Knitting in Public

After lunch Pamela and I found some comfortable chairs by a large window to read, write, and relax. After writing the post on Mykonos, I decided to knit some more on my Purple Baby Hat for the IWK Purple Period Project in Halifax to raise awareness regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome.

A man knitting in public is a curiosity. When home I knit at Sweet Indulgence Cafe and enjoy a cup of tea with friends and neighbors. Today a couple of ladies from Vancouver stopped by to inquire about my knitting and we discussed the Purple Hat Project. They have a similar program with their local hospital that their knitting guild supports. They were very encouraging and happy to see a man learning to knit. A little later two Chinese ladies stopped and asked to see my kniting. The first showed me and her friend all my mistakes and then walked away. I guess since my kniting was flawed there was no need for further discussion. Cultural or gender difference, now I am curious.

Mykonos, Greece

18 May 2012
We raced across the Med to be the first cruise ship in harbour so that we could tie up dockside rather than use tenders as the other ships had to do. The Marina was filled with colourful fishing boats and modern cruisers. The skies were overcast with the sun shining in the distance.

Because most of the shops were still opening when we arrived we stopped into Katerina's bar and restaurant for espressos and wifi. Posted photos from Rome and Egypt while overlooking the harbour and avoiding the early rains (hoping they would pass).

Donned my rain jacket and walked the narrow paths until we discovered Joanna's linen shop, where she designs and makes beautiful garments. Pamela found two lovely linen dresses and Joanna gave her a complementing scarf. Joanna shared with us her family's five generation history.

Stopped in Hibiscus bakery for feta pie and baklava...delicious.

The rain continued but walked all the streets we could before returning to the ship for an early departure. We look forward to returning here for an extended stay to wander the maze of streets.

Spinning at Sea

I took my first of four spinning classes with almost a dozen other cyclists. It was my first time spinning seriously with an instructor. Each class is an hour long and includes intervals, sprints, hill climbing, and a few 60% pedaling rests.

I found it very realistic in imitating the climbs and descents of a real ride. Increasing the resistance and standing on the pedals really worked the quads. I really want to learn how to spin efficiently again. I still feel I am spinning a square rather than a circle.

Egypt: Pyramids and a Revolution

15 May 2012
Egypt is a country in transition. The recent revolution has left the infrastructure in disarray. The first thing you notice is the trash. The previous waste management company was fired and the new one seems to be still negotiating terms, while the city of Alexandria is drowning in a sea of trash. Looks like the perfect recipe for a plague. Add to that the economic depression and you observe that virtually all new construction was abandoned for financial or tax reasons. There are so many vacant building the city looks more like a Third World country and many areas look like a war zone. What a shame for a country with such a long and honored history. It was sad to see.

In twelve hours we traveled from Alexandria to the Pyramids and the Sphinx, then to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Tourism is a leading industry and last year they had almost none. Though it has returned some this year (post-revolution) it is still significantly reduced. I see no reason for that to change, unless there is significant change internally. There is a level of desperation existing just below the surface that shows itself at times and could lead to significant chaos. Though the leadership and intellectuals try to suppress it with rhetoric like "Muslims + Christians equal Egypt" or future hope. With locals rejecting the low-grade fuel forced on them, the infrastructure in disarray, and an uncertain economic future, I am discouraged about the country's prospects and would not return.

The pyramids were impressive as you neared them. Surprisingly they are adjacent to town. The vendors are the most aggressive, rude, and persistent I have encountered anywhere. Most of which I attribute to the above circumstances.

The Egyptian Museum is in such disrepair and lack of maintanence that they decided to relocate it to a new facility somewhere rather than attempt to restore. I preferred the British Museum or the traveling exhibit, which is a shame for it was once one of the great museums of the world. What I thought would be a highlight of this trip, may be its greatest disappointment.

Cynthia Whitcomb, screenwriter and playwright, who is teaching our writing group during the cruise, checked off "ride a camel" from her bucket list.

Market Day at Campo de Flori

12 May 2012
Market Day is special all over the world, but only in Rome will you find so many varieties if dried tomatoes or such wonderful meat stores.

The morning was ours to wander because we would not board the Crown Princess until 1:00 pm. After walking through the stalls we found a table at one of the cafes surrounding the piazza and woke up with an expresso and breakfast sandwich. Few times in life are more relaxing than a comfortable chair, a good cup of expresso, and observing unique people from a short disance.

Our cruise begins this evening.

Rome again...

11 May 2012
We arrived in Rome around 10 am after an uneventful flight from Toronto. Our B&B was a lovely 3rd floor room only a few blocks from Piazza Navona. We walked to the Piazza and then stopped at a Sicilian restaurant for rissoto. Strolled by the Tiber River. Visited the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Ate roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. And savoured gelato.

Rome is special in so many ways, but our most special treat was dinner again at Palmiro Reno's restaurant Tucci with our dear friend Dennis Cigler. Dennis is an amazing artist and teacher who has lived in Rome for over forty years. Tennessee Williams gave him his Fiat Spider when he left Rome to return to America. Dennis taught English to Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucchi, among others. We always enjoy our visits with him and Reno fills the table with unique dishes of his own creation.

Dutch Cycle Paths and Other News

Why do the Dutch have cycle paths and we don't?

The following is in interesting article about bike paths and sidewalks and why they are a good transportation investment:

http://sustainablog.org/2012/05/bike-paths-sidewalks/

The Biki program in Toronto celebrates it's first anniversary:

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/in-transit/2012/05/04/bixi-first-birthday/

Crown Princess

We are excited about our upcoming cruise on the Crown Princess. We fly to Rome in May for an evening with our dear friend Dennis Cigler, before boarding. You may remember our last visit with Dennis. We will have a few days to rest at sea before arriving in Alexandria, Egypt. We then travel to the island of Mykonos and on to Turkey to visit Istanbul and Ephesus (Kusadasi). Next we tour the ruins of Athens and then around to Venice, Italy where we will disembark and stay for a few days at a B&B beside one of the canals. We hope to take a lot of photos and get a little writing done.

Finally Moved In, Mostly

The boxes are slowly disappearing as we unpack and the house is now livable. We still have dozens of boxes to go through that were in storage while we traveled on our Tour of North America for three years. But they will wait until we return from our Med Cruise in June. Until then we are going to just enjoy the views, lunch on the decks, relax in a comfortable seat, read a lot, and just be.

The full moon over the water last night was magical. Today, several kayakers set in the water just in front of the house while we were having lunch on the deck and warming in the sun. 

Typical Blue Rocks Coastline

Source: Sminky (Flickr)

New Cafe in Town - The Savvy Sailor

When we returned to Lunenburg after our three year Tour of North America we were disappointed that Historic Grounds, one of our favorite cafes had closed. This morning we had brunch at The Savvy Sailor, a new cafe/restaurant in the same location on Montague Street. Pamela had the frittata and I had the Classic Bennie, both were great and the dining area is larger. Worth a visit for a good meal and conversation. Saw several friends enjoying the Grand Opening today. 

Biscuit Eater Closes Today

Source: Watercolor by Leslie Snidal

The Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay closes today. I rode the bike over and Pamela meet me there. The place was hopping as friends from all over the province came to say goodbye to a community icon. We all had a tea or coffee and one of the famous biscuits and mourned the loss of our favorite gathering place. 

Rumor is there may be hope of a buyer, we cross our fingers and hope. Though we know whatever comes will not be the same, but hopefully different in a good way. Dawn, Alden, Patterson, Deb, Jo, and Robin thank you for so many wonderful memories and good times.

Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere...

Moving to Blue Rocks next week and the house is full of boxes. Eight years ago we crossed the border into Canada with less than two dozen boxes because the couple that bought our house in Atlanta bought everything in the house (pots, pans, books, linens, paintings, almost everything. Today we have enough stuff to require three men and a truck to move us. 

But we are excited about the move. Be will be right on the water on Point Road in a great house, with a wonderful deck, and uninterrupted views of the water. We are looking forward to our first party in the new home and hope we can find a sunny day to enjoy being outside. Until then, it is back to packing.

New Personal Best

Today I topped both hills on my Hill Training Loop. The new Trek road bike gearing is more efficient and smoother than the Raleigh Hybrid. I do miss the 28/30 granny gear of the hybrid for spinning up a hill. But surpassingly I was able to power up both hills today and only time and more miles will make it even easier. My average speed has increased 4 km/hr. Looking forward to a few long rides this weekend.

New concept bike from Parlee Cycles that shifts with your thoughts. Another use of your iPhone.

New Road Bike

Tomorrow I pick up a Trek 1.5 road bike at the Bike Barn in Lunenburg. Al recommended it as a good road bike to train on, while I get back in shape from the winter. I would like to participate in the Paris-Brest-Paris randonneur in 2015 on a tadpole trike, like the one below.

Paris-Brest-Paris is a 1200 km self-supported ride that must be completed in 90 hours or less. I know I would never finish on a traditional bicycle, but believe it would be possible on a trike. Having read the experiences of others, I am excited to begin training for this long distance event. So if you see me struggling up a hill in the county somewhere, please give me at least a meter of separation, and understand I hope to speed up on the downhill side.

Spinning Workshop with Marilyn Rand

Gaspereau Valley Fibres hosted a spinning workshop today with Marilyn Rand, from Lambs Run Studio. Brenda allowed me to spin all day on a Majacraft Alpaca wheel. 

It was a joy to work such a wonderful wheel. The skein of 70% Merino wool and 30% silk spun well. This is my second day of spinning ever and I truly enjoy the experience. Thank you Brenda and Marilyn.