Errandonnee, Cold Feet

A day after the first errandonnee foray I wait until 2 p.m, to venture out to maximize the warmest part of the day. Still, it's only 25F. I vacillate between staying inside with a warm cup of tea and getting out on the bike. However, the roads are dry—a plus—and brilliant sunshine buoys my spirits.

First stop is 2 miles from home. I bungee 10 pounds of rabbit food to the back rack.

Across the street in a mall I replace a favorite watch that'd recently broken. I like bangle style watches. They are loose fitting and easy to remove.

But of course, it's chilly and I pack the watch away. Time for warm mittens.

At this point I decided to tack on a few miles. I pedaled South Burlington's paths. They are always plowed. However, my toes were cooling down. Wool socks only go so far towards keeping feet warm. I chose my Bean boots for wind chill, however they are uninsulated, and my boys misplaced my toasty warm footwear.

By the time I stopped at the store for ice cream (of all things on a winter's ride!) my feet were numb. I walked the aisles, avoiding the frozen food case, avoiding the pain in my feet, avoiding my immediate reaction—which was to cry—until my feet thawed enough to complete my errand. I hope no one saw the pained look on my face.

3 errands complete, totaling 10 miles:

1. Grocery Store - City Market
2. Any store that is not a grocery store - Pet Advantage
3. Personal Care - Kohls for a watch (that's personal care for me!)

Next time I will try hand and feet warmers. That is, if the weather stays agreeable.

Italy - Kindness & October Rain

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Ride fields near Santhia. Photo credit: Annamaria Botto, Panaramio

50 miles - Monday, October 3

Because of campground closures we decide to inquire about a place approximately fifty miles east before heading out on the road. The night before we’d communicated with a gentleman in French, but now we’re face to face with a woman who only speaks Italian. We utter a few words. Her dark brow lifts and she smiles, pleased with our attempt at her language. She brings us frothy cups of coffee and we sit with her, consult a map, and she helps us decide where to stay that evening. As we roll out she waves and wishes us a good trip, “Buono viaggio!”

Andy at roadside shrine, northern Italy.

The woman’s goodwill casts a glow as Andy and I pedal through misty rain, for once not minding the weather. Through Santhia and Vercelli farming continues and with it traffic increases. Industrial buildings color the horizon. The campground ambassador had forewarned us about congestion as we neared Milan. The rainy month of October and lack of reliable camping tips our decision to check into a train. Leapfrogging closer to Venice, would be the best option. It would allow a day in the city and then head south for warmer, drier climate. Fingers crossed.

Ponte di Turbigo, Galliate, Near campground. Will cross it the following morning.
Photo credit: Giovanni Sottile, Panaramio

The afternoon is humid and Andy comments how he’d be happy if his towel dried out. It’s such a simple need, yet we know by now to remain flexible. By 5 p.m. we roll into a campground northeast of Novara, in Galliate, along the Ticino River. Camping is 25 Lira (17-18 USD), a comparatively steep price, and unfortunately without hot showers. Mosquitos are free. We finish dinner and crawl into our yellow tent as thunder and lightning drains the heavens. Hopefully the sky will clear by morning. Then we’ll have a short ride to Magenta where we hope to catch a train.

Errandonnee or Cycling as Usual?

There's been a lot of hubbub on the blog front. Chasing Mailboxes is currently operating an Errandonnee or in other words, errands by bike.  In true fashion, it requires one to complete and record certain checkpoints—in this case, categories with a minimum 30 miles total. The difficulty lies in finishing 12 errands in 12 days. By far, the biggest hurdle—at least for me—is the event's timing: February 9-20.

Errand hopping in springtime is easy-peasy; the mileage, no sweat. However, I'm a weenie when it comes to temperatures less then 25F, so my window of opportunity would comprise of, literally, a handful of days. Still, I printed the scorecard on the off chance Vermont's weather would cooperate. 

I have Friday to myself, so after getting the kids off to school I hoofed it over to a favorite coffee shop. I sipped my drink and kept an eye out the window. The forecast was for unseasonable warmth, also involving snow showers, which had yet to materialize so I headed home and saddled up to do errands.

A new love. Uncommon Latte:
 espresso, cinnamon, cardamom,
 with sweetened condensed milk.

I tacked on extra mileage, and with temperatures a blessedly warm 40F, I deviated and tried a bit of the waterfront trail. As expected, there were some snow and ice covered areas, but I longed for the sound of the waves. I was not disappointed. It was also nice to see the reconstruction finished; the washed out embankment was rebuilt with hay-infused netting in place until springtime grass takes hold.

I peered along the shoreline, delighted to discover a permanent fire ring. Only a crane could've built the block seating.

By this time I was turning my errands over in my mind, wondering how they would fit specific criteria for the errandonnee. But this proved detrimental to my enjoyment so I decided to not worry about it anymore and went about my tasks, which were things I'd wanted to do anyway. I'd also figured the main point of the exercise was to motivate folks. On this day I certainly didn't need a push.

I planned to visit Hal Mayforth's showing at Flynn Space, however it's only open on Saturday afternoon's. I made my own private viewing through the glass front, though, chuckling at some of my favorites. I smiled at his byline "subversive in his own little way" which is a fitting portrayal of his art.

A favorite: Reading Makes You Less Stupid.

Along the same vein I went to visit another illustrator at his office, something I don't get to do because my workplace is miles away from the city. I have a special affinity for Kevin Ruelle who I've known for many years. He's very outdoorsy and we often swap adventure plans. We'd chatted just a couple days ago so I thought I'd surprise him with a visit. Unfortunately, he wasn't there, but little did I know that his hallway is like an art gallery, filled with at least 50 of his works.

I felt privy to, yet again, an artist's talent.

A close up of his bicycle poster.

Then I swam laps at the YMCA then zipped over  to PETCO to research guinea pig cages. Of course I couldn't leave before making rounds of all the animals for sale.

This is the boy who came up with an ingenious solution 
for offenders blasting through crosswalks.

Does escorting children home from school count as errand #4? I walked some, rode some, depending upon whether I had to dodge a snow ball. Boys love snow, especially when it's prime for ammunition.

I'm not sure what to make of this errandonneuring venture or whether I will fit in enough days or errands. Or if it's something I need to document. But I have now ridden my bike in January and February, the two coldest months of the year. That's not something I do every winter.

For what it's worth I completed 4 errands in 10 miles.

1. Community Meeting - art gallery
2. Personal Care & Health - swim at YMCA
3. Any store that is not a grocery store - research at Petco
4. Wild Card - escort my son home from school

Bridgestone MB-3 Xtracycle

I was happy to see a Bridgestone Xtracycle on Burlington city streets. Xtracycles are becoming popular transport options here, often with children in tow. The elongated bike initially captured my attention, but I soon recognized the model as one my husband owns—his main ride. However, this bicycle sports the original metallic finish. And it's in good shape. Sweet.

Curiously, I'm unfamiliar with a sloping top tube, so what gives? With Internet research I discovered that some Bridgestones were constructed with a slight cant—perhaps a precursor to how bikes are designed today. My photo exaggerates this slant, which makes me want to stumble across this bike again and inspect it more closely.

I learn some thing new everyday.

Lock and Spin

This wonderful bike rack resides in front of Burlington Telecom's office. It's eye catching and functional—insomuch as the dial spins like a real Master Lock. Give it a whirl and the sturdy steel dial rotates a long time, similar to well-greased bearings on a bike wheel.