More on urban biking

The bike is still a little balky about getting into first gear on the front sprocket (my Granny gears).  But when I can get into first, I can now ride all the way home without stopping to walk.  Those hills that used to look too step are, in fact, OK!

What else have I learned?

Not to be afraid to go a bit fast.  Basically the bike will keep moving forward even if it hits a small bump.

Best control comes when pedaling -- so I use 3rd gear on the front sprocket more now, and even pedal on some of the downhills.


Just these changes have shortened the approximately 3-mile trip by about 5 minutes!

Custis running trail = Custis bike trail.

Just like roads can have sensors that detect cars, the bike path has sensors that detect bikes so that they can count usage.  Lots of people are away on vacation in August, but, in spite of that, there are over 1000 people past the Rosslyn checkpoint every day!

Why is Peg smiling at the smokers?

GW has a smoke free campus, but not everyone has gotten the message.  I have taken it upon myself to remind folks that we have a smoke free campus -- and that they need to move to the sidewalk to smoke (public space).  Of the handful of people who I have reminded, most have moved towards the sidewalk.  One young woman told me that she thought it was just a suggestion!  A young man said that I was not the police, and that I was harassing him.  I happened to remind the same young man in the same spot a few days later, and was again accused of harassing him.  Do know that my reminders are polite.

So I am finding myself smiling at the occasional cluster of smokers who are on the sidewalk.....

Urban biking -- African leader's summit

Biking in to campus on Tuesday, I was guided at one point by a cluster of 5 police officers -- must be because of the African leader's summit.  Following that, my  usual bike parking spot had been taken over by campus construction, so I parked in a different spot.

Getting to my bike to go home, I had to walk through another cluster of 5 police officers, this time surrounding a homeless man who apparently had done something wrong in front of the DC high school that is on our campus. 

And as I approached the Kennedy Center on my bike, there were 5 more police officers -- the vangauard of many more who were observing a rally.  I asked about the best route, and they said I would be fine across the street from the speakers.  I could not understand the language (probably Arabic), or read the signs.  No idea what was their issue.  On my side of the street, there were about 100 women with head scarves and children.  Across the street were men, mostly in Westerns dress.

And the next morning, on the way in, the Kennedy Center surface level parking lot seemed to be a police staging ground -- with police cars and motor cycles mixed in with the Lion King truck.

What do I still remember from my urban biking class? 
1.  It is important to communicate clearly with motorists -- with hands, body, and overall decisiveness
2.  Hope you never need to, but you can ditch off the back of the bike if need be.
3.  A quick push of the handlebars to the left will enable a quick right turn.
4.  Don't get doored -- ride 4 feet away from parked cars.
5.  Don't be afraid of using both the right and left brakes -- you will not fly over the handle bars.
6.  You have more control if you are pedaling -- even on the downhills. 

The rest of the Iowa solar cooking

In the mornings, Dan and MaryBeth's house had good sun on the back steps (with some occasional leaf shading); in the afternoons there was good sun on the sidewalk in front of the house.  During the solar cooking,  I more or less reoriented the Haines Solar Cooker towards the sun every 30 to 75 minutes.  I never worried about tipping front to back for better alignment.

The cornbread recipe was right off the cornmeal box.  The pot had a glass cover, so I sprinkled cinnamon on top of the cornmeal batter to make it darker to absorb the light.  The cornbread was particularly moist (without sour cream or cheese).

Ratatouille is more or less an Italian mix of seasonal vegetables.  It usually has eggplant, but I did not have any, so I put in some cherry tomatoes, green pepper, zucchini, onion (mostly from the Iowa City Farmer's Market), and fresh herbs from the garden.  For good measure, I also put in some olive oil and salt. 

The vegetables softened and the flavors mixed together well.  Quite a lot of juice was released, and it did not evaporate as it might have done on the stovetop. 

Dahlia the Artist

For her birthday, Dahlia got a two-sided easel with paints, chalk and markers.  At 3 years 2 months she is doing amazingly well with her art.  This is her self portrait, not quite fully completed.

On another picture, she talked to me as drew:

That is Dahlia.
I put some hair and eyes and a nose and a shirt.
A mouth.
I made a head on me and I put arms on me.
Oh, and a forehead.
Yellow hair. Cheeks.
I put a big hole so that I could fill it in.

I wrote this on her picture, and she also "wrote" on the picture.

Rule of thumb is that you expect the young artist to include one body part for every year of her/his age. Dahlia is way ahead of this.

Solar Blueberry cake

For Dan's Birthday, I gave him a history/cooking book, "A Garden Supper Tonight: Historical Seasonal Recipes & Home Lore."  From the July recipe for Summer Lemon Cornmeal Plum Cake, I turned it into Solar Blueberry cake. 

Dry ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup sugar

Liquid ingredients
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg

I mixed the wet and dry, poured it into the oiled Teflon pan, added a cup of blueberries, and baked it from 10:30 to 1:00 in the Haines Solar Cooker.  It was probably done by 12:30.   Part of the time, there were some leaf shadows.  The blueberries were bubbling/boiling.  Delicious.

This is the testimonial to how good it was!

Daylilies and Treefrogs

On the way down to Terre Haute, I had spotted a day lily sales place along the road.  On the way back, I kept saying to myself, "daylilies", so that I would not miss it.  I bought a few of their "fans" -- small pieces of day lily -- for Mary Beth.  I rained quite a bit shortly after I got them in, so it should be OK.  I also made notes about some of the varieties on an order form so that I could get some later.

Then Mary Beth and I visited the local day lily place near Iowa City.  Lots of beautiful blossoms.  I bought a couple for Mary Beth, and a few for Missy for a graduation present. 


With Mary Beth's sharp eyes, we found two varieties of tree frogs.

These are both probably grey tree frogs.

Running the Hoover trail

Running the Hoover Trail here in West Branch brings back all sorts of memories -- I ran my 20 mile run here when I was training for the marathon -- the Hooker Trail is only 3 or so miles long -- so I ran back and forth a couple of times, and around to other parts of town.

This trip, the weather has been clear and cool in the mornings, and the trail has been beautiful.  On the ship I ran on the treadmill, and back in Arlington, I have been running on the W&L High School Track.  So this is my first running on roads and trails -- a great way to go.

There has been a lot of water in Iowa this summer, and there were cones on a bridge on the trail marking off a hole about 18 inches across that went to daylight below.  Glad I was not the first person to discover that after the last storm.

Poster children for clean water

 Notice the katydid in Dahlia's hair.

Wildcat Den State Park had a great 2 mile loop trail -- and it turn out that Iowa is not all that flat.  We hikes along limestone cliffs.  Dahlia and Hayden loved the hiking (actually, riding on Mom and Dad's back) and playing in the water.  The water was a lot of fun, but water quality was pretty icky, so we all bathed when we got home. 

We need to listen to the Lorax, and get the water clean!

Another sunny day in Iowa

Here is today's solar cooking report for the Haines cooker.

This morning I baked half an acorn squash and a sweet potato -- easily ready for lunch.  I baked them in a covered glass bowl. 

Then at 1:00 I put out a curried quinoa veggie bowl made with coconut milk.  I worried about the clouds that came and went through the afternoon -- but it was cooked just right.  In fact, it was softer and creamier than a usual quinoa.  I am pleased with the successes of this cooker.  And I am pleased with the strength of the Iowa sun.

Curried quinoa veggie bowl

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup quinoa
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen peas

I just put everything in the black pot with clear cover, and put it into the solar cooker.  It was served with grilled zucchini and cauliflower.

Solar cooking in Iowa

Solar Cookers International ran a great international conference in Sacramento -- two days of talks and conversation, and one day of demonstrations in a park open to the public.  Barbara (Barratt) and I were not the only two-generation family at the conference.  We learned so much, met so many people, and had a great time. 

I came directly to Iowa from Sacramento to visit my son Dan and his family.  We went to the children's museum this morning, then to Target to buy a black pot.  After lunch and a merry-go-round ride, I did not get home until almost 2:00.  I set up the new Haines solar cooker (panel cooker) on their sidewalk at 2:00 with rice, and the rice was done just fine for dinner!

I thought that the windscreen might be too loose and be letting out too much hot air, but clearly not.  The whole thing traveled well on the plane (sticking out of my backpack), and was easy to set up. The pot is raised up off the reflective surface with a clear plastic cylinder, and instead of having to use a plastic bag to hold the hot air around the pot, the windscreen holds in the heat enough for cooking. 

Homeless people and runners own the dawn

Running along the Sacramento River here in old town Sacramento's early morning brings me past the homeless.  Imagine at night having to think about whether to go into the bushy areas closer to the river, or to sleep on the ground alongside the trail, or to go further from the town and sleep on a bench.  Imagine thinking whether it would be worth pushing your things in a shopping cart or to have fewer things that would fit into a backpack.  Imagine wondering where to get a bicycle like some of the other homeless.  Imagine wondering what you will find in today's rummage through the trash cans.  And imagine wondering where today's food will come from.

Cool evenings, cool mornings, and cheerful -- not too hot-- sunny days have made this a great visit to Sacramento.  I had forgotten its role in history as the gateway to the gold rush.  The first bridge across the Sacramento River was at the time of the gold rush, and there continued to be ferries for a long time after that first bridge went in.  During the New Deal, with the increase in automobile traffic, a new "Streamline Moderne" (post-art deco) bridge was put in to frame a dramatic entrance to the capital.  I allowed two lanes of cars and a train track down the middle.  It used an innovative light-weight concrete for the draw bridge section in the middle.

Ha ha, ha ha

Recall that we were the "ha ha" -- the lowered area beyond the yard of the old-time mansion that allowed a lovely pastoral view without the need for a fence.  We were providing that view for the very large house that was built behind us while we were away last year. 

Then the building inspectors required a fence be built before the house could be occupied, so I no longer had fantasies of catching toddlers falling from above.  The tidy open-looking fence seemed to provide a reasonable visual barrier between the houses, and even took away some of the impression that they were always going to be looking down on us, and into our house. 

Well, today, the fellows from the wrought iron fence company arrived, and put up a black wrought iron fence just inside the wooden one!  They thought that the wooden one might be removed subsequently, but that was not their department......stay tuned.

Meanwhile we continue to think about ways of making their view down onto our yard so unpleasant that they put in more trees.  That might not be working out -- because the good weather in June and early July has allowed considerable improvements in our back yard.  And, reminiscent of the MV Explorer, we eat many meals out back. 

The latest improvement is a play space for the turtles.  We have not made it predator proof for night, but they have a 125 gallon pond, and behave more and more like wild turtles. 

Wildlife on Lorcom Lane

There is an amazing variety of wildlife right here in our yard!

Last summer, Mary Beth gave me extra hostas, and they have done very well arranged as a semicircle in the front yard.  They were lush, and just starting to bloom when the deer found them.  Now they are regularly muched by the deer, and look pretty pathetic.

The chipmunk and squirrel are of great interest to the dog Lance.  The chipmunk regularly runs into a horizontal downspout, and Lance paws at it and tries to get him out.  He seems to have other hiding places under rocks and under the deck.

At first the baby bunny did not eat the lettuce that self seeded in the front yard, but now he is a little fatter and sassier -- and enjoys the lettuce.  No gourmet, he ignores the basil!  Lance gets very excited and wants to go out when he sees the bunny -- I always give the bunny a head start.

Today there was a baby robin -- with spotted breast -- flying after its mother.  Other regular birds right now include sparrows, a catbird and a mocking bird.

Lizards and snakes.  There is a fast moving blue skink we sometimes catch glimpses of.  In addition, both my neighbor and I saw a very long black snake, and both looked it up on the internet to make sure it was not poisonous.  The black ratsnake is black on top, whitish below, not too big around, and was at least 3 1/2 feet long, maybe 4.  He was resting his first 6 inches on my front steps when I saw him.

Tanabata

Today is July 7, Tanabata.  This is the one day a year that the weaver and the cowhearder cross the heavens to be together, and the Japanese celebrate by putting paper wishes onto bamboo branches.  In some versions of the story, they have to cross the Milky Way, and celebrations include lots of lights and stars.

The first day that I (together with David and Dan) ever set foot in Japan was July 7, and there was a branch of bamboo with wishes right at the airport.  That must have been 1987.  Nick probably recalls doing this in Michigan -- except instead of putting light pieces of paper that wash away in the rain -- we used very solid paper that was still there in the spring.  The festival is celebrated on different summer dates, so Nick and his friend Derek were there for the festival last summer. 

Will thinks it odd, but we have a bamboo branch with tied on paper wishes in front of the house today.   Leave it to me to find bamboo on short notice!  Wiki says that we should burn the branch or throw it in the river -- not sure that either is an excellent Arlington option.

We are no longer the "haha"

The house behind us still towers over us with its 3 stories, and the contract for the buyers is still pending.  We have been imagining catching the toddlers who might tumble down the 4 foot drop to our yard.  Recall that this drop off (the haha) served in long-ago estates to keep the cattle from wandering onto the lawn, without having a fence impede the view.

Arlington Building code did not agree with the "haha" concept.  In preparation for inspection, a fence has been installed.  It is a sensible fence, as might serve for a porch railing, and it seems to create a simple visual barrier.  Our remodel was designed to focus the orientation of the house towards the back yard and its outdoors feel.  My adjustment to this view is slow, but the small bunny that comes through the yard does seem to find it a suitable outdoorsy habitat. 

Reinvention -- Part 3

Within the last year, I have started over three separate times.  If you have read Anne Tyler, you recall people wandering to another town and starting over.  Or in "Patron Saint of Liars" (by Ann Patchett), the main character starts over twice. 

Arriving in Japan last summer, I needed to set up IT, figure out transportation, figure out how to get some exercise, outfit a kitchen, make friends, and speak Japanese.  Arriving on the ship in January, there were similar challenges in setting up the IT, figuring out the environment and routine of the ship, figuring out how to get exercise, and make friends.  No need to outfit a kitchen since everything was prepared for us. 

And now we are back in DC/Arlington -- and starting again in many ways.  We are in the same house, but it looks great with all the little things put away for our tenants.  And I am still at George Washington Univ., but with a new role (professor) and a new office.  I have some of the same challenges as in Japan and on the ship -- almost daily trips to the IT help desk, experimenting with bicycling and Metro to work.  I am not car free, but car light seems to be working.  Back to the gym for exercise, running gently on the high school track, walking, and gardening have my heart rate at 56 and my blood pressure at 108.

If you suspect food allergies, you can one-by-one eliminate foods to see what matters.  Or you can cut down to the basics of turkey, rice, and applesauce, then add back foods one-by-one.  In our case, we cut back to a pretty minimalist existence traveling for a month with just what we could carry.  And we have returned to a very uncluttered house and life -- giving us the opportunity to thoughtfully add things back in one at a time.

Should we subscribe to the New York Times? Washington Post? Paper or electronic?  If the rule of thumb is that you don't need any thing that you have not used in a year, everything in the attic and basement should go.  I am even resisting opening the few boxes that we shipped home from Japan and some of the luggage brought back from Semester at Sea -- where would we put those things?  I have great hope for reinvention, part 3.

Bike commuter!

Success. I biked to and from work today with no bike incidents!  The new tire and tube worked fine.  The new brake pads worked fine.  The adjusted shifters let me get into all the necessary gears.  (They call those low gears "granny gears", and I am a granny.) 

I am very fortunate to live so close to an off-street bike path that goes almost all the way to my office.  With a little more experience, perhaps not quite so many people will pass me, and perhaps I will even be able to bike the steepest 15 meters. 

Back -- at work, home and in DC

I stopped by to talk with staff in the Columbian College office -- they said that they had never seen me so relaxed!  A year's sabbatical can do that for you!  At the start of the year, it was hard to get my body to sleep 8 hours, even when there were no deadlines.  But after a while, my mind and body adjusted to the sabbatical, to good effect.

I found it very relaxing to eat on the back deck of the ship, and am finding it relaxing to eat in the back yard here.  Though, perhaps not quite as relaxing -- I still notice the airplane noises, and have not gotten over the huge new house behind us.  But I can face the other way, and am getting used to the airplanes.

When I was growing up, and Ray was hung over, he would oil the teak.  When I was jet lagged from these travels, I oiled the wooden kitchen counter.........the tactile experience of the wood and the oil is very soothing.

I have also found the roses, the last stage of spring in DC, very familiar and cheerful.  And the first firefly, a sign of impending summer, last night also was familiar and cheerful.

Beer, berries, and music

Reunion with Dale and Madeline (and their parents) has been great!  The first day we went to a bike festival sponsored by Fat Tire beer from Colorado.  David and Dale rode in the bike rally, and we all sat in the park to watch the fashion show of costumes.  People had the chance to try out a CRAZY assortment of bikes -- backwards bikes, huge bikes, tiny bikes, bikes with 2 riders side by side....I think we all got a big kick out of this!

With Madeline almost 6, she is very grown up -- she really changed from a preschooler to a little girl.  And with Dale almost 3, she has changed from a toddler to a pre-schooler.  they are kind to each other, and to Grandma Peg.  

The next day, Liz brought the kids to Arlington to pick mulberries.  The first time I took Madeline to pick mulberries 3 years ago, and she came back with a purple face, the way kids do when they are smushing berries into their mouths. Dave and Liz though she had been in a bloody accident.  This time, she smeared the berries on her face on purpose, but could not get the same rise out of her parents.

Madeline collected and saved up quite a few berries in her basket -- Dale had more of the eat-as-you-go plan.  We were thinking of "Blueberries for Sal", but the thought of a mama bear and a baby bear coming along was pretty remote -- we were picking along a busy Arlington street.  As a bonus we also collected some June Berries -- they were particularly plentiful this year.

We are the haha

Imagine a gracious country estate, overlooking a field of cows.....  but it would spoil the view to have a fence between the mansion and the cows.  Through history this problem has been solved by creating a "haha."  To do this, the lovely lawn comes to an end with a sharp drop-off.  This drop-off serves as a wall to keep the cows out, but is invisible from the mansion.

So, how does this work in our neighborhood?  In constructing the huge house behind us, they created a level back yard that ends in a drop-off.  We do not have cows, but this wall keeps out our dog, etc.  And they benefit fully from the view of our mature trees.  So our lower yard is the haha, and they do not have to look at a fence. 

It is similar to the Japanese gardening idea of borrowing scenery from the hillside behind the garden. We saw this in Kyoto, where many gardens backed onto the hills, or took advantage of the views of hills that were a bit distant.   

There goes the neighborhood......

The first night back, I took a walk around the neighborhood.  Even in the dark there were significant changes.  FIVE new houses were built, just on the simple walk that I take with Lance.  And these were not just houses, but McMansion monstrosities.  Daylight showed two more underway.

On Sunday, I went to the open house for 2 of the houses.  When I left Arlington 11 months ago, there was a dense bamboo forest at the corner of Lorcom and Edgewood.  Now there were 2 huge houses.  At the open house, one woman noted that there was not much yard -- duh -- they filled the whole lot with house.  Another potential buyer commented that there would be room for the man-cave that the Dad had always wanted, for a Mom cave, AND even another room for a girl cave.

There is a formal entry area, "Grand Foyer Entry"-- but the house is directly on Lorcom and no one arriving by car can even stop briefly to let someone out on that busy street.  The house also features an "Inviting Living Room," "Butler's Pantry" and a "Sun-filled Family Room."  The house is 5217 square feet, and $1.7M or $1.8M. 

This is pretty hard to take after seeing the housing in townships in South Africa, rural villages in Ghana, and urban India.

Perhaps the biggest monstrosity is the 3 story house that now overlooks our back yard. I knew that construction was underway, but this thing is huge.  Just like in "Bartholomew Cubbins and the 500 Hats" by Dr. Seuss, the big houses look down over the little houses.  We just do not have enough tall trees to screen the house.  They have planted a few, but not really in the strategic locations for providing screening. 

I am considering options.  Fast growing bamboo?  Liz suggests that hornbeam grows fast? Perhaps some nude sunbathing, and they will put in more screening themselves.......

Will Lance recognize me?

For the whole trip I wondered if Lance would recognize me when I got home.  He received excellent care from Elana and her family while we were away, and she sent pictures to show how well-adjusted he was.  Clearly he was not pining away with loneliness missing me. 

I returned to the empty house in the dark after an absence of 11 months.  Mind you, dogs are not elephants, and they largely live in the present.  Lance went bonkers with enthusiasm!  He bounced around, made his cheerful noises, and even sung to me.  Nevertheless, he was a bit puzzled -- twice he looked behind me to see who else was coming.  Was he expecting Elana's family, or Will and Nick?

Bike commuter -- almost

I think that a true bike commuter needs to ride the bike all the way, without walking it.  Arlington is very hilly, and my newly repaired bike did not go into its lowest gear today, making it necessary for me to walk up three of the very steepest places.  So after returning from work, I went directly to the bike shop -- yet one more trip there -- for an adjustment.

Almost the entire route is on a bike path, separated from traffic, and the section with the shared road is not very busy.  The distance is  about 3 miles. 

In fact, it is downhill almost all the way to work, and the only real pedaling is on the way back.    That will work out well in the heat of summer -- with my arriving at work still somewhat fresh, then changing when I get home.  I will keep trying.

Car-free or car-lite?

I sold my Subaru before I left, and Will's Prius is dead in front of the house.  This seemed like a perfect opportunity to go car-free, for at least a while.  On the first day, David paid for a cab to drive me home from his house.  Thanks David.  It was easy to walk to the grocery store, but not so easy to carry everything home -- did I really need the personal-sized watermelon?  It has been delicious.

On the second day, it was easy to walk to the grocery store, but not so easy to carry everything home. Did I really need the personal-sized watermelon?  It has been delicious. I walked to explore the neighborhood, did not go to church, and did not need a car.

The third day, I needed to check in at the doctor's office.  It was a good walk, perhaps a bit more than a mile.  Then they referred me to the hospital for an x-ray of my foot, and I got there by cab.  Next stop was the credit union to talk about my mortgage -- walked there.  Walked home.  After lunch, I walked to Metro, took Metro, and walked from Union Station to go see a performance at Madeline's school.

Enough.  I have borrowed Dave and Liz's extra car.  The County of Arlington promotes the car-free diet, but they also talk about going car-lite.  I think I need to opt for car-lite.  How am I going to buy fish for my outside "ponds" without a car?  How will I get to the plant nursery?  How will I pick up Barb?

Re-entry haiku

Washington blue skies,
Crimson Japanese maple --
Momiji welcome


The lush greenery
tells of the severe winter --
now climbing roses

First try at bike commuting

My bicycle suffered from sitting unused for a year, and one of the tire sidewalls was decomposing.  I started yesterday by walking to the nearby bike shop to see if they could fix it.  First trip.  Then I pushed the bike to the shop very gently -- both tires were significantly deflated, and I could not find the pump.  I waited while they replaced one tire and tube, bought a new helmet, picked up some bike maps, and took the bike out for a spin.  Second trip. 

One of the brakes squeaked terribly, so I took the bike back to the shop.  Third trip.  He replaced the brake pad for free, and I brought the bike home for the night.  Considerable rummaging did not turn up any of the keys to the bike lock, so I stopped on my way to work to buy a new lock (and keys!).  Fourth trip.

I had studied the bike maps, and set out for work.  In the process of shifting, the chain came off the sprockets, and peddling was frozen.  The bike was able to coast downhill, and I walked it on the uphills to return home to call a cab. 

Metro back home at the end of the day was not entirely straight forward.  The regular fare machines do not sell Smart Cards, so I asked for help.   When I got to the right machine,  I had a $20 bill in my pocket to buy the Smart Card, but the machine only took $10s -- so I fished out my credit card to get the Smart Card.  This was rush hour, and the first train only had room for a few people -- so I did not get on until the next train. 

The total door to door Metro commute, with walking home from Clarendon was almost 50 minutes.  Then I got the jammed bike, and walked it back to the bike shop.  Fifth trip.  He took off the pedal, unjammed the chain, and put it back together.  Unfortunately, the chain came off the sprockets again in testing, and since it was 7:00 closing time, he said I needed to leave it overnight so he can figure out the problem.  So tomorrow I will not have the bike until later in the day when I make my 6th trip to the shop.

I am very motivated to try the bike commute, and I was going to sign up for the City Cycling Class this Saturday in Arlington.  Unfortunately, the class is actually in Alexandria -- I am not sure I want to bike 9 miles each way for this class.

Offices of all kinds

My office in Japan was a huge shared office for 2 of us.  We each had a desk and there was a shared computer stand with a slow computer.  In addition, the office had a seating area with a couch and 2 chairs as well as a sink and sideboard.  There were bookcases all along one wall, and lots of floor space for us to spread out cardboard, glue, foil, etc. for making prototype solar cookers.

On the MV Explorer, my office was the same as the shared room that Will and I occupied.  In front of the mirror, there was a glass ledge about 12 inches deep and about 3 or 4 feet long -- that was my desk.  From time to time I used our 15 inch across round table as a desk and sat on the tiny banquette. 

During the day the lounge was a quiet faculty (and life-long learner) work space -- it was on the top deck at the front of the ship, and if the seas were a bit rough, it was too bouncy for me to read or write.  But on quiet days, I sometimes worked there.  My favorite spot (and there was no competition for this spot) was standing at the piano bar.  there was room to spread thing out, and using a standing desk was a nice contrast to a lot of sitting.

Today I got my new office in the Psychology building.  Because the building is old, the office is quite large.  It has two windows!  At the moment, there is nothing on the walls, and it is only furnished with 2 bookcases (nearly empty), a small computer stand, and a basic chair.  The walls are white, peeling in a few spots, and the floor is red tile, slightly buckled with age.  One of my colleagues stopped by and suggested that it looked more like a prison cell; another colleague suggested that I had taken the minimalist look too far.  Perhaps I will take in something with color tomorrow.

Globe Theater

A replica Globe Theater has been built along the Thames.  We were lucky enough to get one of the last few seats for Anthony and Cleopatra for the very last evening of the trip.   We were in the first balcony, looking down on the groundlings who were standing in the middle.  It is almost June, but the evening was quite cool, and I supplemented my layers with a newspaper across my lap to keep warm. 

It was a great complement to our visit to the Cleopatra exhibit at a museum in Paris.  That exhibit started with artifacts from the time of Cleopatra, as well as coins and such that may have had her image on them.  Then it went on to the representation of the Cleopatra story in the various arts over the years.  There were lots and lots of pictures of her being bit by the snake.

And both of these were a great complement to my reading of the award-winning Cleopatra biography a couple of years ago.  In the biography, she is a shrewd leader – not deserving of the label whore given by Shakespeare.

Which side of the road do they drive on? (Part 4)

They must have had trouble with this in London, because they write it on the pavement!  At busy intersections they write on the pavement just as you would step off the curb “LOOK LEFT” or “LOOK RIGHT” along with an arrow. 

In fact, the crossing system is different at many of the spots.  There might be a crossing section with an island in the middle that is marked by round yellow globes.  Cars are supposed to be alert, and pedestrians are supposed to be alert, without a light to control it.  It seemed to work out fine.

Border crossing

Getting from Paris back to London involved considerable scrutiny at the border before entering the chunnel.  First we stopped on the French side and all got off the bus to go through passport control.  While we were doing that, they inspected the bus and the luggage hold.

Then we went through the UK procedures.  Again we all got off the bus to go through passport control.  They asked lots of questions.  How much money are we carrying? Where are we going to stay?  Is that accommodation already paid for?  Do we have any family in the UK?  And while we were going through this, they inspected the bus and luggage compartment, including using dogs. 

When I returned, my sandwich had been moved from a bag on the floor up onto the seat.  It probably was of interest to the dog!  Clearly they do not want just anyone entering their country on the cheap bus.

One woman was pulled aside, and she and her luggage were taken to a building.  Here is the scary part.  The bus went on without her.  I guess she could get on the next bus in an hour or two, but I would have been upset to have been left behind in the middle of no where.

British food

They still do have beans for breakfast, fish and chips, pot pies, and shepherd's pie.  But there is a whole lot of new cuisine too -- fresh foods, salads, interesting sandwiches.  Last night we ate at a Jamie Oliver's (The Naked Chef).  Tonight I had a vegetable curry -- not in an Indian restaurant.  I have taken pictures of some of the food to try to recall it and try it at home. 

Hmm....I have not cooked in 5 months.  I hope I still remember how!

Not an octopus

We did a great job figuring out the London tube and the Paris Metro both within 24 hours when we took the overnight bus from London to Paris.  And both are straight forward, intuitive systems.  In fact, signage in the London tube is much better than any of the signage above ground.

When we returned to London, we wanted to get a 5-day pass (for simplicity, and for saving money).  so, I went to the counter to ask for an octopus card.  Oops -- that is what they call their metro cards in Singapore.  Turns out that the card here is an Oyster card, and they thought I was pretty funny.  I can see that my brain stored in the same place, or an adjacent place, the names of sea creatures who start with "O" and whose names are used for subway cards.

In Singapore, I got a wrist-watch that acts as an Octopus card!

We have succeeded in using the Oyster card to get to the "Youth" hostel, the British Museum, Greenwich, the Tower of London and the Tate Modern. 

Rather than go to Denmark....

Rather than go to Denmark, we went to the British Museum to learn all about the Vikings.  The longest Viking ship ever was discovered in Denmark some time ago.  Curators soaked the wood in some special substance for 10 years, then spent another 4 years freeze drying all the boards.  Some inferences were made, and the boards have been laid onto a metal framework as part of an incredible special exhibit here in London.  In L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, there was ONE clasp from a cloak, and evidence of buildings, fires, smelting, etc.  In this exhibit we saw MANY clasps.

Probably the most interesting things we saw were the "hoards" of silver coins and jewelry that have been found in the last 30 years in various spots where the Viking had been.  The most common written phrase from the Viking times in the Viking territories, "There is but one God, and his name is Allah."  To date 200,000 coins from Muslim lands have been found as part of hoards!

Paris fashion and design

I kept looking for it.  I guess it was right under my feet; there were lots of interesting shoes.  I started letting my pictures include some feet to catch the interesting colors and designs. 

They were wearing the same skinny jeans, leggingsm and skinny pants that are all over the world at this point.  Most of the interest was in the scarves.  Men and women were wearing patterned scarves, and many were in cotton.  There were several ways that they were worn, and with the weather still cool, it made sense to wrap the neck well, as they did. 

Walking along the Seine, we stumbled into a design festival.  These were sort of pop-up design shops in refitted shipping containers.  Painted in charcoal grey with some bright yellow writing and lots of windows, these made for attractive displays.  The designs were very clever, and as interesting and fresh as what I see in magazines and in the New York Times.

One fellow had some made some fittings on a 3-D printer to hold together a wooden table..  Another was making very handsome wooden keyboards that were machined from a single piece of wood -- customize your own for 150 Euro.   Another had made a giant “knitting knobby” to make circular fabric from recycled wool and silk.  And delicate ballerina-like legs held up a small wooden side table.

And my haircut.  I decided that my overgrown locks could be easily contributed to a souvenir haircut.  The fellow indicated that they must have 3 years of training in France to be a hairdresser – and 2 more years if you want to own a salon.  I have never had a razor cut before, and am enthralled with how well the hair goes where it is supposed to go.   How will I find someone to do this in DC?

Paris performance pieces: 1. 2, 3, and 4

First.  My talent for finding four-leaf -lovers laid dormant as we went around the world.  But in England, I found a whole handful, and dried them in a notebook.  When I got some out to give Pierre’s family, I learned that Maryvonne has the same talent – “an eye for pattern.”  When I found a handful walking along the banks of the Seine, I really did not need any more.

So I went up to people who were walking – mostly French, some tourists – to try to give away the four-leaf-clovers.  The first few people avoided me completely.  But perhaps I got better with my approach after that, and succeeded in giving away about 10 four-leaf-clovers.  I got lots of “merci.”

Second.  Walking along the Seine approaching the Eiffel Tower, we saw a woman  who was walking with a boy of about 10 stoop to pick up a ring.  I assumed she had dropped it because she did not seem that excited to find it.  But she brought it over to us, asking if we thought it was gold.  We looked, said maybe, and gave it back to her.  We said that she was lucky. 

She tried to give us the ring – because, she said, she did not have papers and could not sell it or turn it in.  We walked on.  She came back to us to try again to have us take the ring, and asked for some money for her son in exchange.  We walked on.

Third.  In about six different spots near the base of the Eiffel Tower, men were playing Three-Card-Montey.  Put the ball under one cup, shuffle the three cups around, and people can put up some money to bet on which cup has the ball.  The minimum bet seemed to be 50 Euros, with the opportunity to double your money.  It did not seem that hard to follow the ball, and some people won, and some people lost. 

We did see him change the ball to be under another cup while someone was attending to making his bet.  It was impossible to tell who was in cahoots with him.  Will says that, at least in faction, you can make $2000 to $4000 per day.  I can almost believe that after seeing the continuous interest in this high stakes game.

Fourth.  A family was living on a mattress on the sidewalk not too far from our station – Republique.  Usually there was a man, woman, and child of about 3, but sometimes, fewer, and sometimes another adult and child.  They were clearly not doing this as a performance piece, but neither were they openly begging.  They has blankets, food, and seemed relaxed.

What is worth worrying about?

We have clearly developed a cautious mindset in response to worry about pickpockets or others who might want to take our things.  First of all, we don’t have much to take – passports and cash are in money belts; and, second, my bag is slash proof.  We keep an eye on one another – Will serves as watchman when I draw money out of the ATM, and I watch when he is concentrating on taking pictures in iffy places.

Earlier in the trip we worried about what we ate – in iffy places we were sticking to food that was hot-to-the-touch.  And why not have beer with lunch instead of unsafe water?  No such worries with Great Britain and France.  Lana, the nurse from the ship who advised before each country, said that in England we could not only drink the water and eat the food, but also have sex with monkeys.  (You had to be there to understand this one.)

My whole life I have worried about being hungry.  For example, after Nick was born, I had not eaten for quite a long time, and was worried about getting a headache from being hungry.  The doctor assured me that I was not going to get a headache with all the meds I was taking.  So on today’s bus trip I have probably have enough food for 2 days….

Will worries about being in rush hour crowds (though I am more likely to feel a bit claustrophobic when we actually are in a crowd).  And he worries about being caught in the rain – to which I always say that I am not so sweet that I will melt in the rain. 

But maybe none of this is worth worrying about......

So as to not arrive with “jet lag”

 So as to not arrive back in London trashed with “jet lag” from the overnight bus, we are taking a day bus.  If you book months ahead, the Eurostar train through the chunnel is not too expensive.  But it is vastly more expensive for last minute travelers like us than going by bus.  It would be over 200 Euro each on the Eurostar.  On the Euroline bus, we are both traveling for under 100 Euro.  This price includes a “concession” or discount for our being old.

Market and Monet

Liz gave me a list of some of the markets to look for.  No need to look very far.  Just over a block from the youth hostel that we are staying in was a great market this morning.  I bought heritage tomatoes, woods strawberries, two kinds of cheese, pickled fish, olives, and a felafel sandwich for lunch.

After lunch we went to the Musse Marmottan-Claude Monet.  I am pretty sure that was the museum that I took Nick to when he was 2.  He fell asleep in his stroller on the way there, and the museum did not allow strollers.  So they suggested that I leave him asleep in the stroller in the cloakroom, "comme d'habitude", or "it is usual."  I checked back every 5 minutes, and he slept soundly!  I would say that I had a more in-depth look at the pictures today with Will.

We also went to Musee d l'Orangerie today to see the two full rooms of water lilies.  I think that was the museum that I took Dan through when he was about 2 -- with him riding on my back, and me explaining the pictures!

Paris for real!

In just the first day we have seen the Eiffel tower in the distance, done a walking tour of the Marais near where we are staying, and been to two museums.  Oh yes, and had 3 French meals.  Croissants for breakfast, sandwiches on baguettes for lunch, and Croque meusseur for dinner.

The Musee Carnavalet is dedicated to the history of Paris – we went in mostly to get out of the rain, and because it was free.  There were lots of paintings showing old Paris.  But, for me, the most interesting was the exhibit on pre-history.  The original people were here from about 4500 BC – stone, bone, and bronze materials were displayed from Paris excavations.  There were 2 old pirogues (wooden canoes) that had come from the excavations. 

And this was also a Roman stronghold, so there were some good Roman materials exhibited.  Particularly interesting were the sections of wall showing how very colorful the room had been.  In fact, the romans painted most of their stone ad rooms.

The Rodin museum was open this evening.  Before the rain got too heavy, we wandered in the garden.  Gates of Hell, Bergers of Callais, and The Thinker were very impressive.  I was reminded of taking Nick through in a stroller on our trip to Paris when he was 2, and of taking Nick to Philadelphia much more recently to see the Rodin museum there.  I was also reminded of visiting the Rodin sculpture garden at Stanford with Skip/Will when Ray had his heart surgery. Rodin was clearly a genius.

What side of the road do they drive on (part 3)?

Leaving London, the overnight bus was on the left side of the road.  This must have been a bit awkward because the driver’s seat was also on the left.  Then we arrived at the chunnel staging ground around midnight or so.  We were in a line for 1:35 am departure, and the sign indicated that we would board the shuttle about 25 minutes before the scheduled time.  So at the right time, the driver loaded the bus onto a tunnel-like train.  I picture it a bit like the Amtrak car train that can take your car to Florida. 

For the chunnel trip, about a half hour, the driver did not drive at all on either side of the road.  We were conveyed, along with other buses and vans. People were able to get out of the bus if we wished and walk around the inside of the shuttle.   Then when the conveyance reached France, the driver started the bus and drove off the shuttle -- to the right-hand side of the road. 

So as to simulate jet lag……

Most people arrive in Paris jet lagged, so we simulated that by taking an overnight bus from London.  To take the Eurostar train through the chunnel, it turns out that you really need to book 3 to 6 months ahead to any get any kind of a fare.  We arrived in London unwilling to pay the same day, or even next day, fare.  So we asked about options, and were referred to the overnight buses. 

The cost of the overnight bus for two of us was about the same as the discount (booked far in advance) fare for the Eurostar would have been for one person.  In fact, it was about the same as a cheap hotel, making the trip free, if you figure that we would have had to stay somewhere overnight.

Politics and religion

As we travelled with Semester at Sea in some conflicted places, we were encouraged to not speak about politics and religion.  Neither were we to take pictures of anything having to do with the military or police.  This was particularly the case in Vietnam and in Myanmar.

What a pleasure it has been to be a setting for free conversation about any and all topics – including politics and religion.  Our Servas host family not only made us very welcome and answered our millions of questions, but they also entered into easily into wide ranging conversations.

On everyone’s minds is the vote this fall on the independence of Scotland.  Clearly the devil is in the details.  Scotland has had its own education system for a long time, but the vote for independence would give it a lot more economic independence.  It is hard to sort out what that might really mean, even for people who are very informed.

Stirling Castle -- and Dr. Seuss

The Servas visit at Muthill gave us the chance to go into Stirling for a day trip and explore their castle.  The Stirling castle is at the top of a craggy peak and the old town areas wrap around.  Remember “Bartholomew Cubbins and the 500 Hats”, by Dr. Seuss?  Remember his trip up the hill, past the huts, past the houses of lords, past the church, and up to the castle?  That must have been written about Stirling, as we walked up through the same layers.

Of course, there was a shopping mall layered in there for today.  But we took a good look at the lord’s house, church grounds, and castle.  Stirling has a 500 year old bridge across its river, and it clearly was a strategic location for a long time. 

Will serves as my walking encyclopedia.  Who was William Wallace?  Who was Rob Roy?  Who were all those infant monarchs (3 in a row)?  In addition, we had an excellent tour guide, really an actor, as well as an excellent “lady in waiting” telling us about the women in the castle’s history.

Scotland has put a lot of money into the update and upkeep of this castle.  The excellent kitchen exhibit gave you the real feel of a hectic kitchen that was frantically preparing for a feast.  And they have spent 12 years with tapestry weavers recreating unicorn tapestries in the style of those in the cloisters in New York. 

The colors were amazing.   A big part of the outside of the castle itself had been restored to a light yellow/gold color with ochre pigments.  Several of the rooms had the original colorful decorations on their walls restored.  There were computer renditions of what the outside sculptures would have looked like with their original bright colors.

One degree of separation.

 Our Servas hosts in Muthill, north of Edinburgh, invited Servas friends to join for dinner.  It turns out that these guests had recently traveled in Myanmar, and had met twice with the same Servas day host that we met with twice!  Small world.

And what are the odds that the three Servas hosts that we have stayed with so far would all be into long distance cycling?  Across France for one, and two couples with round the world trips.  I am going to try bike commuting when I get home, and this inspires me to try longer trips.  Bicycling can be the right scale – not as slow as walking and slower than a car or train.

What else can be made with wool?

These views of twin lambs frolicking in green field after green field are a bit less charming for me today.  Turns out that this is mostly lamb for eating.  The farmer can get as little 50 pence for a fleece these days.

What are we wearing?  Almost entirely synthetics.  Today’s layers include a REI synthetic running shirt, topped by a synthetic REI long sleeve shirt, and over that a fleece by Mountain Hard Wear.  Some days I have short sleeve Merino wool tops that I wear – but they don’t grow Merino sheep around here.  The shops in Edinburgh features wool kilts, but mostly things made from cashmere – also not from around here.

If we are not wearing this wool and not sleeping under wool blankets, who is going to buy this?

We did not stop in Sheffield or York

Or Newcastle or Darlington.  Booking the trip this morning from Edinburgh to London, we got a ticket that could be used at any point today and tomorrow – opening up the possibility of a stopover.

I asked the ticket agent about Sheffield, indicating that my people came from there.  “You would not miss much if you skipped Sheffield.”  I said that I had heard there were good Indian restaurants there – the fellow at the next ticket window agreed.  They also indicated that you could get stainless there.   Me, “Perhaps it was a good thing that my relatives had left for America.” They agreed.

I am carrying a huge Great Britain travel book (purchased as a remaindered library book).  So we looked up each of the stops as we took the express train southward to see about a stopover.  Not much at Newcastle or Darlington.

York was more promising.  Actually it was quite a crossroads for a VERY long time.  The Brigants were there until the Romans came through in AD 71. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Anglo-Saxons took it over, then the Christians came in 625, and the Vikings in 866.  The Viking were chased out in 954 by King Eadred of Wessex, and it was William the Conqueror’s turn…..

I was interested in the 100 year long Viking settlement of Jorvik, but I was put off by the idea of viewing the reconstructed settlement from a monorail.  There is a Viking Exhibit in London; we hope to catch that later, and journeyed on.