All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (5 Feb 1900-1965)
Greetings from Kermow! Hello from a cool Cornwall! The pictures of your apartment look very inviting. Corrine did a marvelous job. I assume your contribution was removing the fridge magnets although I noticed that you couldn't bring yourself to removing all of them!
At the moment I am in the process of installing a wrought iron gate to the entrance of the garden from the car park. Have to make sure we keep our new neighbours out, whoever that may be! Have put in one post and will wait to install the other until the gate arrives. Just to make sure everything fits! Just on out now to give the post another coat of stain. Best wishes, Derek
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/691081986#.VNWPVCF3N2I.email
Once I'd alighted and found my way to Market St I walked my bike down to the Ferry Building where I used the washroom and then ate the wonderful sandwich Cactus had made for me, enjoying the ferries docking and people watching. Once I had finished my scrumptious cheese/salami sammie, I hit the dedicated bike path along The Embarcadero. Far quieter than when Glasgow and I were there in early November. It was a Sunday and a glorious sunny day so that accounted for much of the pedestrian and bike traffic. This time I had little difficulty dipsy-doodling on the sidewalk whenever I needed to avoid a red light.
[Hi Corinne and Patrick, I hope your drive is going well and you're enjoying all the good things along the way. I guess it's rainy where you are. The sunshine here is superb. We're looking forward to sharing it with you. I'm wondering what you're planning for the timing of your stay here. I've had a request to attend another meeting in Vancouver on Feb 17-18 and want to see how that would fit your schedule. Cheers, Peter
Hi Peter, we are in Berkley and weather is fine. Patrick is off on a bike ride. I'm going to the Oakland museum with our friends David and Nancy. It is supposed to start raining here tomorrow but we will be on way to LA where it is 75. We will be leaving on the 17 or 18 as I want to be home on the 21st. We also need the address of the house so we can find you on the 11th. Too bad we won't be seeing much of you but happy to keep Lynnie company. Hugs Corinne
Hi Corinne, I would sooner spend those days with you. I'll decline the meeting. Peter]
Quite soon I was past Fort Mason and sailing past Crissy Field, enjoying views of both Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. Once I'd climbed to the bridge deck I discovered that the west side of the bridge was closed to bicycle traffic. Had not ridden on this side before so this was a tad different, inasmuch as one doesn't descend directly into Fort Baker but takes, once off the bridge, the Sausalito Lateral Road into Sausalito itself. Again, having been over this route earlier, I had already decided that I was going to ride as far as Larkspur, basically the end of the dedicated bike route. Once I'd reached a fairly industrial area near the Greenbrae Boardwalk I turned around and headed back with about 49 km on the clock.
As I made my way past the Corte Madera Ecological Preserve the westerly wind was one of the fiercest I've ever encountered. I had to battle it, often standing up, just to make seeming inches of headway. The thought of battling the hurricane force headwind all the way back to Sausalito and beyond was overly daunting so I decided I would rather do a return loop along Paradise Drive, back to Tiburon and then a repeat leg, or part thereof, to Larkspur. Once I'd climbed out of Larkspur, the roadway was somewhat protected so headwind was only intermittently horrendous. Nevertheless, when I came to the intersection of Paradise Road and Trestle Glen Blvd, a bike sign indicated an alternative route back to Tiburon so I thought I'd give it a try, adventurous, ever flexible individual that I am. Good, short hill climb but a whizzing downhill only to discover I was far closer to Tiburon than I wanted to be if I was to log my 100+ km ride and not spend the entire day doing it.
The long and the short of it was that I was now south of Tiburon on the route I'd rode earlier. This was fine as far as it went but the wind, now a cross-wind was simply astounding. At one point I passed a gull, just off the bike path, but a few feet away, hovering in one spot, with ease, so strong was the wind. A female jogger, running into the blast smiled at me as we both had taken in the bird enjoying the updraft while we two were more than struggling against it. Not long afterward, I left the bike path which parallels Tiburon Blvd to take San Rafael Ave and then Beach Road into the extremely attractive, tastefully redeveloped historic centre of Tiburon, along Main Street, and then I was soon back on Paradise Drive, making for Larkspur.
Cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed this part of the ride. The smell of the eucalyptus trees, the stunning scenery and vistas, (often snatches of the Bay with its various bridges, islands and promontories), plus the fact that I was sheltered from the hurricados, all combined to make it one of the most pleasurable rides I've experienced. Road surface, for the most part, is very good so that always adds to the enjoyment of the outing. Once back in Larkspur I decided not to go to the end of the dedicated bike path and have to battle the fierce wind again, upon return, so I turned off into a fairly extensive subdivision bordering on a small park, San Clemente Park, and spent some time exploring the wide streets there. When I had about 83 km on the clock I headed back towards Tiburon and, for the most part, was sheltered from the worst of the mighty blasts until Paradise Drive approaches Bluff Point and the road is then fairly exposed to the water. Fortunately, it is almost completely downhill by then so I made reasonably good progress into the unforgiving gusts.
To my dismay I had miscalculated distance back to Tiburon so needed another 6 km or so to push me over 100 km. Did this by looping around Mar W St a number of times. Great view of Tiburon from the bench road that it is, plus many rather stunning homes, as one might imagine. Even saw a timid deer, clambering up an almost vertical slope, on one loop. When I'd finally logged the distance I had set for myself, I made for the small ferry terminal to use the washroom and then to check the sailing schedule. Bit upset to learn that next departure wasn't until 4:55 pm and it was but 3:20 pm at this point! Briefly considered riding back to Sausalito but thought of facing such raging blasts quickly dissuaded me, not to mention grueling climb from there up to Golden Gate.
Instead, I decided to buy a java and munched the cookies David had included in my lunch bag while I strolled the historic part of Tiburon, mentioned above. Glad that I did as it was still a lovely day and Main is fairly sheltered so had no sense of the withering blasts that lashed any open spaces. Some incredible trees line much of the street so they alone are worth a visit. Even two establishments that offer wine tasting. Had I not had to ride back to Casa Vicente from the Ashby station, I might have been tempted as I wasn't familiar with the two wineries in question. Another very interesting shop had about four windows filled with historical, b/w photos of Tiburon, dating from around 1870 to the early '20's/'30's.
Another complex, across Tiburon Blvd where it intersects with Main contained an interesting software development company called the Digital Foundry. I noticed an attractive bike rack on the wall inside the foyer so asked young man at reception desk if I could take a snap. He was most welcoming and said that he and some others had put it together themselves. Sort that holds the bikes up by front wheel. Logo down the middle reads: Work, Play, Evolve!
By this time it was about 4:15 pm and I decided I'd better go back to wait in line at terminal, more because I couldn't afford to miss this sailing rather than number of passengers heading back to SF. Chatted with two other bikers, in town for a conference, from Michigan, while we waited for the Blue & Gold ferry to arrive. Right on time and we were back at the Ferry Terminal by 5:30 pm. Stats for Embarcadero to Tiburon Loop:
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/691082007#.VNWPlB0G1bc.email
Short stroll back to Embarcadero and I happened to walk right by Stone Korean Kitchen. Glasgow and I had chatted with one of the owners and his wife last November, waiting for the same ferry. Popped inside but Terry wasn't working. However, chap I spoke with assured me he would say hello.
Once back at Embarcadero the scenario I was worried about, unfolded. terribly busy rush-hour crowds and I wasn't able to board two trains as I simply couldn't jam my bike onto train. Breathed a sigh of relief when I made third but it was about 6:10 pm by then and I knew, all going well, I wouldn't be at Ashby much before 6:30 pm, if that. Anyway, I was aboard and hurtling towards Berkeley. Two other riders were on same car so we had a bit of a triple bike sandwich. Started to chat with the young woman whose bike was next to mine and it transpired that she is project manager for a number of large buildings currently under construction near Embarcadero. She graduated in architecture but did an internship with company she now works for. She mentioned she had really wanted to gain experience with how buildings are actually put together rather than just designing structures. Consequently, it was most interesting to chat with her about her work and the sort of projects the company is involved with, many having to do with subsidized housing as well as free-market units.
She alighted the stop before me so we said goodbye and a few minutes later I was making my way up Ashby. Had my LED lights flashing away but traffic was reasonably light at this time of the evening and I had little difficulty. Drivers here are pretty used to cyclists and for much of the time I had plenty of room, the curb lane mostly to myself all the way to Alvarado Road, off Tunnel Road to wend my way back to Vicente, arriving at 6:45 pm or thereabouts. Everyone was pleased to see me as I had anticipated I'd be home around 4:30 pm. Ferry schedule and rush-hour had disrupted the best laid plans of mice and men! Stats for Ashby to CV:
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/691082016#.VNWPzFaOa0g.email
Raoul knocked on the door at 6:00 pm so Cora Lee had a chance to visit with him as she had never met him before. I gulped a few glasses of water and then Cactus poured me a glass of white before sending me off to shower and change. Once back, dinner was ready and we sat down to another of David's wonderful feasts: a terrific mixed green salad with a zingy dressing followed by a simply delectable Persian lamb dish, on rice with broccoli. All sorts of delish condimenti for the lamb so with reds aplenty we spent more than two hours at the more than wonderful table, chatting and laughing and listening to music. Some fancy Japanese bean curd cakes for dessert and then a few snorts of Bourbon to make everything blend together. It was a workday on the morrow for Raoul so we said goodnight at about 10:30 pm. Had been a long day for everyone else so we thanked our generous hosts and we repaired to our separate quarters. Must say I was more than delighted to have accomplished the ride as outlined. Still would like to do an Embarcadero/Golden gate/Sausalito/Larkspur round-trip but will save that for another trip! Fiendish Head Wind:
- S 14 mph
- Gusts: 25 mph 62 degrees
No comments:
Post a Comment