Gezellig Valkenburg aan de Geul

Two weekends ago Blondine and I were in Valkenburg visiting the Fluweelengrot Christmas Market and it seemed like everyone had the same idea including our German neighbours. A stream of traffic to the city centre received us and because this is the Netherlands, there was no available parking in sight, unlike in Germany where it is as simple as drive, park, pay and go. The Netherlands is helaas NOT a car country, you get punished here for having one.


But that didn’t distract us a bit because I am a lucky gal when it comes to parking. After a few rounds in the parking lot, we found a spot, along with the leaving occupant giving us his parking ticket that is still valid for another 4 hours. Grand. I am indeed lucky.

Valkenburg aan de Geul in December is a lovely and gezellig place, the Christmas lights and beautifications give it the ‘it’, the punch, the vigour that any city would want. Like a flower that blooms all year round and only gets prettier at the end of the year. Heated outdoor terraces thrive at every nook and cranny and shops selling Christmas ornaments are budding with shoppers. The holiday mood hung in the air. I would definitely come back.


Slow moving traffic as we enter into Valkenburg aan de Geul.


One of the remaining gates of Valkenburg, Grendelpoort.


Heated outdoor cafe terraces.

Up and Away :: Morning Version

Friday, January 20th – The campground where I am staying is a reasonable drive from Lake Havasu City. Having seen several signs indicating that a Balloon Festival is in progress this weekend, I got up at (what is for me) an early hour and made it into town by 8:30 am.



Stopping off at the Rotary Park along the channel, across from the Festival venue, I was somewhat disappointed to see only two balloons preparing to rise into the sky. Since I hadn't yet had the opportunity to see the famous (or infamous, depending upon you point of view) London Bridge, I continued walking along the channel. As I made my way around a curve, I saw several more balloons floating in the sky. Apparently there were five or six sites that were being used this morning from which to launch the balloons.





I never did see a multitude of balloons all at one time – there were reportedly 60 some balloons participating in the festival – but it was fun to watch them as they passed overhead.





I'm not sure what the “draw” is about seeing hot air balloons in the sky, but there were a lot of people strolling along the channel and enjoying the day.





One of the “big” things for the pilots of the balloons was for them to display a bit of expertise and skill by “dipping” their basket into the water and skimming along the surface for a short distance.





Success! Touchdown and liftoff.



More coming my way!



I never realized that the pilots had so much control over their balloons. Of course, the air was still, with hardly a breeze blowing.





Some of the balloons came pretty darn close to the London Bridge!



Just as I snapped this picture, the seagull came into the frame. I think it adds something to the picture – just not sure what! LOL.





Passing directly overhead...

The Clipless Ambush: a Tale of Failure

Well, my first encounter with clipless pedals occurred sooner than I anticipated. Last week the Co-Habitant decided to update his pedals, and the new set arrived in the mail today... which meant that he could gift me his old ones. I thought that surely this gifting would take place some time in the future - a distant, abstract future. But no. Cheerfully he attached them to one of our vintage roadbikes right then and there, so that I could give them a try. Don't get me wrong, I myself had expressed interest in this. But... I don't know, I just didn't expect it to happen immediately!



I already owned a pair of compatible shoes, having bought them on clearance last summer "just in case." With apprehension I watched him attach the cleats to the soles, trying to gauge the correct position. I then put them on and dragged the bike over to the kitchen sink, so that I could hold on to the edge with one hand as I tried to figure out how the contraptions worked.



I expected that clipping in would be relatively easy, but clipping out difficult. It was the opposite. At first I could not to clip in. I tried and tried, but my foot stayed on top of the pedal and the mechanism would not engage no matter how hard I pressed. I struggled to figure out what I was doing wrong, but the explanation turned out to be simple: I am a weakling. We had to loosen the tension almost to the max for my foot to engage the mechanism. Even after that, I still had trouble pressing down with enough force and in the exact position necessary for the cleat to catch. Clipping out, on the other hand, was intuitive: the sideways twist of the foot is exactly the same motion required to get out of Power Grips, so I found it natural.Transitioning from the kitchen sink to the trainer, I practiced for some time, clipping in and out successfully. I then decided it was time to go outside. I felt pretty confident at this point. Nothing to this.

It was around 10 pm and the small side street behind our house was well lit and empty of cars. Confidently, I carried the bike outdoors, swung my leg over the top tube, and clipped in my right foot. Now all I had to do was push off, coast for a bit, then put my left foot back down on the ground. That would be such an easy first step. No different from Power Grips. Just need to do it. Now. Go! But... it was not to be. Like some malfunctioning marionette, I kept clipping and unclipping my right foot, trying to mentally force myself to push off, but it wasn't working; nothing was happening. The amused Co-Habitant offered to stand at the end of the street and "catch me" if I found myself unable to unclip when I got there. But imagining that just made it worse. It began to feel as if I'd forgotten how to ride a bike entirely.

There is no redeeming ending to this story. After a good ten minutes I gave up and went back inside, my head hung low in shame. Obviously I am just not ready.

Aside from the tale of failure, I have some observations about the shoe and pedal set-up. I can't find the model name of the shoes, but in retrospect getting clipless shoes with laces was silly. Being stiff and unyielding, they are difficult to put on and tighten, and it's a pain to tuck the laces under the velcro. I am also not sure these pedals are right for me. They are Shimano SPD 520s: mountain bike style, double sided and with a very small surface area. I know that many love this type of pedal, but to me it felt like not enough of my foot was connected. Pedaling on the trainer, I had the sensation that there was too much pressure on the spot where the cleat meets the pedal and that a larger contact area would have been better. Maybe these particular shoes are not stiff enough, or maybe I would do better with a different style of pedals. There seems to be a consensus that the mountain bike clipless system is easier than the road system, but I wonder whether I might prefer the latter. Unfortunately, there is no way to try these things out.

Navigating the world of clipless shoes and pedals is complicated, and at the moment it seems best to postpone it... at least until I am brave enough to use the ones I have beyond the confines of my kitchen!

Before the Rain

Beach Weather

Ever been to the beach on a cold, rainy day?It can be brutal. It can also, every so often, surprise you with a microcosm of serenity. Finding myself in South Boston on a wet afternoon, I stopped by Carson Beach before heading home. Some Greater Boston residents balk at the mention of South Boston beaches. Too urban. Too gritty. Too close to the airport. The water is freezing. The harbor is polluted. But when I visit the 5 mile walkable, cyclable stretch of shoreline, I see an intriguing, beautiful landscape. There are hills, fortresses, turn of the century pavilions. Views of the islands, the Atlantic Ocean and the city skyline surround. There is some difficult history in this part of town. And there are people eager to forget it, enjoying their evenings after a day of work, watching planes take off over the water. Boston-Reykjavic: 5 hours. Boston-Dublin: 6 hours. Boston-Paris: 7 hours. The rest of the world is really not that far.






But on a rainy day in March no one was watching the planes take off or sitting on the beach. The shoreline paths lay abandoned, strewn with wet sand from the latest storm.






On the boardwalk I saw an off duty policeman jogging. I saw a young woman pushing a baby carriage, adjusting the cover when the rain began coming down harder. I saw an elderly man get out of a parked car and stand in the dunes looking straight ahead, then get back in the car and drive away.








Closer to the water, it suddenly grew warmer and the wind quieted down. I stepped out onto the sand and took a few strides forward.The harbor looked still as glass.There was a breeze behind me, but not ahead of me, as if the boardwalk served as some sort of microclimate border that day.





The quality of light was different too. To my right, the sand looked beige and the water a pale gray.But to my left was a patch that almost looked sunny - warm saffron and turquoise.





The dunes looked soft and inviting,I would hardly guess theyhad been covered in snow only days earlier.






A solitary boat stood, tilted, in the shallow water. Later I learned it had spent all winter in that same spot. As I studied its curious presence, the air was still, almost stuffy. This could be a summer sunset.




But only yards behind me it was raining and some degrees colder. The shuttered up snack shack glistened in the fading light as I cycled past.





Closer to the street, the wind picked up, the tree branches groaned, the rain became insistent. I zipped up my jacket and began to make my way home, leaving South Boston - and beach weather - behind.

Leaves

Wild Aster

this wild aster came up right next to my horse trailer which I almost never use. It got no care and only watered when it rained which wasn't at all until recently. But it grew, and bloomed even with out any water. Wish all flowers were this tough.

Indoor Bike Activities

Now that it's getting colder out, it's time for some indoor bike activities.

Like wrapping and shellacking handlebars. These are the new Nitto Noodle bars on the Co-Habitant's roadbike. We have wrapped and shellacked bars so often at this point, that it's become second nature. He is the wrapper. I am the shellacker. It is satisfying to smear the amber shellac onto that pristine white tape and watch it transform into a warm caramel colour. Makes me think of candy apples.

And in case you are wondering, yes those are reindeer pajama bottoms. Très chic, non?

Feels Like a Pacific Island Around Here

With all the beautiful sunny days and scorchin' temps we've been having lately, some visitors to Rainier might feel like they are actually visiting a Pacific Island rather than on a cold snowy volcano in the Pacific North Wet. It's actually kind of fitting since this month of May, is National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.



Even though our high camps are far away from warm Pacific Islands, rangers have sometimes been known to imagine themselves on a tropical beach of some sort. So bring your sunscreen, some tropical fruits, your favorite swim costume and head on up to our glacial island where you can almost see the Pacific Ocean on a clear day. We'll be waiting.



On another note the Northwest Avalanche Center has issued another special statement visitors to our mountain should read. If anyone sees anything weird going on with out snowpack we'd love to hear about it.

The Simple Life with Issy Morgans

"I live a very simple life" IssyMorgans Where do I start? This girl is complicated. I don't think I've ever received a morebewildering personalprofile from a climber.But lets begin. Issy Morgans is a tight ass. Her words, not mine.

Sheworks for a tight ass, my words not hers, in a climbing gym in Logan on the south side of Brisbane that not only doesn't have the internet but doesn't even have a computer.How tight is that?







Morgan(s) my bad.



Last time I posted photos of Issy I was stuck for a single word to describe her style. Lee Cujesoffered "composed".

The composure runs deep. She not only plans every meal for a week ahead, she plans every little thing she will do for a year. Climbers, I have stopped laughing at driven people and started taking lessons. I admire the dedication I see in people who are working hard on improvement.



Issy doesn't watch TV, hasn't watched a movie for over a year, doesn't eat out.

She says, "I work hard and save hard, I'm persistent and routine".



A fear of leading kept her indoor for nine years. Look at her now.

Let the picturestell thestory.































Here's Issy's answers to the quiz:



Q: Fave crags - A:Coolum and the Blue MountainsQ: Fave music - A: Listen to the radio most of the time jjj and Nova

Q: Fave movie - A: haven't watched a normal movie in over 12 months!

Q: Fave mag - A: I guess this would have to be Rock mag as its the only mag I have bought since I was a teenager!

Q: Fave celeb -A: Couldn't name any apart from Chris Sharma

Q: Fave cafe - A:Grandmas kitchen, I don't eat out!

A: Dogs - The question was "Cats or Dogs"?

A: Rock - The question was "Rock or Rap"?

A: Jeans - The question was "Frocks or Jeans"?

Issy scored 8/9 on the quiz. The correct answer was "Frocks"



The simple lunch - a rice cracker and water.



If I can re-phrase her words just a little, she says one of the things she is planning to do is to be more spontaneous.



Enjoy the simple things Issy.We love your positive style.

jj