Thanksgiving for 50 degree evenings

I got a nice surprise this week - the chance to ride on a balmy evening without fierce winds. This is even better when the destination is the BMA Girls post-season party. After yet another trying day at work, it feels good to stretch the legs a bit, catch up with old friends over good beers and come home with new U Bikes socks. Got to be grateful for the little things.

Learning to ride on the left side of the road

A major part of my trip down under was a ten-day bike tour up the Sunshine Coast with my friend Melissa and her boyfriend Glenn. I came armed with little more than some shoes, a bike rack and a helmet. The bike was a loaner from Glenn and I took an introductory ride on it the day after my arrival, joining Glenn's cycling mates (aka, Dad's Army) on their regular Tuesday morning ride. The pack is made up of some extremely fit gentlemen, mostly in the 50+ age group - needless to say, I was dropped by Dad's Army, but at least I got used to having cars on my right. And I was able to keep up with Grandad's Army, mostly. Don't ask.

Bob the dog assisted with the setup of my trusty steed for our cycle tour. The pannier arrangement required some last minute engineering, including the use of yards and yards of Velcro, but in the end we got the wobbles out.

We unboxed the bikes in the Brisbane airport, had breakfast on the floor and then we were on our way, as soon as we found our way out of the airport. It's cool to be able to ride away from an airport.

After navigating serious highway construction, we made it to the train station for the Glass House Mountains, where the real riding began. On a train. Then on bikes. Really. I swear.

The hinterland we rode through is farmland, but here the farms are full of macadamia trees and pineapples. Roadside stands provide both needed caffeine and tropical fruits.

The Glass House mountains from a distance. Pretty. Reminds me of Hawaii, but the jacarandas weren't in bloom yet. Spring must be outstanding here.

We rode through some brief showers up high. Not having any rain gear on hand, there was nothing to do but hang out under the tarp and wait for the dripping to stop.

Down to the coast! Kind of sketchy with all the extra weight behind me.


We occasionally saw native wildlife...this guy was on the top of the Shell station. Honest.

While we originally had big plans to cover over 700 km by bike, we often lingered at the beaches and ended up enlisting the help of the Aussie Greyhound service. Greyhound in Oz is way nicer than the US version; they've got tilt chairs, late night kids' movies and endless early 80's rock piped in through mysterious speakers I couldn't control. One of our buses broke down before it got to us, so we got to lounge around outside the ticket office for a bit.

We picked up dinner at Woolies (or maybe it was Coles) and enjoyed the sunset over the shopping center car park. It was just like home: Target, Taco Bell and tons of screeching parrots roosting for the night in the surrounding palms. I have a sound file of the birds, but can't post it here. It would never give you a sense of their true volume anyhow. We could barely hear ourselves talking over them.

Our last night on the road brought us to Rockhampton. This was a somewhat brutal reintroduction to civilization with all its noise, traffic and crowds. After eight nights of camping, we were ready for beds with blankets and private showers. This was the nicest room I've ever rolled a bike into.

The next morning we rode right from the hotel to the airport for the flight home. There just seem to be so many more things you can do on a bike in Australia that I couldn't imagine getting away with in the US, including spreading your belongings out in a corner to pack and then talking the airline employees into giving us all their packing tape to get the job done.

Three hundred km or so, and not a single flat. Not sure how I managed it.

A later trip into Adelaide revealed that some things are the same wherever you go. The southern hemisphere has their share of hipsters on fixies and messengers chatting up baristas, too.

In all, I decided I definitely like cycle touring. As Glenn said, it's travel on a human scale. If I'd had more time, I would have ridden many more kilometers. As it is, I'm still having trouble staying on the proper side of the bike paths at home.

Coming soon: birds, beasts and beaches...

Lunchtime flora

The campus greenhouse was open to the public today. Lots of tropical greenery.



Entry was by reservation only. Some visitors didn't get their names on the list.

Farewell, indian summer

A valid reason to turn the bike around and delay the journey to work for a few minutes. Hoar frost in our low-lying neighborhoods this morning, ghostly and serene.

Fall interlude

Before I start reminiscing about life in the subtropics, I thought I'd acknowledge the local leaves of last month. This is seen through my amber sunglasses, but I don't consider the color enhancement a lie since this is how I view the world on my rides. I'm glad autumn didn't completely disappear before I got back.

Vacation slide show

For those of you who don't want to wait around for the stories that go with the pictures, feel free to flip through the photos in the Oz album below, right (look for the ibis) or just click here. Since I got back, I've had really good intentions, but laundry, dishes, and general post-holiday malaise have gotten in the way of blog time. I made fun of my friend for posting New Zealand stories almost a year after he got home, but now I completely understand how these things happen.

I still have good intentions and have left out any of those photos that require explanation, so there's more to come. Really. I mean it.

Best dinner ever?

Harvest dinner at Watercourse with an appropriately full moon over my shoulder. Plate upon plate of lovely foods, wrapped up with a mug of chicory coffee and stolen spoonfuls of leftover pecan pie and chocolate dipping sauces. Not to mention an introduction to six wines (hello, Riesling, I think I like you). These people know how to make me happy.

Amuse:

Chestnut and savory pear bruschetta served on a sweet potato cracker and topped with French Roquefort cheese and a fig compote.

Pairing: Danielle De L’ansee (Loire Valley)

1st Course:

Squash 3 ways:

A spicy kabocha squash bisque, with a pumpkin seed oil drizzle and crispy squash chips with a smoked sea salt.

Pairing: Petite Petit (California)

2nd Course:

A sweet walla walla onion pate, served with toast points, and a rosemary apple mustard.

Pairing: Magnificent Riesling (Washington)

Main:

Herbed and truffled white bean and cauliflower puree served with a crispy potato nest, arugula and champagne grape salad with autumn gastrique and a mushroom demi.

Pairing: Rivetto Docetto D’ Alba

Dessert:

Pumpkin spiced beignets with a trio of dipping sauces (chocolate, pecan pie and cranberry).

Pairing: Gruet Demi-Sec (New Mexico)