Bicycle Rose

Leashes for dogs, overrated?

2013-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

In the past, I have had 2 dogs and am the owner of 2 dogs in the present. I have always lived in a city and have always walked my dogs on leashes.
Why?
Well, simply because they are dogs. I can understand them to a certain limit, but I certainly can never be a 100% sure of their reaction. What would happen if they are faced with a new dog in the neighbourhood? There's a squirrel, will they chase after it? There is a kid throwing firecrakers, how will my dog react?

To all these questions I simply do not have the answer, as many other dog owners. Yet, I seem to be one of the last people walking her dogs with a leash in my neighbourhood.
I must have been absent when it was declared uncool to leash your dog while walking it in the city streets!

Thus, while walking my dogs, I have had many dogs come all the way up to me, bark at me and my dog as they did not have leashes. The owners would casually walk up, not say they were sorry and take the dog back. Yes, this is not at all rude.

When riding my bicycle, I come accross many dogs walking around without leashes, in public areas. Most dogs are scared and move to the side, but on a regular occasion, I have been barked at and almost chased after a dog on my bicycle.
I understand that there is a noise with bicycles, skateboards or rollerskates that upset dogs, but then why not put a leash on the animal when you walk it in a place where you will encounter all those types of mobility.

I just do not get it.

Up until now, whenever I discussed this with my boyfriend, he would treat me like the mean old lady, ranting about like a crazy person.
That is, until last night.

We were walking the dogs, with their leashes on, minding our own business, when this dog charged at us. Literally! There were no warning signs like usually, the growling, the hairs going up on their backs and the stares. No, that dog ran right at our dogs.

At fist, it attacked my boyfriend's dog. After my boyfriend kicked it, the cocker spaniel started to attack my dog. The thing is, when I tried to shove it out of the way, it bit me down hard!
My boyfriend had to kick the dog 3 times before it went away.

Where was the owner?
She was about 20 meters away, had waited until the fighting was over. Then she called her dog, which took it's time to understand, talked to it (yes, real sentences as if the dog could understand something other than "wouaf, wouaf, wouaf"!), then tied her dog, walked it to her house and finally came over to see if we were allright!
At no point did I hear her utter the word "No".

I had to go to the E/R and get the wound cleaned up and a prescription for antibiotics. My leg is triple it's normal size, and I have to admit, I am pissed.

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, otherwise we would not have 2 at home. I am not angry against the cocker spaniel either; it's a dog with instincs of a dog, perhaps not very well adjusted socially, but a dog nonetheless.
No, I am really angry with the owner of the dog! She lives, like 3 houses down from my house, she knows her dog has a problem with our dogs, she also knows she has no authority over her dog, it does not yield or come when she asks it to, yet she walks it with no leash.

I really do not understand. What is the problem with a leash? Is this not a security measure for walking your dog? Are people too confident with their dogs and think that the animal will understand what the owner wants telepathically? Do they think that only big dogs can bite and hurt people? Are they too lazy to put on a leash on their 4 legged companion?
I am really trying to understand here.

The worst part is that this is not the first incident we have had with this dog. The first time, it had escaped from it's house, again ran right at us, but this time it was the husband who came after the dog.
He strapped the dog down to the ground until it had calmed itself a bit. He did use the word "no" and admitted being at a loss with his dog's attitude and said that it was quite agressif.

So why leave it free with no leash?
Imagine if I had been a kid, my leg would been in really worse shape and might have needed surgery.

I have been advised to file a complaint against the owners of the dog. The thing is that :

1. I do want the dog to be put down, which may very well happen since there was a bite
2. I do not want to have the owners of the dog against me

I just wish people had more common sens. Shits happens, yes, but many accidents could be avoided if people used their brains a little.

So people, please use a leash for your dog if you are walking it in city streets where the dog might come accross other : dogs, cats, children, elderly people, elderly people with canes, wheelchairs, bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates, surfboards, cars, other pedestrians, boogieboards, people with crutches, firecrackers, balloons that can pop, drunken fools, buses, mailmen/women, scooters, loud music, etc...
This is not unfair to your dog or yourself. Trusting your dog 100% is unfair to the dog because you never know, and it is also unfair to the person who could get bit.

Leashes are cool!
Leashes can be fashionable!!
Leashes can save lives!!!! (ok maybe a bit overboard, but you get the idea)
You can even attatch your poop sack to the leash until you find a wastebasket, instead of carrying the think by hand.
Think smart, think leash!

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

And do not forget to ride safe!

Bicycles in Amsterdam

2012-12-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

Of course I coud not go to Amsterdam and not write a post on bicycles in that city.

First, a little history...

HISTORY OF THE DUTCH BICYCLE

The Dutch did not invent the bicycle. Instead, this contraption has been the evolution of many different "bicycle" inventions throughout time and in many different European countries, going from the German "dandy horse", to the French "vélocipede" and finally to the "safety bicycle" in England.

The vélocipède

Contrary to popular belief (and what a salesman may tell you in a bicycle shop) there have not been many changes over these 100 + years. You would still be able to take a 100 year old bicycle and instantly be able to ride it.

With the Dutch bicycle, you can almost say this. Indeed, though there have not been drastic changes in the wold of cycling, there have been some, the materials used, the design & colour, the breaks... Manufacturers in the Netherlands, like Batavus or Gazelle realized that their competitors had started changing the design of their bicycles.

The safety bicycle

Light weight racing bicycles were popular, as were the diamond frames ones. These Dutch companies decided to continue as they were and not move along with the popularity phases. They continued to produce steel black bicycles with step-through frames and ding-dong bells. Well, I am not too sure about the bells!

This was a winning strategy. The bikes were cheap and quite sturdy which is what the Europeans were looking for, especially with the 2 World Wars coming right around the corner. Indeed, though Europe was at war, bicycle companies were still making profits. Some were even sold to armies! A bicycle was to last you a lifetime, provided you took a bit of time to care for it.

But the popularity in the bicycle took a crash after World War 2. Europe was being rebuilt and little by little Europeans were earning more and wanting more comfort. They paved the road for the automobile and the bicycle became a weekend passtime.

This lasted until the late 60's and 70's when there was the first oil crisis. The Dutch government thought that if it had happened once, it could happen again, and in the great Dutch tradition, wanted to protect the people and offer a better alternative. Plus, there had been massive protests in the streets against the car killing-machine. Dutch people demanded safer roads for their children through the construction of bicycle lanes / paths. In a way, you can say that the Dutch "invented" critical mass.

The Dutch got their bicycle paths / lanes and went back to their traditional "Dutch" bicycle. From what I saw in Amsterdam, this traditional bicycle is still the most popular and used type of bicycle. It is sturdy, simple to ride, cheap and a classic.

BICYCLES IN AMSTERDAM

Even though I had read that Amsterdam was one of the bicycle capitals in the world, I still had not imagined so many bicycles or cyclists. It takes getting used to looking, really looking on both sides of the streets, not only for cars, but for bicycles also. Not to fret, bicyclists will alert you of their presence with their bells if you are not cautious enough. Though I did see one crash between a bicyclist and a pedestrian. The pedestrian was a tourist and had started crossing the street without looking, because he had not heard a car coming. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Heineken is one of the biggest companies in Amsterdam. It even has a museum, and bicycle crates!

Bicycle lanes / paths are everywhere making it easy to ride around the city. I did not see anyone wear a helmet, so the Dutch must consider these lanes quite safe.
Many cities have trouble for spaces to parks their cars, in Amsterdam you get the impression there are not enough places to "park" you bicycle. People lock their bikes everywhere, on the bridges, in the parks, against a side pole. Everywhere there you look, you will at least see one bicycle!

One thing surprised me quite a deal, the fact that most of the bicycles in Amsterdam were in pretty bad shape. most of them were rusted and many times, when a cyclist passed you by, you could hear a rattling sound coming from the bike.

I found this to be quite ironic. In one of the bicycle capitals, people do not treat their bicycles very well, it is just a contraption that brings you from point A to point B, but in many blogs I have read or follow in which people do not live in such a bicycle friendly environment, bicycles are attended to regulary, protected from harsh environmental conditions and components changed regularly.
I also wondered if these rusting bicycles were not symptomatic of something else, perhaps a lot of theft. Indeed, after a quick search, over 54 000 bicycles were stolen in 2005. So it makes sense that people do not want to spend too much money on an object that can be stolen easily. (Though there is something to say about the way they lock their bikes).

One of the few beach cruisers I saw in Amsterdam, but please DO NOT lock your bicycle like this. Too easy to steal.

I did not see many baskets on the bicycles, mostly plastic crates and panniers. Again, I was intrigued by the fact that they leave their panniers on their bicycles, "parked" outside. I may be missing something, but I would be afraid some one might steal my panniers...

Also, weather in Amsterdam is unpredictable and it did rain a little bit during our stay. A majority of the bikes had seat covers, though I hardly saw any leather seats. More surprising, companies have publicity bicycle seat covers made and hire people to put them on bicycles.

A Lee publicity seat cover distributed free!

Most bicycles have a frame lock paired with a chain lock to keep them safe. According to law, they have to be equiped with a front and a rear light. I spotted a cyclist who has those, as well as little dangling blinking lights hanging from her basket and from her backpack. She went by me too fast for me to take a picture. :(

Please don't jump, we love you little bicycle!

Though Amsterdam is considered a bicycle-friendly city, there is still the occasional bicycle which wants to commit suicide by jumping of the bridge. By chance, its owner had attached it so that it would not go off the deep end!

To sum it up in numbers:
- 60% of the trips inner city by bicycle
- 40% of the trips in larger city area by bicycle
- 400 km of bike paths
- over 450 000 bicycles in Amsterdam alone (wow!)
- 18 traffic deaths, all types included, in 2007
- 54 000 bicycles stolen in 2005

And now the pictures I took in Amsterdam. Hope you enjoy!

A crazy decorated front basket, and a lock to match.

Badass pink wheels!

Many bicycles are spray painted. I suppose too many black bicycles makes it difficult to recognize your own.

I adore the colour of this crate and the stickers on it! My personal favorite.

The OV Fiets is the Amsterdam bicycle sharing system, though it is not for tourists. Minimum rent is 1 month I think.

Group photo! Say cheese.

Little trip to Amsterdam

2012-12-23T04:49:00.000-08:00

I have delayed posting my thoughts on my trip to Amsterdam, as I wanted to be as objective as I could be, though I do not know how this will work out.

First of all let me just state that I adored my little trip. My boyfriend and I left from Biarritz to the Toulouse airport early on the 15th of December, so we arrived in the middle of the afternoon in Amsterdam. This gave us time to do some sight seeing to get the feel of the city. The following day, we visited Anne Frank's House, the Bible Museum, the Amsterdam Museum and finally the Rijks Museum, with a lot of sight seeing in between. We left early Monday morning as it was the first time we had left our 2 dogs to a kennel and when organising the trip, I was a bit worried about their adjustment.
Hold on to your horses, because here comme my thoughts and impressions of one of Europe's capitals.

THE TRIP

From Toulouse, we took a 1h40 plane ride to Amsterdam with KLM. The journey was pleasant, and I got all excited when approaching landing, I spotted a windmill! Since the Netherlands are part of the European Union, there were no customs for us, just present your passport, and you are good to go.
At the airport, we were greeted by the KLM orchestra. They played when we arrived and when we departed. Such a nice touch to greet tourists, especially during the winter holidays. They played some holiday songs, but I also heard the Darth Vader theme and other amusing songs. In front of the airport, I caught the famous I Amsterdam sign.

We then took the train from the airport to the Central Station. This train station is beautiful and was lit by many Christmas decorations.

From there, we took the tram to our stop near the hotel. The trams are spacious, white & blue, and they have a little bell to warn people to get off the road. There is the driver, but also another man from whom one can purchase tickets. The cheapest tickets cost 2€60 and last 1 hour, which I found to be a bit expensive. (During our visit, we did everything by foot, as the city is not that big).

THE FEEL OF AMSTERDAM

Of course you may all know that Amsterdam is surrounded by canals. I was a bit anxious on how it would feel to be in a city with water everywhere, especially after having read Albert Camu's "La Chute". He described it as an almost claustraphobic sensation.

I did not feel that at all. On the contrary, having the canals gives more open spaces and room to breathe. Plus you can hear the noise the little waves make every time a boat goes by. I found the canals to bring peace of mind and showed an always living city.

Amsterdam is always moving, yet people were not in a race to see who was the fastest, there was no stress; just people walking about enjoying themselves. I lived in Paris for 3 years, and the difference between the paces of the 2 capitals is extraordinary.
In Paris, people are always in a hurry to get everywhere and then in a hurry to get out. This Parisian stressed state of mind is invading all of France; it has even invaded the city I live in. In Amsterdam, the people were polite and taking their time to enjoy the moment. I felt relaxed and accepted.

The population in the Amsterdam streets is very diversified. There were many tourists, of course, but also many nationalities and / or ethnic groups represented in the habitants of the city itself. I saw Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindous, whites, blacks, browns, asian though no green people yet! No one was staring at one another, and I did not see any offensive graffiti.
That felt really nice, especially that where I live, there is a lot of discimination against Muslims and Black coloured people. Though people do not state it overtly, you feel it. Especially when I fist came in 1993 and in my entire school there was no other colour than white, coming from the United States, it was one of my first cultural shocks.

In any case, I felt really well in this city. While looking for our hotel, we got lost and a women in the street escorted us almost to the front door. Though it was dark and we were strangers, she was not at all afraid and nicely gave us some information on the history of Amsterdam. What a great welcome! Plus, everyone speaks English! I do envy them, though I speak French and English fluently, I which I knew a "harder" language. Hum, perhaps I'll pick up Dutch!

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

I was very curious to see how the city had organized itself with the canals as an obstacle. For example, there could be no metros (subways) as they would have been flooded. What would the streets look like? Would they be narrow or large? And the buildings? Would we see skyscrapers?

Here is a map of Amsterdam:

It looks bigger than it really is. Our hotel was near the Vondelpark in the south west part of town and we walked all the way to Anne Frank's House, which is on the same side, but more to the North, and it took us about 30 minutes.

The majority of the houses are built using brick. Some have been repainted in red, dark grey, or black. The contour of the windows are usually white and many of the entrance doors are painted in black. This gives the city a sober but classy look. Also, the buildings are not very high up, so wherever you go, you can see the sky.
What was mostly appreciated, was the fact that there were always plants or trees, giving the city a natural and sweet decoration. The contact with nature was one of the things I greatly missed while living in Paris, where I found everything to be grey, but Amsterdam keeps plants alive.

The street are not very wide. In the smaller streets, there is room for 1 car lane, 1 tram lane, 1 bicycle lane and a sidewalk. Though narrow compared to roads in the Americas or Australia, there is always sufficient room for everyone. Again I will compare to Paris where some sidewalks are so narrow that it is even difficult for one person to walk on it because the city has favoured cars.

Bicycles are everywhere and the city has been accomodated with bicycle lanes and paths to favor this transport. I had never seen so many cyclists in one place, even when I saw the Tour de France! They are parked all around the city, so you really do not have to go searching for them; they will come to you. Sometimes I would hear a ding - dong bell of a cyclist warning a pedestrian of his approach. Apart from me using my ding - dong bell, I had never heard one before.
We did not have the time to rent a bicycle and I would have felt nervous riding in busy streets in a city I do not know and that has different codes from which I am used to. Nevertheless, if you are feeling up to it, there are many bicycle rentals in Amsterdam, and most hotels have a form of rental right in the entrance.

The bicycle rental in front of our hotel

So it is quite easy to move around in Amsterdam. We wanted to walk to take in the vibe and the features of the city as much as we could.

THE FOOD

This has to be the most disappointing aspect of the city. The first night, we wandered around for an hour in order to find a restaurant that would offer traditional Dutch specialties. Having found none, we went to an Indonesian restaurant. The food was allright, but a bit expensive for what we ate.

We only found foreign restaurants, Tex-Mex, Italian, Burger King, or south american. I have nothing against these foods (I love Italian), but in the netherlands, I at least wanted to taste some traditional Dutch cuisine.
When we asked a waiter at a pub, he told us that Dutch food was not good; it was greasy and everything was fried. This surprised me quite a deal, the Dutch cook like the Americans in the south! Who would have thought?

The view from the Blue Restaurant

The next day we had a bit more luck. For lunch we went to a small shopping center with a restaurant at the top, called Blue. The restaurant had a great view of the city, and we ate a bit more traditional: a sandwich. Mind you these may not be the the sadwiches you are used to. Indeed, the bread is cut from an "oval" loaf rather than the classic Harry's squared loaf. There is a choice of white or brown bread. Then you can top this bread with whatever you like. I chose mozarella and pesto.
Strangely enough, there were no tourists in this restaurant. I do hope that they did not all go to Burger King!

De Blauwe Hollander

Diner was much better. We finally had found a restaurant serving traditional Dutch cuisine called De Blauwe Hollander. The food was delicious and the service incredible, really nice people! For starters, we got the homemade cheese croquettes and as a main course I chose the vegetarian hotch potch because it came with the homemade cheese croquettes and butter sauce. And, since I am a sweet tooth, for dessert, I ordered the chocolate cake from Aarde. It was delicious.
The hotch potch is a sort of mashed potatoes with carrots or other vegetables in it. Usually there is some meat mixed in with the mashed potatoes, but I could not get enough of the cheese croquettes.
I found the food to be very tasty, yet simple, and the restaurant served fresh food, not heated up frozen things.

Also, the restaurant played nice soft music which was in real constrast to the techno pounding in the tex-mex restaurants!

We regretted not having found this little restaurant sonner. I highly recommend it if you ever go to Amsterdam.

THE MUSEUMS

Anne Frank's House

I had read the Journal of Anne Frank when I was 12 years old and it had made a large impact on me. So much that I had even asked my father to buy me a book with her little tales in it, which were very amusing. But there was no Internet at the time, and I was only left with my imagination as to what the Annex looked like or even what her diary looked like. So as not to spoil the visit, I did not look anything up prior to our visit.

This is the view in front of the Annexe.

Thus, I was very eager to go. The house is situated in the north part of "old" Amsterdam right in front of a canal and a busy street. An addition has been made for a restaurant and a gift shop. Before you get at the entrance of the house, you come accross a little statue representing Anne Frank looking at the famous chesnut tree, though you will have to wait your turn to take a picture.

Anne Frank's statue surrounded by bicycles

This was the first museum I wanted to visit as the travel guides pointed out that many people all year round went to visit it, and I wanted to avoid queuing too long. We arrived at about 9h30 or a quarter to 10 am and did not have to wait in line. When we came out though, a bit more than an hour after, there were already many people waiting in line for the visit. (This was a little triumph, as I am not an early bird!).

The visit was very moving and interesting. You get to visit the whole building. In the Annexe none of the original furniture has been put back as the SS had taken it all and Otto Frank, the father, did not want to replace them. Instead, they built a doll house with furniture inside to show you how the Annexe was decorated. The windows are all blacked out, as they would have been during the war, giving a horrible oppressing sensation.

Anne Frank's House

It was really sad to see the measurements of the sisters on the wall, to know that they had both perished so young. Then, of course, the thought of the countless people tortured and killed during that period... I was pleased though to experience this as Anne Frank was a big influence when I was a young teenager. I wanted to be a writer like her when I grew up.

I ransacked the gift shop and bought the Definitive edition to Anne's Journal which has 30% more that the later aditions, a collected work of her fiction and a BBC documentary entitled "Anne Frank Remembered". I did not go so far as to buy a replica of her own journal, as I have my own which suits me perfectly.

Anne Frank's Journal

My father, born in 1923, had lived the war. He managed not to go to a concentration camp by having the whole family move to the south west of France, in a region called the Gers. Still he told me stories of the ration tickets, the fear of the Nazi soldiers of going to Russia, that he would ask his little sister to pick up all the cigarette buds in order to have a little to smoke and on and on... Many people from all over the world died because of that war, and I do feel it is our duty not to forget.

In Anne's own words

The museum has been well thought of because at the end of the visit, there is a big room where you can sit down and watch little extracts of situations showing discrimination and asking how you would react to a certain situation. For example, some countries in the European Union have banned the wear of any religious signs when working in a public place, like a hospital or a library. Then you vote if you find this measure good or bad. There is no judgment to any of the questions. We saw many Dutch children writing report cards in the museum, so I suppose the memory will go on living.

The Bijbels Museum

We thought this would be an interesting attraction, but we were very disappointed.

The visit starts out nice with a collection of Egyptian art and a replica of how Jerusalem was at the time the Bible was first written. It was interesting to see what everyday life could have represented at the time.

Then there is a nice collection of Bibles. Some are leather with silver lockets, others where all silver with engravings or sculpted. There were also several portraits of people posing with their Bibles, showing how important this book was to them.

Afterwards, the visit becomes less interesting. There is a collection of little sculptures representing famous scenes from the Bible, more portraits, an example of what a traditional kitchen looked like (?!?) and at the last bottom floor, a collection of Bibles, from the oldest they have to the most recent.

It is a shame, but I did not find this of much interest. There was no reference to the feuds between the Protestants and the Catholics in Amsterdam, and the starting idea of putting the writing of the Bible in context was not followed up. It would have been interesting to understand what the beliefs of the people were before Christianity appreared in Amsterdam, what caused the rise of the Protestants, how and why they drove off the Catholics, what changed in the Bible during that period, how were the other religions treated, how the Bible was dispesered, how it was taught (was it like in France, all Latin for the "educated aristocracy" or was there a translation for the people? )
If the museum wanted to focus on the book itself, then it should have expained the different versions, what they had in common, and what was different. How the printed press changed the view of the Bible. How it came to be only written in Latin and then translated in all the languages of the world. Why was it translated in Latin when some parts had started out in Greek etc...
All these questions should have been answered in this museum, at least it is what I think.

I found it to be a superficial museum that was inconsistent with its collection and the message it tried to convey. Perhaps in the future this will change, but for the moment, I recommend that you NOT go to this museum.

The Amsterdam Museum

At first my boyfriend did not want to go to this museum. Our feet were killing us and we did have planned a lot of cultural time and not a lot of "fun" distracting time. Nevertheless I insisted and we did not regret it, though the collection could be better.

The museum has a collection of paintings, sculptures and little films you can watch explaining the history of the city. For the most part it was very interesting and we has a good time. At one point though we asked ourselves how much longer could we look at portraits of people with white collars and black clothes!

Still, we learned that the city was built on some sort of pillars that maintain the city above the canals, that Amsterdam is largely below the sea level at some points, that the Catholics had been driven away from the Protestants. We learned of the great commerce the Netherlands were doing around the world through the Dutch East India Company.
What I found the most interesting was how Amsterdam revolted against the Spanish who had ruled them. This revolt was led by William the Silent from the Orange family. The Orange family is still honored once a year on the Queen's birthday, known as Queen's Day and everyone has to dress in orange.

This revolt lead to a change in the mentalities of the Dutch, or at least the people of Amsterdam. While most rulers, kings and queens, in Europe were spending all the tax collected money on castles and big impressive monuments, the rulers and bourgeois of Amsterdam were more interested in their people and having good housing for the poor, developing economically and favoured humility and being sober rather than showing off. Even the bourgeois elite prefered having portraits painted of themselves more than sculptures erected in their honor as they did not want to show off.
The largest monument constructed at the time was the Royal Palace of Amsterdam on Dam Square which was at first to be town hall.

I find fascinating to see how modern the government in Amsterdam was, preferring good housing and taking care of the whole population and their health rather than wars of expansion or castles.

Although I really enjoyed this museum, I wished there had been better transitions between the periods of history. There was hardly anything about the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment was not represented, the great philosopher Spinoza hardly mentioned, the Napoleon occupation was brief, and not much on the Industrial Revolution.

Though there are some holes in the timeline, I do recommend this museum and skipping a few portraits of people with black robes and white collars is not a problem.
I was disappointed with the gift shop though as there was no book on the history of Amsterdam, no book summarizing what we had just seen. Instead, I bought a book on the history of the Dutch bicycle!

After this visit our legs and feet were really killing us, so we stopped at a café and had something to drink, but mostly a place to sit down and rest. We were both enchanted by this city and were quite happy of our visits.

The Rijks Museum

It was unfortunate that at the time we came, this museum was undergoing considerable rennovation, thus most of it was closed to the public. Still, I did not want to miss the chance at glancing at some of Rembrandt's or Vermeer's work.

This building is enormous and quite beautiful. At the entrance, there was a huge model boat, a replica of the ones used by the Dutch East India Company.
Even though most of the museum was closed off, we got to see the most famous paintings, Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer's Milkmaid, or Jan Asselijn's Threatened Swan.
There are 2 painters that I discovered and quite enjoyed.

The first one is Aert van der Neer. He mostly paints landscapes. What I find interesting is the movement in the paintings, almost like a photography, you can imagine very well the people going about their occupations. The artist does not look to paint an ideal, but rather depict the everyday life and occupations of the people.

The second artist is Jan Havicksz Steen. From what I saw, he mostly painted groupe pictures and there is always a bit of humour or irony in his paintings, which I find quite amusing. Who ever said that the Dutch were cold people?

What about the dogs in the kennel?

Well, the dogs were found alive and unharmed, thankfully, but the bigger one, Narco (who looks like an orange labrador) did not adjust very well. He was quite disoriented and hardly left his box all the while being there. The little one, Cracker Jack a Parson Terrier, did ok and he had a hard time going back in the box when the walks were over, but I do not know if he ate much as I found him skinnier.
This has left us with the conclusion, that leaving them too long, say over a week, would not be a good idea.

Conclusions

I regret not having taken the time to buy some tulip bulbs or visit a bicycle shop. I wish we had had the time to visit the Van Gogh museum, go on a trip on a ferry on the canals or even ride a bicycle through Vondelpark which was right next to our hotel and considered one of the most beautiful parks in Amsterdam.

Though I have these little regrets, I simply adored my visit to Amsterdam and would gladly go back any given day, provided I had the time and money. The ambiance is so agreable and there are so many things to see and do.
I did not think this entry would have been so long long, so I thank you for your time and patience for bearing with me, and hopefully this will have given you the desire to go to Amsterdam.

I will leave you with this little strange fact: in the neighborhood we were staying at, there were buildings / hotels, named and decorated according to different countries in Europe. Here you go:

Etxea

2012-11-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

If you ever comme to the Basque Country, one of the characteristics are the houses, or the etxe (pronounced étché). In the Basque culture, the house is very important. Traditionally, the first born inherited the house, whether boy or girl, and all responsabilities befell on him / her. As house holder, they would be summoned to the village meetings and decide on the best course of action for the population.
Each house would have a name, and most of them still do. My 80 year old house is called Maïtagarria, which roughly translates to "house of welcome / love / happiness".

Most houses are white and have coloured shutters. The traditional colours are Basque green, red or blue. Today, house owners still have to ask permission to the mayor if they want to modify the colours of the house.

Villages in the Basque country were constructed around 2 major buildings: the church and the fronton. Usually, the fronton was situated next to or behind the church so people would gather after mass on Sunday mornings watch the players and catch up with each other's lives.
The fronton is a wall on which people can play pala or cesta punta, which could be the ancestors of squash.

There have been many different types of architecture throughout the years and the structure of the cities have changed, but I just wanted to share with you some of the beautiful houses I cross during my rides on my bike.

Autumn

2012-11-22T03:14:00.001-08:00

For the moment, I find that fall is a really nice season to bicycle. The air is crisp, but not too cold, nature offers a beautiful palet of colors which just want to make you stop and drink in the beauty of it all.

So here are a collection of photographs in which I attempt to capture the season's change and hopefully make you want to take a little break in your busy day to just stop and look at nature for a few minutes.

Un beau ciel de novembre aux clartés automnales
Baignait de ses tiédeurs les vallons vaporeux ;
Les feux du jour buvaient les gouttes matinales
Qui scintillaient dans l’herbe au bord des champs pierreux.

Les coteaux de Lormont, où s’effeuillaient les vignes,
Étageaient leurs versants jaunis sous le ciel clair ;
Vers l’orient fuyaient et se perdaient leurs lignes
En des lointains profonds et bleus comme la mer.

Lente et faible, la brise avait des plaintes douces
En passant sous les bois à demi dépouillés ;
L’une après l’une au vent tombaient les feuilles rousses,
Elles tombaient sans bruit sur les gazons mouillés.

Hélas ! plus d’hirondelles au toit brun des chaumières,
Plus de vol printanier égayant l’horizon ;
Dans l’air pâle, émanant ses tranquilles lumières,
Rayonnait l’astre d’or de l’arrière-saison.

La terre pacifique, aux rêveuses mollesses,
Après l’âpre labeur des étés florissants,
Semblait goûter, pareille aux sereines vieillesses,
Les tièdes voluptés des soleils finissants.

Avant les froids prochains, antique Nourricière,
Repose-toi, souris à tes champs moissonnés !
Heureux qui, l’âme en paix au bout de sa carrière,
Peut comme toi sourire à ses jours terminés !

Mais nous, rimeurs chétifs, aux pauvretés superbes,
De nos vertes saisons, hélas ! qu’avons-nous fait ?
Qui peut dire entre nous, pesant ses lourdes gerbes :
« Mourons ! mon œuvre est mûre et mon cœur satisfait ! »

Jouets du rythme, esprits sans boussole et sans force,
Dans ses néants la forme égara nos ferveurs ;
Du vrai, du grand, du beau nous n’aimions que l’écorce ;
Nous avons tout du fruit, tout, hormis les saveurs !

En nombres d’or rimant l’amour et ses délires,
Nous n’avons rien senti, nous avons tout chanté.
Vides sont les accords qu’ont exhalé nos lyres !
Vide est le fruit d’orgueil que notre arbre a porté !

Tombez, tombez, tombez, feuilles silencieuses,
Fleurs séniles, rameaux aux espoirs avortés !
Fermez-vous sans écho, lèvres mélodieuses !
Endormons-nous muets dans nos stérilités !

Plus de retours amers ! trêve aux jactantes vaines !…
Oui, la Muse eût voulu des astres plus cléments !
Un sang pauvre et le doute, hélas ! glaçaient nos veines :
Nous sommes de moitié dans nos avortements.

Il faisait froid au ciel quand nous vînmes au monde,
La sève était tarie où puisaient les aïeux.
Résignons-nous, enfants d’une époque inféconde :
Nous mourons tout entiers, nous qui vivons sans dieux !

O dureté des temps ! ô têtes condamnées !
Fiers espoirs d’où la nuit et l’oubli seuls naîtront !
Eh bien, soit ! — Acceptons, amis, nos destinées :
Sans haine effaçons-nous devant ceux qui viendront !

Succédez-nous, croissez, races neuves et fortes !
Mais nous, dont vous vivrez, nous voulons vous bénir.
Plongez vos pieds d’airain dans nos racines mortes !
D’un feuillage splendide ombragez l’avenir !

Et vous, ferments sacrés des époques prospères,
Foi, liberté, soleil, trésors inépuisés,
Donnez à nos vainqueurs, oublieux de leurs pères,
Tous les biens qu’aux vaincus la vie a refusés !

Les Soleils de Novembre Auguste Lacaussade, Les Automnales (1876)

Review: Reelight RL 720 series

2012-11-21T17:38:00.001-08:00

Front and rear lights on a bicycle are an obligation in many countries, and France is one of them. I had bought a previous front light in the past (here) but was very disappointed when the light broke down after just a few rides, even though we tried to fix it...

It was a shame because I did appreciate the retro look and thought it went well with the style of the bicycle. Though I did not despair, I decided to go in another direction with bicycle lights.
Firts of all, I did not want to trouble myself with batteries. Though batterie operated lights tend to be brighter, they are more expensive in the long run and not very eco-friendly.
I then researched on dynamo operated lights. They seemed ok, but would be very difficult to mount on the Electra because of the coaster brake.

To each obstacle, there is a solution - or at least a way around the obstacle. My solution was in Reelight.
This is a "small" Danish company that makes magnet powered bicycle lights. On their website, you can read their history:

At first I was very skeptic; I hardly had any information on these lights on the Internet, but thanks to the insistance of my bicycle mecanic, I gave them a shot. I had read the many benefits Reelight boasts: no batteries, long lifetime, lights always on, and always visible.
This all seemed really nice on paper, but how would it do on my bicycle?

The first point of interest was choosing the model I wanted. Since I absolutely wanted the front light to be on the front fork of the bicycle, my choices narrowed down to the RL 700 series. Next was choosing between a constant rear light, or a blinking one.
Again, my bicycle mecanic oriented me, and suggested the blinking rear light, saying it would be safer as it draws driver's attention more than a steady light. So I went with the RL 720 series.

As you can see from the picture above, the pack comes with 3 magnets, a "batterie / generator", a steady front light and a blinking rear light.
I did not set up the lights, so I really cannot say how difficult it is or not. There is a video you can watch here. Though my bicycle mecanic had set everything up, I still had to "finish" the installation so it would look neat and tidy.
Indeed, the lights only came with one fixation, so my mecanic had to do with alot of cable and attatched it in a very ugly fashion. Let's just say that when I fist got Chérie back, I was a bit shocked at the looks.
The following day, my boyfriend lovingly bought some straps and gave back the bicycle it's graceful look. And voila:

I had my bicyle back, "for real" this time.

The RL 700 series differ from the other Reelight series as the magnets and "batterie" are mounted on the rear wheel. You get a sort of triangle of magnets on the back of your bike. I find there are still quite discreet.

Here is a magnet up close:

This is the "batterie" that helps generate the light (sorry it's blurry, will have to get a new camera):

The white thing is one of the plastic straps we added to attatch the cable in a more tidy fashion:

The blinking rear light which is mounted on the rear rack:

The steady front light, mounted on the fork:

It has been a month that I have had these lights on Chérie, so I suppose I can give my first impressions.

Pros:
- contrary to what I fist imagined, these lights are silent. You do not hear or feal the magnets rubbing.
- there is no dragging sensation
- the rear lights blinks for a really long time (more than 5 minutes)!
- they seem really sturdy and built to last (but this is just an impression, we will see in the long run)
- waterproof, and this I have tested in the pouring rain
- hard to steal since there are cables going all over the place and the "batterie" is mounted on the frame
- I never have to worry about the lights; never take them off, never have to put batteries in
- they are eco-friendly
- they light up pretty well, I drove them into the forest at night, and the lighting was good

Cons:
- the front light does not last very long when not pedaling (less than 1 minute) as it is a steady light, and not blinking
- expensive, my set cost around 80€
- though I do not care, this does add some weight to your bicycle (but as would any light I think)
- looks, these lights are not as stylish as other lights can be. They are to the point, no fuss.

For my part, I am thrilled with these lights and would not trade them of for any stylish batterie operated lights. They have met all of my requirements.
I would strongly advise anyone to buy Reelights. Though they are not as powerful as batterie lights, when I was in the forest at night, I could see my route quite well, and was sure to be visible to any vehicle or passerby that would come my way.
If you are more into randonneuring or live in a town where there are no street lights, it would be wise to complement the Reelights with stronger lights. Otherwise you are fine.

I also like the fact that these lights are still underground everywhere else except Denmark and Holland. The fact that these come from a "small" Danish company add to the charm and originality.

Finally, I have to point out that Reelight was a sponsor of "Toutes à Paris", a bicycle race that took place in september in Paris open to all French women, which I sadly could not attend. During this event, Reelight gave out 3 000 SL 150 lights!
It cannot get any better than that: a company giving out bike lights and sponsoring a women's bicycle race!!!
Also, I contacted the company as I had a few questions, and they answered rapidly (a few hours later) and thoroughly.

Though I like the underground aspect of these lights, I do hope that word of mouth gets around and that more and more people will consider buying these types of lights.

Happy cycling!

Chérie is back!

2012-11-21T15:39:00.003-08:00

I finally got Chérie back from the shop after a few changes! Over a month of not having my bicycle felt really strange - and not in a good way. I felt as is the shop was holding the bike hostage, which is ridiculous.
Finally when we went to get the bicycle back from the shop, I felt relieved and really happy. The owner of the shop did apologize for the delay and gave me a 10% discount for the trouble.

Without further ado, here is Chérie:

So the changes, Chérie now has 7 gears, which is a relief when you live in a really hilly city like Biarritz, and Reelights, magnet powered front and rear lights.

As you can see, I added a cute little mustache on the basket! Just in time for "Movember".

Have a great day!

Elderly automobilists

2012-10-08T12:39:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I was reading a bicycle blog I enjoy, Let's Go Ride a Bike. There was a post on a dreadful accident in Chicago: a 32 year old man was about to get doored and in order to avoid it went into traffic where he was killed instantly.
I was sad and very angry after reading this post. A young man with his whole life ahead of him killed because a person getting out of his/her car could not take a few seconds of their lives to check if there was a cyclist or a pedestrian. Angry at officials who still do not see the importance of creating safe bicycle lanes and safer sidewalks.
It is a disgrace to any elected official who lets this happen, especially in these times when people are turning more and more to the bicycle because they cannot afford gaz and when we all know sooner or later fuel will no longer be available.
This man may have had a wife and child who will now try to grieve him. But how do you grieve stupidity?

This same week, there was a documentary on French television, the excellent Envoyé Spécial, about elderly people still driving. These people do not know how to take a round about, have poor vision, yet still they take their cars without thinking about the consequence of their act.

How can these time bombs still drive? Well see in France there are no rules about taking a test at a certain age to assess if you are eligible to drive or not. If you want, you can still drive when you are over 100 years old, deaf, blind with Parkinson's and unless you are in an accident (notice I did not state provoque one), then you are clear with the French traffic laws!

Most of these elderly people justify still driving by saying that they live in rural villages and need a car to go to the supermarket, the doctor's or to buy the daily paper. Well, my elderly aunt lives part time in a very rural bourg where about a handful of other elderly people live, at the most. They have a butcher, a "book lender", a doctor ect, that all come directly to their homes and offer their services.
I understand that taking the car and going out is a good way for them to get out of the house and still socialise, but at the same time, this cannot justify the risks they are taking of killing some one the road.
They claim that taking away their life long driver's licence would be taking away their freedom and state that they are not the dangerous ones since they do not drive fast!!! Statements such as these show how ignorant and egotistical they can be.

How can politicians, officials let this happen? Well, France has alot of elderly people who still vote, and they are afraid they will lose the majority if they take cars away from the old. So instead of raising awareness and educating the population, let's just leave the old folk keep on killing!

One question does pop to mind though, if politicians do not want safe bicycle lanes or safe sidewalks and they keep old ticking time bombs on the road, why even bother making bicycle lights an obligation?

Indeed, the car is all mighty in our world. Can a person without a car still be considered a person? And what to think about a 32 year old woman who still does not have a driver's licence? Does she still have the same human rights as the rest of the population?

Thank goodness, the Greeks have let go of their pagan gods in favour of the new all mighty god called the automobile. While the Greeks are wondering how they will face their economical crisis, the politicians have figured it out: they are going to spend 28.9 million euros in building a Formula 1 circuit. What a clever idea to get out of recession! Next time I am low on cash, I will just tell my banker that I am buying an Formula 1 car and moving to Greece.

What are your thoughts? Should elederly people be allowed to drive and take no aptitude tests as they grow older?

What are your cities doing to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from getting killed by cars?

Revolution tv show

2012-10-08T11:34:00.001-07:00

I started watching a new series which just came out, called "Revolution". The pitch seemed nice: what would happen if all of a sudden there was no more electricity. I saw the first 3 episodes and they were a disappointment.

After 15 years of not having any electricity, people live and dress as though they were either in the Middle Ages, Confederate soldiers or like cowboys in old westerns. All the technologies before electricity seem to have disappeared from people's minds. Never mind seeing a single bicycle, book or newspaper!!!! Never mind that there were steam ships or trains that road with coal and steam. Since we do not have electricity any longer, we cannot figure out a way to mine coal again. People are too stupid to organise themselves and of course fall into the hands of a horrible dictator who makes them live as though they were peasants and after 15 years, there are still riots and the United States is a closed country with no international aid or communication.

I do not know if the writers think that people are ignorant fool or if they just do not know anything about history. It is a shame, I was really looking foward to this series, but I doubt it will live long.
What I find the most disturbing is that the message this series tends to convey is that without electricity, we are lost and could never be happy again.

Perhaps I am just cranky because it has been over a week that my dear bicycle is no longer with me...

I should get it back this week from Culture Vélo with a brand new Shimano 7 hub gear and new lights.

The first light I was so proud of, failed me after 1 use! I did not want to go into another battery powered light, so opted for Reelights. Normally I should be getting the RL 700 series, with steady front light. Reelight is a Danish company which makes magnet powered bicycle lights. They seem to be popular in Denmark and in Amsterdam, so I guess they cannot be bad. (A full review to come once I have tried them out.)

So for the moment, I am walking to and from work. Though I enjoy the walk, I really do miss bicycling. It is a lot of fun!

Rain, rain, let's try again!

2012-09-13T12:06:00.001-07:00

Well, looks like summer is leaving us little by little. Days are getting shorter and the temperatures have dropped 10° lower. Not much to complain about yet, though we went from over 30°C to 20°C. Still, I was stunned to put on a jumper today.

It was pouring buckets when I started to get dressed this morning for work which did not make me want to go out, but on the other hand I wanted to test my "rainy apparel".
I was I bit disappointed (and a bit relieved at the same time) that it had stopped raining when I finally got on my bike.
I kept the "rainy apparel" on just to try it out, and in case the rain would start up again.

So what is my "beta-test-in-progress-rainy-apparel"?
Well, it consists of a brown trench which I think is waterproof, a black beanie for the head and an "over pant" which is wind and waterproof (tested on my Vespa).

The thing is, I was not convinced. The trench is fine, though worn alone, I would have my legs and thighs all wet, and the "over pant" is too big and too long for me and feels clumsy and unladylike. Also, it was good that the temperatures had dropped, otherwise and woolen beanie on the head would be impossible in the summer, even under the rain.

I suppose I will have to adapt the "beta-test-in-progress-rainy-apparel".
Since summer is almost over, I was thinking of getting a hat like the one below for the fall/winter/spring seasons. I would protect my head and eyes a bit better.

I have no clue as to what to get for my legs though. I will have to think about this for a while.
If any of you have any tips, they are most welcomed!!!

PS. little thought for those of you who are entering summer... Lucky!

Bicycle rear frame lock

2012-09-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking of getting a rear frame lock like this one from Axa.

So far, I have read good reviews. The "bad" reviews just stated that it was not protection enough and that it was heavy. That may be true, but I would never dream of only having one lock for my bicycle, too risky. I do not have the money to buy a bike every month.

Since in France a bicycle is stolen about every minute, I might as well protect my mode of transportation.
I was thinking of installing this neat lock to the rear and using my heavy duty Onguard U-lock for front and frame.

Of course this is just my humble opinion, and depending where you live and if you often leave your bike parked out of sight, the choices in locks will vary.

But these images do give something to think about:

These picture prove that you have to always lock your wheel with you frame to a well grounded object. Of course, if you only lock one wheel (+ frame), then you might have your other wheel stolen.

You can check this site out for tips on how to lock your bike.

How do you lock your bicycle? Ever had it stolen?

Bicycles: the new fashion accessory?

2012-09-02T15:40:00.001-07:00

While reading a fashion magazine this weekend, I stumbled upon a teaser for Longchamp's autumn / winter collection. The video will be available to watch on September 6th 2012.

The week before that, a shooting campaign in another fashion magazine had been done with the model on a bicycle.

The phenomenon certainly is not new, but it sure has expendaded these last few years.

Even Vogue recommends matching your clothes to your bike.

If you have the means, and are snobbish enough, you can even have your own designer bicycle!

The Hermès bicycle.

The Kenzo bike.

And Amsterdam had it's first fashion bicycle ridden fashion show ever!

Well, hopefully, this will bring more attention to the bicycle in the general public.

Hey, even my bicycle made it into a store's display window, though it is the kid's model... How should I take it?

New front light!

2012-08-28T11:38:00.001-07:00

Yeah! With days getting shorter (sigh), I finally got my bicycle a front light from the Westside shop.

It is from United Cruiser and has 2 bulbs that light up seperately and is battery powered. I like the modernized old school look. What do you think?

Hopefully, no one will steal it... I have yet to test it in the real dark.

Next quest, finding a nice rear light.

Portland, the uthopian mythe

2012-08-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

I recently watched this great documentary in French on Portland produced by ARTE:

Portland: bobo, bio, vélo

It shows all the changes that Portland have implimented over the years to become "greener" and more biycle friendly.

There is one aspect that I find very interesting in this documentary as no one else seems to bring this subject up; the fact that poor or lower middle class people cannot afford to live in Portland any longer.
The prices of housing have gone up extensively since they are all "green" now, even the prices of bicycles are too expensive. The mayor is interviewed, but says that he has no solution for the time being.
This is disturbing as throughout the documentary people living in Portland cannot help but explain how there is a specificity to their own town, how they give their dogs organic foods, but cannot help the people with the lowest income in their city.

Through this documentary I have found that there are many good ideas being executed in that city, so long as you have the money to afford a house, a $ 2 000 bicycle, organic food and hide myself behind the smugness of my self righteousness.
Do not get me wrong, I think that favoring local organic farms, having a regular farmer's market, reintroducing the tramway and having homes that pollute less is great. But I also think about people who earn minimum wage and who are denied these alternatives.

Also, I found the slogan of Portland quite strange; the most European city in the United States. I do not fully understand. European in what aspect?
I think that many "cycle chic" cyclists have this romantic notion of what Europe is. Most Europeans drive a car to work, they buy their food at a big supermarkets, go to Mc Donald's or KFC, and are addicted to the Internet, smartphones and all other technological gadgets. Having a big car is still a status symbol in France at least.
It may be true that we have smaller fridges, we drive smaller cars with stick, and go to specific stores for specific items (the bakery for bread, the pharmacist for medecine), but not only has this been changing, it is also because of the size of the country and it's history.

For example, housing inside of Paris is VERY expensive (600€ for a 28m² flat is a bargain), thus people do not have the space to put a big fridge in their kitchen, or have a immense tub. This implies that the French use less energy or water, but this is not a deliberate act.
Markets in France are held at least twice a week. This is a relic of the past when farmers or other merchants could only spare 2 days a week to come to the town to sell their goods. We have kept the tradition, especially nowadays with the "bobos", but most people buy the majority of their goods in Carrefour or E.Leclerc, supermarkets.

France is not the Amelie Poulain movie and it has changed since the Marcel Pagnol descriptions. Though charming, it is not a reality.
So saying that Portland wants to become the most "European" city in the USA is fine, but which city? Will it be like the Parisian suburb, Seine Saint Denis, where there are skycrapers, poor housing and hardly any trees or parks, or will it be like a little village like the Creusot?

Is it this:

Or this?

Describing a city by "European" means nothing. Europe is not one country, and each country has it's specifics. Heck, even in a single country, regions have specificities; people living in the North of France have a certain way of speaking, eating and living that can differ greatly from people in the SouthWest.

Evedently though, this marketing strategy of a "European" non existant ideal is working for Portland.
Perhaps if Louisiana started to say that they were the most French state in the USA, they would have all the hipsters and bobos flocking to their state.
Oh, wait that cannot happen. First of all, Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the USA and second, Americans love Europeans, but hate the French and dump their wine in the streets, boycott their cheese and have "freedom fries".
Sorry Louisiana, cannot be of much help, though I believe that this is a state which is more "European" than fabricated Portland.

So things do not really change, the rich have new nicknames, but still lead the good life and think they are smarter, and the poor get kicked out and suffer. i suppose that if you tried to make it a happy place for everyone, it would seem too much like socialism (pushing the European card too far there eh!) or worse...

Of course, I have never been to Portland, so perhaps this documentary has made me biased.

Have you gone or lived in Portland? What is it really like? Heaven on Earth? "European"? Or just a city in advance in it's urban reforms in adapting to customer demand?

Why so much anger?

2012-08-22T12:23:00.001-07:00

I live in a small town in the SouthWest of France which is one of the most coveted regions in France, or is it?

I do not know what is going on, if it is particular to the region which is changing, or if it is everywhere, but why are people so angry and brutal?

I work as a bank teller, and every day I get screamed at. Yes, screamed at, and not talked to. Clients, or people as I like to regard them, want everything right now, this second and if they cannot have it, they scream and yell, like a child having a fit!
I have started to get used to the abuse and do not notice it that much.
Also, I am starting to get used to the idea that people are totally dependent and cannot figure out things for themselves any longer. They go to a bank to use the restroom, they try to buy train tickes at the bank or ask us to do all the paper work so that they may be refunded a purchase they made in a store.

But today I noticed that the everyday violence I was starting to get used to was taken up a notch.

This morning, I saw 2 women smacking each over (literally with hands and clubs) over a parking space. There were parking spaces a few meters away, but no, they both wanted that one, the one right in front of the buralist.
I suppose they thought that the precious parking space was worth the loss of time, the pain and frustration, not to mention the humiliation they must have felt. Perhaps if you park at that space you win the loterry. Stupid me!

During the day, I got the usual people insulting, belittling me and demanding I resolve all their problems with a click of a mouse, but then something else happened.

I was with a person trying to explain that he had sent a check 2 days ago by mail and could not track it down for him; that he would either have to call the people to whom he sent the check to or see with the Post Office if they could do something for him. I then tried to reassure him, by telling him that if the people he sent the check to did not receive it in a week's time, he could always stop the check and put an pposition to it.
He got out furious (I still do not know why) and came back to throw his luggage at me, and even left it there (no bombs thank goodness).

What is up? Am I not in tune, is there a special Kool Aid I missed?
Are we really going towards a future like the one depicted in the movie Idiocracy? (Great movie, btw)

On top of everything else, first time my chain derailed! How did I manage that on the type of bicycle I have? It is a mystery to me, plus my fingers and nails are still grease black! Ugh!

Have you noticed a change in the way people interact, or is it just me?

Nora One Left, bicycles and the ukulele

2012-08-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Browsing on Cycle Chic yesterday, I found this post on Nora And One Left.

I listened to it a bit yesterday and found it quite enchanting. Nice variations of style and an album all about bicycles, how sweet!

What really got me excited was hearing the song, "The World is a Wonderful Place" and the nice melodies of an ukulele; wish there were more of it.

I am a big fan of that little instrument and am teaching myself how to play, which is really fun. Here is my ukulele, all solid koa, made in Hawaii, a gorgeous sounding and looking instrument made by Kanile'a.

It is one of my most prized posessions because of all the joy it brings (to me at least!).

Concerned: food - obesity - life or death?

2012-08-20T13:56:00.001-07:00

Steeping aside from the bicycle a bit, I must adress this most important issue which concerns all "developped countries" and "new developped countries".

We are killing each other, or we are all commiting suicide, depending on how you want to see it.

FOOD

We have become lazy with food and expect the product to be cheap when it is not. How is it possible that a hamburger can be less than $1, when you think that a cow has to be fed & nurtured, wheat, lettuce and tomatoes have to be grown, and wheat be processed to bread?

If you watch the documentaries Food Inc or The World According to Monsanto, you start to understand how your food is harvested.
The beef we eat come from cows who stand in their excrements all day long, can hardly walk because they grow too fast, the chickens we eat have never seen sunlight and cannot stand up, farmers only grow one type of corn, of tomatoes, chickens and eggs all have the same sizes, pigs have their teeth pulled out and cannot even lie down in their boxes.
Plus the environmental impact is high, very high. Farmes have to make a living, and in order to do so, they now only grow one type of food - mostly corn. All the weeds are killed with insecticide and pesticide and they cannot even spare room for a tree in order to keep up with all that is demanded from them. If this continues, it could lead to another Dust Bowl.

I once came back to my student appartment after 2 months of summer vacation to find that I had not thrown out the bread. I did not have to, after spending 2 months sitting there, the bread was still good!
How can that be natural? What type of conservatives are added to that food for it to be able to last 2 months with no sign of decomposition?

Then you start to wonder, how is it possible that fruit from Africa can cost cheaper that fruit that comes from the country I live in? Are not the products grown the same way, and in addition fruits coming from another country have to pay the expenses of getting it all the way to where I live, yet it is still cheaper. This is very strange...Even if the workers are being paid less, with the prices of gaz, the foods should at least be the same price as local grown food...

And I am not even getting into the "mad cow" issue.

Why are we being fed disgusting foods that could one day possibly kill us? Who is behind this?

OBESITY

Well the foods are not good, even the raw materials. So unless you are buying organic (and even that has to be checked out), what you are putting into your system has been polluted.

Of course, many of us buy processed foods: cereals, burgers, sodas, cooked meals you just stick in the microwave, fruit juices, ice cream... the list goes on and on.
As I said, for many it has become cheaper to buy a pack of chips than to cook yourself a snack. Plus, you may not even have the time to cook.

50% of the French population is either overweight or obese. In the United States, the percentage is almost up to 70. That means that half of the French population is "fat", one out of 2 people are overweight.
How can this be?

Sure, genetics are involved, but this does not account for such large numbers. Nope, it is what we put in our mouths and the lack of exercice that accounts for this.
There is great documentary on that, The Weight of the Nation, though it is targeted to an American public, many of what is said can be applied to most "rich nations".

Some governments have "tried" to help their population. In France there exists a tax on sodas that have sugar in them, but does that account for all the "fresh" fruit juices that contains almost as much sugar?

When I arrived in Biarritz in 1992, there were no Mc Donald's. Now there are 4 and a KFC has just sprouted!

Children are stating to get type 2 diabetes and if these numbers continue to expand as they have, soon this new generation of kids will not have a shorter life expectancie than their parents.
Why are we killing our children and ourselves?

It is easy to try to forget all of this and ignore it, thinking that we cannot change anything or wanting to stay in denial, but when you get cancer, diabetes or have your first heart attack, it will be too late.

SOLUTIONS

Now, I am no different. I want to buy organic, but find it expensive. I would like to exercice more than just riding my bike for more than 1 hour to get to work, but I finish at the best at 6pm and am tired, and we have to walk the dogs after that. I have cravings for fast food also and my boyfriend loves pizza.

Still, there are many things that I can do.

I first started with the tiny garden I have. I was able to plant an apple tree. The garden is only watered when needed and no chemicals (pesticides or insecticides) are dumped into it - no even soap. By doing so, year after year, I discover new insects visiting my garden, when before, there was nothing but snails. The garden has naturally found a balance.

Where food is concerned, I have decided to limit myself to 1 can of diet coca cola / day at the most, 1 glass of fruit juice in the morning and the rest will be water. So natural and free.
I will indulge myself in 1 unhealthy meal / month, only.
The rest I will buy regularly at a market that only sells organic, Biocoop, and try to go there with my bicycle, so as to get more exercice and reduce fuel consomption.
I will probably buy less food, but half of us are already overconsuming, so I guess it matters little. I am willing to pay a bit more to stay healthy.

Finally, I will do my best to promot better lifestyle habits to the people around me. I already to this by cycling to work every day, and will now try to do so by buying my food in an organic store.

It does not take much to change your lifestyle, just one little thing + another little thing = a big thing. Of course, this means everyone has to take part in this. We have to cut off the snakes head and make it stop biting it's tail.
So for starters inform yourself, do not take my word for granted. Watch documentaries or read books on the subject, taste organic food, and instead of going to a fast food restaurant because you do not have the time or the will to cook a meal, try to find a recipe that does not take long (boiled eggs, a salad and a few tomatoes and/or carrots only takes a few minutes to whip up).

My doctor went to Sri Lanka this year and he told me he was amazed to find people in better health over there and happier. How can that be, when France is such a rich nation and we have all the commodities?

Reasons to Ride a Bicycle

2012-08-19T05:25:00.001-07:00

There are many reasons to riding a bicycle. Here are just a few:

1. It is fun & simple: you just need to get a bike, keep your balance, pedal and off you go.

2. It is cheap: a new bicycle can cost 10 times cheaper than a new car, you do not need to pass an expensive test (in France taking the driver's permit is quite expensive), it does not need fuel, and maintenance is cheaper than on a car. For a city having more cyclists than cars is also cheaper, they do not need to construct as many parking spaces.

3. It is healthy: when you ride a bicycle, you burn a whole lot more calories than when you drive a car. Exercice stimulates your pleasure zone, so when you exercice, you are a happier more zen person than when you do not. For a country, this means that health costs go down, there is less obesity, hearts and arteries are in better shape, depression goes down and people take less prescribed drugs.Instead of buying a cheapo plastic bracelet with a so called "magnetic field" that is suposed to solve all your problems, ride a bike. Plus, compared to many different sports, riding a bicycle is easier on your joints and can hurt alot less.

4. It is ecofriendly: granted, making the bicycle, shipping the parts may not be "green", but the same goes for a car, which needs even more parts. There is no fossil fuel that you have to pump into your bicycle - it is all muscles. When you bike, you are more aware of your environment than in a car; you see the birds, smell the plants, feel the rain / sun... It gets you out into the world so that you may experience it, instead of being passif. Oh and also, a bicycle is quiet, so sound pollution goes down a notch.

5. It is accessible: it is a people's transportation. When cycling you can still talk to other people, even have conversations. Bicycles start conversations, where do you bike? how long is your commute? People exchanging tips or experiences. There are even bicycle clubs! And not just racing clubs. Since it is cheap, it is a democratic way to get around, there will be people with bikes that are over 1 000€ and others that will have a 30€ bike. Just about any one can afford to cycle. Because of this, in a family, each member can have his/her own bicycle and they can cycle as a family. Plus, there is no age limit to riding a bicycle. I see people who are 80+ and they are still great riders.

6. It is good for the economy: a choc really. Stats show that when a bicycle lane is put up in an area that did not have one before, the local economy flourishes; local shops get more attention than before - especially if they are bike friendly. Rental bicycle shops and maintenance shops are created, and even shops that sell accessories. Plus, instead of spending money on fuel or on prescribed drugs, people can spend their money on other things that reboots the economy.

7. It is efficient: in big cities, like New York, Paris or London, it is faster to go from point A to point B by bicycle. Faster than public trasport, faster than by foot and way faster than by car. In Amsterdam or Copenhagen, in the winter, the first places to be desnowed are the bicycle lanes or routes. Plus, you can park your bicycle just about anywhere and do not require to take enormous city spaces to station it. There is no parking time requirement, you do not have to wait for your bicycle to get to you, you do not have to share your bicycle with thousands of people, you do not have to pay fare to travel...

8. It always works: sure you can get the occasional flat tire and sometimes the chain is a bit loose, but really maintenance on a bicycle is not complicated, thus you can either fix it yourself (there are great tutorials on the Web) or have your bicycle fixed. Usually it will take less than 12 hours to fix your bicycle, so really you have to either rent one for the day or you can use public transportation instead for just one day. When your car is broken... Well that is another story. It can take up to 2 weeks to fix a car (perhaps even more), you are so dependent on that machine, that you have no idea on how to get around without it, it may be quite expensive, and maintenance is regular on a car. And you will never, never run out of fuel, how cool is that!

9. It can show off personality: you can put accessories on your bicycle to make it look how you want it, at an affordable cost. Different kinds of bicycles exist for different roads or different types of rides: Dutch bicycle, beach cruiser, road bicycle, mountain bike, BMX, fixie, tandem... You can change the paint job without someone else doing it for you, you can add a ding dong bell, a basket, panniers, lights, stickers, change almost all the parts. You can even coordinate your clothes to match your bike. You may be able to do all this with a car, motorcycle or scooter, but it will be harder and more expensive.

10. Freedom: all the reasons pointed above can be resumed to this one word: freedom. You are free to go where you want, when you want for free. You feel free and not closed up in a bubble as you would in a car. The money you save gives you freedom do spend it otherwise than on fuel or bus/métro/taxi fair. The freedom of mind has no price; you just cannot put a price on happiness and exercice helps towards becoming a happier person.

Bonus: for the ladies (though I have never experienced this on a bicycle)

There are also many reasons people do not ride bicycles. Some are viable, most of them are not.

- It is too far: Ok if you are going on a road trip or have to ride more than 30km round trip but most people live close to their work (less than 2km) and can go by bicycle; There are food markets not far from their homes, and you can go regularly which will give you nice physical activity on a regular basis. Children used to walk to school, some walked over 2.5km, now children find that walking 1.9km is too much. This is not good. Our bodies were made for physical activities, we are not koalas.
- Solution: if you find the distances too far, start out slow. Perhaps bike in your neighbourhood at first and every week go a bit farther. You will see that little by little, your stamina will increase as will your tolorance for physical activity. Plus, it is much more fun and natural to go out on a bicycle in the great outdoors than spinning inside a smelly gym. Stop being lazy and ride your butt somewhere!

- The weather is not good / I live in a hilly area: I live in a hilly area almost on the Pyrenées plus there is a lot of rain. Still I manage to bike on a steel beach cruiser with only 3 gears (though I am going to get 7 gears soon, because it really is hilly). People in Sweden have been cycling for a long time and they have hilly regions, snow, rain, sleet and hot summers. Yet, they can bike. why can't you?
- Solution: If you are living in a hilly region get gears. 7 should be enough for most parts of the world. Do not try to work up the steepest hills at first but work up your way gradually.
As for the weather, there are many videos and posts on the Internet that adress this issue. You can find many solutions for cold / hot climates.

- It is dangerous: Getting in your car is far more dangerous than riding your bicycle. Eating junk food is far more dangerous than riding a bicycle - yet I bet you do both. So I suppose that risking killing another person on a 1 ton vehicle or risking a heart attack or diabetes because you enjoy greasy food is worth more than trying to get regular exercice on a light weight vehicle that cannot kill another human being?
- Solution: Stop with the culture of fear!!! Look at the statistics: cycling is far more humane and secure than driving a car or eating greasy foods. You do not have to ride a bicycle everyday of your life, and you can induldge yourself to some junk food from time to time. it is up to you to find a good balance.

- You look like a dork: that depends on your definition of style. There are as many different styles of cyclers as there are of people and personal tastes. That is because cyclers are people.
- Solution: wear what you want. You should not have to sacrifice personal style in order to ride a bicycle. When you were a kid, you probably rode your bike with regular clothes. Why should that change? Women in high heels can cycle, so there are no limits.

So there you have it folks.
Again, I am not saying that you have to ride a bicycle everywhere all the time. I certainly do not, but you should choose the means of transportation for every task. Driving a car should not be automatic.

Try to map out the different tasks you do with your car, and figure out how you can change your habits.
Do you really need your car to go get your coffee which is a block away? Is there a good infrastructured bicycle lane for your children to go to school, or you to work? On weekends, could you not have a family picnic in the park and go there by bike?

What about you? Why do you ride a bicycle? For what tasks? Do your children cycle? If not, why?

Tintin & the bicycle

2012-08-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Tintin is a comic book character invented by the famous illustrator, Hergé. The character is a young belgian reporter always looking for a good story and getting himself into serious trouble. He is assisted by his faithful sidekick Milou, an all white foxterrier (calling him Snowy just seems like heresy) and Captain Haddock, a former drunk and sailor who swears a lot. Most of the time, you also get a glimpse of Dupond & Dupont, the "high skilled" police officers.
The adventures of Tintin take us accros the globe and even to the moon. Hergé was passionate about new technologies and new discoveries.

The drawing style of Hergé for his characters are simple enough, but his depiction of movement is great. You always get a sens that there is action. When Tintin is hoping on a train, you do get the sens that the train is going fast and that the wind is blowing on to his hair.

Most all young French speaking children, and many Europeans grow up with the Tintin comic books and / or the animated adventures.
I remember watching the animated adventures of the little Belgian on Sunday afternoons. I even wanted to become a reporter, but the media being what it is, and the pressure of ratings, I later decided that perhaps that was not a good option for me.

One of the things that I like so much about Tintin, is that the drawing are realistic and the adventures wonderous. I enjoy the fact that the time framing is not the present or in the future; you can see what the old cars looked like and get a sens of the evolution from the first comic book which was published in 1930 to the last one which came out in 1976.

I was a bit afraid when I had heard that Spielberg and Jackson were paired up to do an animated 3D movie on Tintin. Both are big names in the cinema business, but would they be able to capture the essence of the Belgian reporter and his friends?

I was not the least bit disappointed. The movie is great, never a dull moment, the animation is superbe and the story plot filled with humour and action.

While I was watching it for the 3rd time last night I even noticed little details I had not seen the first 2 times around.
One of those details are the bicycles. Indeed, if you look closely almost every scene in Belgium, there is a bicycle.
It got me thinking, had I ever seen Tintin on a bicycle? I remembered him on motorcycles, planes, trains and many cars, but never a bicycle.
Was I mistaken?

So I suppose that from time to time, Tintin does ride a bicycle, when he is not in life threatening adventures.

Then I spotted this little figurine.

I fell in love, with little Milou in the back, adorable. The price is also adorable, more than 200€; I will leave it to the fans who collect.

What about you, do you have any childhood comic book heros? Did they ride bicycles?

Biarritz a new Netherlands?

2012-08-14T04:34:00.002-07:00

Continuing my searches on bicyles on the Internet, I came accross this video:

The Netherlands, a Cycling Nation indeed.

I have to say, the video impressed me, as it was meant to. How simple transportation seems! It got me to thinking of the way urban transportation has been handled where I live.

I lived in Paris for 3 years, prior to the Vélib, and the Métro system works pretty well. I never took the bus because the dipicted routes seemed to me much less clearer than the Métro ones, and I was afraid of getting lost or late.
I have read that the Vélib, the Parisian bicycle trade system, has many advocates and is quite popular; which is great.

Paris is only one city in France. It is the capital and many mayors turn to Paris as an example, but the city I live in has not followed the Parisian example. Indeed, it has no bicycle lanes.
Do I live in a small rural town where the streets are not even drawn?

No, I live in Biarritz, one of France's biggest tourist cities. There are many 5 star hotels, bars and restaurants keep developping, a beautiful casino, 2 golf practices, many beaches, and there is even an airport in which 785 884 passengers flew domestically and 203 268 flew internationally in 2010, which I might add, was not the best year! Still, no bicycle lanes.
There is a population of 30 046 for a population desnity of 2 577 hab / km² and an unemployment rate of more than 17%.

The city boasts its ecofriendly reforms:
- a pedestrian only centreville
- a free bus that takes you around the centreville
- an enormous rugby stadium (what? Is that not ecofriendly?)
- a museum dedicated to the ocean and surf

Nevermind that Surfrider Foundation black flagged the city's beaches and waters for the pollution. Nevermind the fact that the city spent a fortune on underground parking spaces and there no longer exist free parking spaces in Biarritz.

Perhaps this is why the Municipalité does not want to create a bicycle sharing system like the Vélib in Paris or like the existing ones in the neighbouring cities, Anglet and Bayonne.
Heavens, if Biarritz were to promote cycling, then who would pay for the expensive parking spaces?

Ah, but these are very cruel accusations I dare make. In fact I should take it all back (or should I?).
I May's "Biarritz Magazine" there was a dossier in which the Municipalité states that their new project will be to promote the bicycle through bike lanes.
They are just a bit late in "modernizing" the city to the new consumer needs.

Here is the acticle in French (I apologize, I do not have a scanner, so these are all pictures):

To summarize the article, it starts out stayting the benefits of cycling. We spend 5% of our time in cars that take up 40% of the urban space. 20% of our commuting is less than 1 km and 40% of it is less than 2 km. Thus, cycling is very much possible.
Plus, using a bicycle does not clog up the roads and gives a sens of freedom, not to mention it is good for your health.
It goes on to stating that cycling is possible in Biarritz, but has know quite some tardiness in that area of development.
Indeed, cycling in Biarritz can be dangerous and may not be pleasant according to the author. The reasons are not the hills since many senior citizens still have kept the habit of cycling .
Thus, there will be a bicycle lane that will go from the Lighthouse to the town of Bidart.

The article goes on explaining that this route was chosen because it is an easy and not too hilly one and should reintroduce the bicycle as a means of transportation as well as a hobby.
It explains how the city is educating children on how to use signals when on a bicycle and gives adresses on where to go to rent a bicycle.
Finally, the article finishes with the plan of the future route.

Though the projet is not to promote the bicycle within the city's centreville yet, it is a big step for the purists who run Biarritz.
Let us see if they will keep their promises...
Perhaps Biarritz will one day catch up its tardiness to a city like Amsterdam?

In any case, the article had one good effect on me; it started to get me to want to ride a bicycle. I saw the girl in the cover and thought she looked laid back yet stylish and when I read the route she took by bicycle (which is pretty hilly), I thought; "If she can do it, than so can I".
A month later, I had my bicycle!

What about you? How are your cities handling the cycling infrastructure? Are there bicycle lanes where you live?
I am alo very curious as to how can one get involved in the movement of the urban landscaping (is that how it is called.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed the article and the documentary.

My thoughts on the "Cycle Chic" phenomenon

2012-08-09T13:05:00.001-07:00

Browsing around the Internet, I came accross many sites that wrote about "Cycle Chic", some loved it while others detested it.

My opinion has not really formed yet, as I do like it, but find it restrictive.

What I like:

Actually, it is the whole "Cycle Chic" movement that I like.
I enjoy going on the "main" site - the one that started it all - and be able to click on the links and "travel" to London, Atlanta, Sydney or Dublin and check out to see what people wear in those different cities or look at how the streets or stores are conceived. What resembles what I already know and what the differences are.
I find it fun and if I have 5 minutes to lazily spare on my weekends, will browse through the pictures with interest.

What I find restrictive:

I do not totally agree with the manifesto. I do not always cycle chic and sometimes I do enjoy wearing clothes that are not fashionable, but more comfy.
I do not care for spandex, but will not say that the person is not chic because he/she wears it. I have seen pictures of cyclists wearing "cycling clothes" and still looking quite chic.

The total value of my clothes should exceed that of my bike! Woah, so litteraly does that mean that I have to wear for more than 700€ worth of clothes, or should i have gotten a bicycle that only costs 50€?

Moving on, according to the manifesto, I should acquire the appropriate accessories, including a kickstand (got, standard issue on my bike), chain guard (got), skirt guard (will have to acquire I suppose), fenders (got), bell (got), and a basket (got).

Hum, so even if I had bought a 50€ bicycle, I still would have had to spend money on those accessories. Thus, the bicycle would have cost about 100€, thus rendering the total amount for clothes I wear to at least 100€!!??

Riding with grace, elegance and dignity... Hum, I doubt that I could ever do that. I am not naturally graceful, do not really care about elegance (especially when it is 35°C outside in traffic trying to get home after a painful day at work) and I doubt I have much dignity whilst I am mumbering insults to automobilists who do not respect cyclists.

Conclusion:

The idea of Cycle Chic is great, especially if you live in a place where the only people who ride bicycles do it only in a sports sens instead of a transport sens.
It is too bad that this movement excludes some types of cyclists and is a bit elitist.
Perhaps I am just annoyed that I can never be a "cycle chic" advocate. It is like bouddhisme, I love the concept, find it a tad restrictive and know I could never be a good bouddhist as I like to take many paths, not only the middle one.

These are only my thoughts...

What about you? What is / are your opinion(s) on the Cycle Chic movement?

Review: Bike Snob NYC The Book

2012-08-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Fistly, let me point out that prior to buying the book, I did not follow the Bike Snob blog. I was actually looking for a fun book to read on the history of bicycles and "commuting" and this one was one of the first and more interesting that popped up on my Amazon search. I was able to read a few extracts and found it to be quite amusing, so I ordered it.

APPEARANCE:

The book is small, fits into a lady's bag, no problemo and hard covered which is really nice. The cover is a sort of gold/tan colour with different bicycle designs on it. The biding seems quite study. A great book to travel with.

The pages inside the book are thick and I find the printing nicely sized. There are a few illustrations by Christopher Koelle and even some colour pictures. The layout mimicks the cover; white pages with gold/tan underlines.

All in all, I would say that "Bike Snob" is a classy book on bicycles to have. I really like the small format and the hard cover. You can put it in your handbag, messanger bag, whatever, and not be afraid to damage it. The illustrations are cool and through them, one can sense the irony in the words to come.

CONTENT:

As I pointed out, I was drawn to the book by reading an extract on the Amazon site in which Bike Snob points out that the Amish keep only the best inventions, the bicycle being one of them. I found the tone filled with humour and even laughed out loud, which is not what a well bred French girl should do...

There are 3 parts to the book:
- the Basics
- Road Rules
- Advanced Cycling

The different parts interconnect well and have a logical chronology. Each one is filled with irony and perhaps some cultural references that a non American might not understand (who is this Mr Magoo?) though the base of the message is always simple and direct.

In the first part of the book, as stated, Bike Snob takes the reader through the basics: the history of the bicycle with somes fun facts I did not know, the definition of a cyclist, the different types of cyclists and a conclusion on a more personal matter.

The second part of the book is attacked a bit more "viciously" and the irony is a tad bit more ferocious. In this section, cycling amidst other fellow commuters, whether they be automobilists or even pedestrians, its rules and regulations are described. Mind you, this is not a government issued book, so the rules and regulations are not stated point blank, but rather the common sens a cyclist should have and the craziness one is faced when going on highly used roads.
While describing the situations, you clearly get the sens that they have all been lived by the author; for some you can feel that the anger gave in to the irony.
The second section finishes with Bike Snob gently mocking the unexistent "bike culture".

The last section covers other basics, this time not about the bicycle or cycling per se, but more on the accessories, weather conditions, how to lock your bicycle and the different preconceived remarks one will be confronted with when choosing to become a cyclist.

The book finished with an epilogue concluding that one should not be afraid to ride a bicycle in a big crowded city.

THOUGHTS:

I found great pleasure and amusment while reading the book, found many useful tips and recommandations. "Bike Snob" is easy and fast to read and there never is a dull moment as the author gives vivid examples of what he is describing or commenting on.

Still, I am French and I suppose it is in my genes to critisize.

Firstly, as I pointed out, there are some cultural references that a non-American might not get. If the book gets translated who knows what the translator will come up with. I have watched "Sex and the City" and "Friends" in French, there are some play on words that have been horrendously transcribed. It is painful to even listen.

[little anecdote: I once read a book translated to French and read "Si long Charles, adieu", which does not mean anything in French. I understood that in English it would have been, "So long Charles, goodbye". The traslator did a litteral translation instead of trying to make sens of the phrase. If I were to retranslate the bad French translation to English, it would be "How long Charles, goodbye". Argh! Google Translation is not a friend to the, hum, professionals.]

Secondly, Bike Snob refutes the idea of having a "nice" bike, or choosing one for it's looks.
Frankly, I chose my bicycle mainly for it's looks. Of course, the fact that you can stop by retropeddaling, that the bike has internal gears, is a beach cruiser with a large handlebar width, a sit up position and easy to care for, were all prerequisites to the looks of the bicycle, but I also wanted one that would make me want to ride it. I doubt a simple black bike bought at Décathlon would have won me over.
Looks do count as does style, the bicycle should suit you in ALL its aspects. Does that mean that you have to spend 5 000€ on it? Not really, but you should not feel guilty wanting a bike other than a hand-me-down beater, unless it is what you want.

As for the subcultural aspect, this might be an American thing. Perhaps it will emerge in France in a few years - there is a 10 year "subcultural" jet lag between the USA and the Hexagon, no doubt the French will get even haughtier when this "bike culture" arrives.

Lastly, Bike Snob is from the New York City area and this transpires throughout the book. Though mocked, you can feel that the author belongs in that urban jungle.
Like NYC, the style is vivid and "energetic" (can one say that about writing?).

I especially adored a part in which he describes the "self-importance" of people. This is not only found in the streets, but in any given aspect of human interaction, self-importance has become (I find) common - even worse - expected.
I really gave me food for thought and helped me take some distance from my job and all the self-important people that belittle you every day.

CONCLUSION:

If you are thinking about buying this book, go ahead without even thinking about it 2 more seconds. Unless you are pompous and only read the "classics", you will enjoy yourself, laugh and maybe even think about things differently.
I read it cover to cover, never getting bored, with a goofy smile on my face practically the whole time.

Bicycle Rose or Bicycle Champetre?

2012-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today was a quite disagreable day. Clients at work were vile and as I was quietly riding back to work from my lunch break, I suddenly hear breaks hitting hard.
A man in his big car had wanted to pass me, but had stopped suddenly when he saw there was a motorcycle coming the opposite direction. As he passed by, I told him to be careful. He answered that he had been careful since he had not hit me and then insulted me. My patience been quite thin, I answered back in the same manner, which is not at all what Bicycle Snob recommends in his book "The Enlightened Cyclist" (more on that on a post to come).

In any case, I came back home wanting nothing more thant to shut my brain from thiking sour thoughts about ignorant people. I watched a nice tv show in which the gardens are gorgeous, though not at all the purpose of the show.
I could not help myself, pausing and looking at the different plants and trying to get some insparation for my own garden.

Then it hit me. In my last post I was moping about how my bicycle could never fit in well in, say a tweed run. Well that is because my bicycle is not really urban.
It is not "chic" or sleek, nor is it a hard core working bicycle, yet it is vibrant. The same applies to me, no matter how much I like fashion and admire girls who can throw anything on without thinking about it, I will never be like that.
I hate wearing heels, I would rather sleep a few more minutes than finding the best accessory to wear to match my ensemble, I do not wear nail polish (gasp), have never had a manicure (a pedicure yes, but for medical reasons only), I am not graceful and some of my panties have holes in them (yikes! Please bow down to my courageous boyfriend).

Yet, I am a girl, I love pink, I like wearing some make up and, like all women, I am ALWAYS right (well almost).
Like the French say "Ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut." (What women want, God wills it).

So watching those beautiful plants it got me thinking of my own bicycle. My bike is rural, though I prefer the term "champêtre", because it is not really rural, but not urban, just in the middle - a small quiet town.
Like me, it looks better in a poppy field than in the middle of the urban jungle (with no plants).

So there it is ladies and gents, my bicycle (and myself) are not chic, but champêtre! Perhaps even "boho champêtre", because I do have a snobish side I try to refrain. "Mais chassez le naturel, il revient au galop".

A few pictures to better describe the "champêtre feeling".

Have a great day (better than mine hopefully).

BBC Series promoting the bicycle?

2012-07-30T14:58:00.001-07:00

I'm very fond of periodic movies and series, so it comes at no suprise that I enjoy Downton Abbey. I discovered the series last summer.
Stuck at home with my conjonctivitis I wanted to watch a nice English series and put on Downton.

Of course, I should not have been surprised when I saw bicycles in the show which is set during WWI, cars were not as popular as they are now, but the bicycle was handy.

While researching what type of bicycle was used in the show (which I did not find), I came upon another BBC series called Call the Midwife.

If Downton Abbey promoted a bit the bicycle, Call the Midwife is the bicycle's champion. Set in the 50's it follows the story of midwives in England. They go about to visit their patients by bicycle, so you see quite a lot of the two-wheeled vehicle. They even have their bells.

One can hope that if Call the Midwife has as much success as Downton, it will also promote bicycle riding as a means of trasportation and pleasure.

It got me to wonder that perhaps my own bicycle was a bit too flashy to pull of a chic dress wear, like say tweed.

What do you think? Are there boundaries as to what a person can where in accordance to the style / look of their bicycle? Or can you pull off anything and thinking otherwide is snobish?