system but then failing to be read to get an access code for a bike.  With time running out, I started walking towards where we were to meet for dinner resigned to the fact of needing to ride much later that evening.  On the way, I passed another bike station and tried again. Success!

A casual ride through Hyde Park was appealing but time was running out and I needed to meet up with the others for dinner.  So, this was Baptism by fire as I took to the busy avenue in the rain on, what was for me, the wrong side on the street.  Riding on an opposite side of road is not difficult in itself but it's watching out for the cars turning that creates the challenge as cars seem to be coming out of the oddest places.  While I'm juggling that, I'm also trying to find the road of our host in a city that does not have well marked street signs.  And, it keeps raining harder. 

Fortunately, I recognize a street that has a bike station that I had planned to park the bike but, for the life of me, I can't find the street I'm looking for...Adam and Eve something.  I circle around the block a couple of times trying to locate it and ask a couple of people.  The man from New Zealand was, of course, no help but even a local who was familiar with the streets around there never heard of Adam and Eve Street.  "Is that a bar?' he asked.  Sounds like a good name for a bar, I thought.

Back on to Kensington and I stared at Argyle St., where I planned to leave the bike.  I turned around and spotted a very narrow alley.  Hopping on the sidewalk, I walked closer and there, posted on the brick wall of a building, Adam and Eve Mew.  Riding down, I spotted two familiar backsides, Carol and David.

On Adam and Eve Mew, off of a very busy Kensington Rd.

We found the residence but no one was home and no lights were on.  While Carol and David tried to figure out what was going on, I continued riding.  Back on Kensington and off and on side roads that were much quieter.  Sometimes it was hard to tell if I was headed down a one-way street, especially since all the cars were parked in the same direction.  But, I quickly discovered that the direction of the parked cars had little bearing on whether the street was one-way or not. this landed me in trouble one time as I turned down a street to three lanes of cars all headed in my direction.  That was a one-way street!

Two way side street.

 By the time I found myself back on Kensington with full traffic, I felt like a veteran of big city riding.  

 

I was able to squeeze in a full hour hour of riding before needing to head back.  Exactly how much I rode is anyone's guess but based on other city rides I will venture about 8 miles.  

A couple strolling down Adam & Eve Mew.

A VERY wet puppy after my ride.  Fortunately, our host had some dry clothes for me.

Isabelle, Carol and Angelica, our very gracious hostess for the evening.

Angelica gave us a small tour of the city and then treated us to a great mushroom-risotto dinner by candlelight since the electricity was out.

As it turned out, it was a good thing I got my ride in before dinner because we did not get back to the hotel until close to midnight.  I'm hoping for better success with accessing a bike today.

Today's Ride:  62mins.  8 miles.  65 degrees.  Rain.  Miles YTD:  3,457.69

6.4.2011 Ride: Tomorrow, London

Up in plenty of time for a sunrise ride.  Much to do to get ready for leaving later in the day though I still managed to take several photos.  The morning started off very pleasantly, feeling relatively cool with low humidity.  With the rising sun, the humidity quickly rose.  So, without further ado...

The sky was clear except for a few strands of clouds on the eastern horizon, which seemed to promise the delivery of a delightful red ball.

And that is exactly what the gift package included.

As I mentioned yesterday, basketball goals seem to be a recurrent theme lately.  I've passed the post below several times over the years but this is the first time it caught my eye (as far as I remember).

 The diagonal bar with hoop reminds me of either a praying mantis or a butler with a serving tray.

The dogs in our neighborhood are always dropping their stuffed toys around the road.  This one was right in the middle of the cul-de-sac.  Lying as it was, he seemed to be a prime CSI candidate. 

A close up shot reveals possible evidence.

These spider strands run up and away for a good thirty feet to bushes on the side of the road.  Very mysterious case. 

A streaking contrail seems most appropriate in light of my departure later today.

Today's Ride:  62mins.  11.02 miles.  70 degrees.  Miles YTD:  3,449.69

6.3.2011 Ride: The Day Before

No sunrise ride this morning. I waited to ride while Rachel had soccer practice in the afternoon, close to the hottest part of the day.  The high of 93 was our highest temperature reading of the year.  I'm sure there will be plenty of hotter days to come.

The day before...as in I am on my way to London tomorrow where I will meet Carol who is already there for a conference.  A few days in London and then on to Paris to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  I looked into bike rentals in both cities until I was made aware of the fact that both places have bike stations for public use scattered all over town.  This will make it very easy for me to keep up the daily ride as I will be able to ride whenever I desire.  Doing a sunrise ride may be somewhat of a challenge as the sun rises at 4:45AM in London due to it being located further north than us.  But, we shall see.

A very good ride today despite the heat.  I made my way from the soccer fields to Little Flock along quiet country roads.

From the soccer fields, a bike paths runs along the small lake in Bella Vista.  Someone had a good sense of humor painting eyes on the end of this log.  At first, they had me fooled as I thought it was natural coloration.

Usually, when I stop to take pictures of animals, they quickly move or get up.  This mother and calf were especially accommodating as the cow shifted closer towards the llama for a better picture. I like the contrast of the two animals faces.

Basketball goals seem to be stumbling into my photo life lately.  I really like this one below.

 Mailboxes on the way to Little Flock.

I'm not quite sure what it is about this tree with the survey tape that captures my attention.  Visually, there is a bit of an optical illusion at first as it takes a moment to realize the left trunk is not all there.  Symbolically, the tape came to remind me of the orange survey tape that they gave us to put on our wrist when we volunteered in Joplin for the tornado relief.  It's as if these trees down in Little Flock are wearing the tape in remembrance of all the trees that were uprooted further north.

Tomorrow, I will still be coming to you from Fayetteville.  And, if all goes well, Sunday from London!

Today's Ride:  2hrs.  23.84 miles.  93 degrees.  Miles YTD:  3,438.67

6.2.2011 Ride: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream -

Yes, I delight in sunrise rides, but do I really need to wake at 3:30 to make sure I don't miss out?  Such is life. 
Mounting a bike lamp on my helmet (with duct tape no less), I set off at 5:00.  Even with a bright flashing red light on my backside, Hwy 45 can be a bit unnerving as cars approach from behind.  There are few at that time, but when one comes, a glaring white light fills my mirror and I have no idea if the vehicle is moving over until it has passed.  I seem to rely on my hearing more, listening for subtle variations that give me a clue to how far over a car may be.  Fortunately, everyone who passed, gave me a very wide berth with most moving completely over into the other lane.  And, fortunately, I am on 45 for just over a mile. 

I covered much of the same route as two days ago when I experienced the very spectacular sunrise.  Today was very different.  The sky seemed to offer the potential for a very colorful display with views of space sandwiched between layers of clouds.  But the morning was very humid and the damp, heavy air felt as if it was permeating everything, including the sunrise.  Show time was approaching but the clouds and horizon remained mostly grey.  Passing a Queen Anne's Lace bloom, I thought I would create my own bit of a lightness.

A little further up the road, I came across the Mack dump truck that, for some reason, has been giving me a reason to smile every time I have passed it this past week.  A Mack, the quintessential truck and this one just feels like a classic.  I envision buying it, doing who knows what with it, and just having fun driving it around.  Even Rachel made a comment when we passed it saying the truck would be fun to drive to school.  

A few minutes later, I did come across a bit of color but, again, it felt washed out and tired, showing up but not very excited about being here. That's okay.  We all have days like that.

 

A special note to Sharon who I have thought about a lot lately as her friend's 23 year-old son deals with the very recent diagnosis of cancer.  I especially think of you every time I take a picture of the sky.  May all go well.

Oh, yes.  I'm leaving Saturday on a special 10 day trip.  The title of today's post hints at my initial destination.

Today's ride:  1hr 34mins.  17.21 miles.  69 degrees.  Miles YTD:  3,414.83

6.1.2011 Ride: Inner Sanctum

A busy and long day so I plan on keeping this short this evening. 

I knew I would ride in the afternoon while Rachel was at soccer practice but I've really enjoyed riding with the rising sun so I hopped on the bike in the morning for a quick jaunt.  The sky was grey with just a bit of light peeking through in the east and I did not anticipate a repeat of yesterday's performance.  Some very lightly fluffed rose colored clouds hinted at what lay behind them.  A smoked screen that allowed just a very small hint of what was occurring at a very exclusive gathering.  But I knew, I had seen it, been part of it, had been allowed into that inner sanctum where Universes were created.  Today, however, no visitors were allowed and the secrets and magic of that mysterious world were taking place in private.  Even the picture that I took of the clouds failed to come out.  I may not have seen a sunrise this morning but I was not disappointed.


Coming home midday between errands, I saw this shadow of our basketball goal which really captured my attention.

A good 21 mile ride in the afternoon.  I kept my eye out for photo opportunities but I ended up stopping only once.

 

Today's combined rides: 2hes 25mins.  27.34 miles.  68 degrees,morning.  90 degrees, afternoon.  Miles YTD:   3,397.62