After a going over by a very serious bike doctor, the chains are replaced, and a list of things that will need to be replaced by the end of this trip is memorised (sounds expensive!). This job done we are free to explore the city on foot and set off uptown, in search of the asian food I have been craving. After stuffing ourselves with Thai, a walk is in order, and the trail takes us to Lake Calhoun and the Lake of the Isles. We admire the active citizens of Minneapolis as the warm weather has bought flocks of them out walking, running, inline skating and of course cycling. This is a cycling city, the number and variety of cyclists cannot be beaten. We brave the bus ride back to Robin and Greg's place and only get a little bit lost once off the bus. A dinner of cheese, salad and red wine greases the wheels for conversation worth staying up for! The next day sees us back on the bikes, Greg joins us for a journey over the Mississippi river, on the midtown greenway to Rustica. An artisan bakery with coffee and pastries to die for! The best coffee of the trip so far now has a new name!
Traveling within this city by bicycle is the ideal way to see it, and today gives us a much better insight and feel for it, we feel a part of things, two more Minneapolis cyclists. We make an important journey to the Bridge Inn youth centre, where our dear friends Liz and Jackie first met. (and if you tow would clean out your inbox we could send you the video!) We stop in at Freewheel for a chat and some lunch and enjoy a piece of cycling culture that suits us. The evening is a laugh at the Guthrie Theatre, where HMAS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan is full of jokes that still haven't dated. The theatre building itself is an entertainment, and the view from the cantilevered balcony over the Mississippi is enough to make you love this city, if the cycling and the coffee weren't enough already.
A late night shared pizza after the show, is the topping on a great day, with plenty to look forward to tomorrow, when a celebratory belated birthday party is planned. Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Yea for bike docs! those new chains will be great!
ReplyDeleteWow girls,again a fabulous description. I think the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trial rates pretty highly after some you have travelled. I've checked the map are you ahead of schedule? Just given a card & pressy to Alice for her 30th via Mick who is having a birthday tea at Al's place tonight (Sunday 21st)with Fran and Rohan's parents. She wanted "low key" but we can always catch her when you return!! Mick was up here for the w/end as he worked Sat night in Ballarat. We've had 5 nights in Adelaide which was a good break. Hey, Josie and John have bought a home together in Aspendale. So all looking bright there. 260 metres jog to the beach she tells me. A 2-story, 2-year old spotless place with double garage and low maintenance (because it's tiny !!!!) yard, which suits them to a tee. Lots of love from here. Tash impressed our lots of visitors the w/end with her volcanic deposits. I'd been too busy to clean up as we YEY got the hothouse covering on. Milestone day. Could double as a Sauna!!.
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