Athens Update

Hi everyone, we've just had about a week of low intensity in Athens, heading into Thiseon for a couple of evening meals, at nightfall, beneath the walls of the Acropolis. It's my favourite place in Athens, authentic food, some street entertainment, great views, and very inexpensive. A large main course here, 6.50 euro, about $8. I feel a bit guilty at those prices, many here are peddling hard.

Here's the view, sensational:

We have booked flights to Chania, Crete, for four days, it's a good spot, we visited there in about 1977 or 1979. You can organise to do the walk of Samaria Gorge from here, but I think we'll hire a car for a couple of days, maybe visit Malia. Check out the link below for further info and some pics.

http://www.greecetravel.com/crete/chania/western-crete/


Next week, we'll take a car down to Pirgo and Kalamata, more on that later.


At the risk of boring 80% of you, but you can skip this, here are some more pics of bikes that caught my eye. Lots of steel frames, as I mentioned, and honest, working bikes. One doesn't see too many carbon road bikes, they are quite a minority.

Folder with child seat, Bergerac (wet weather too..pretty keen, or pretty lean)

Working steelie in Orleans, changers on the down tube. Bar tape is a bit thin though.

Could take this one home with me, very nice. In Paris

Can't take this one home, though....! Spacious road, Champs Elysses. You can see a couple of other bikes in the background, they are truly a part of the landscape

Don't like these, but interesting, has a belt drive. From my experience, 16inch is the smallest wheel I'd ever consider. 20 inch is completely fine, 16 inch a bit toey and choppy, definitely wouldn't go smaller. (An interesting aside; this pic was taken at the Pont de l'Alma, where Lady Diana had her car accident.)

This one is for Alan; like Oz, quite a few steel frames running either single speed, or even fixed. Wouldn't be too bad in Paris, fairly flat with a couple of exceptions. Even has toe straps, and a Brooks saddle-mon dieu! Another bike I'd have in my collection.

Got the blues, too

Ultrafolder at the Tour Eiffel. Would be just ok for short errands in town, which is probably what this chap uses it for. Helmet is unusual, and can't say he gets the smiley award for today. Baguette was probably stale.

Nice Brompton, nice owner too, a very keen bike advocate (sorry, just realised this is a repeat, but it can stay)   Salut Philippe!!!!

Police bikes, I didn't dare photo the riders, but they were two tough looking ladies, probably not the type that moonlights at the Moulin Rouge (never know, maybe they do one of those uniform routines)

Bike space in Paris

Bike route underneath the Pont Neuf. There was a steady stream of bikes along here, far outnumbering pedestrians. You can see how dangerous this sharing business is, someone should ban it....oops, Hobart Council already has. Good to see Tassie leading the way.