Croatia
Signed Up: John and Robin (McLean, VA) for Croatia
by Bob_Thompson on Jan.19, 2012, under Croatia Sept 8 2012, Spain - Sept 22, 2012
Robin started with Indochine back in Feb 2010, then she and John did Corsica in May 2011 and now they are both in for Croatia Sept 2012.
Robin has also put herself on the waitlist for Spain in Sept 2012, just in case, as she put it, she can “finagle it”. I love that word: finagle. Finagle away, Robin!!!!
Robin and John are both strong bikers even though they probably don’t get quite as many miles as they would like. They both have lots of other stuff going on all the time. None of that other stuff seems to slow them down when on the bike though. Robin is a great climber and she will be able to put that skill to good use in Croatia…..and, if she can finagle it, Spain.
This will be good. We now have two Robins on the same tour. What are the odds of that? Any other Robins out there? Robin Williams, maybe?
It’s great to have you guys in for this. If you liked the ride in Corsica, you will like the ride in Croatia. It’s Corsica with truffles.
Robin in front of the Intercity Hotel in Vientiane back in Feb 2010. She started with our longest tour..Tour d'Indochine...700 miles.
Robin can motor. There is no doubt about that. This is Indochine in 2010
John on the way to Evisa in Corsica, May 2011
John and Robin at Col de Verghio in Corsica, May 2011
Eating by the beach in Sagone, Corsica.
Signed Up: Robin and Annette H (Bellingham WA) for Croatia
by Bob_Thompson on Jan.18, 2012, under Croatia Sept 8 2012
Robin and Annette are in! They are dovetailing our tour with a Rick Steves tour that happens to start in the same hotel in Ljubljana. What a great idea!
Robin and Annette are troopers. They were on our Lao tour way back in February, 2008. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. They always have had an active interest in Big Brother Mouse and other worthy causes.
Robin and Annette have some really nice Rodriquez travel bikes too. You don’t see many of those.
It’s great to have you on board, guys! It’s been way too long.
****
PS- We’ve met Rick’s group at the Pri Mraku in Ljubljana several times. We have never seen Rick himself in LJU, but we have run into him (figuratively) in Arco de la Frontera, Spain. He signed a napkin for us.
In Laos in 2008
This is one of Robin and Annette's pics from back then. I forgot all about it. We were lucky enough to run into an Elephant Parade in Luang Prabang that year.
I can tell this wasn't in Laos.
The Cycling Chic of Ljubljana, Slovenia
by Bob_Thompson on Sep.26, 2011, under Croatia Sept 10, 2011
Ljubljana is a city of bikes and bikers. Since vehicles are highly restricted in the central part of of town, lots of folks get around by bike. They don't choose any old beater bike. They choose a bike with style: chain-guards, fenders, upright riding positions. Think of the bike that the Wicked Witch of the North rode in the The Wizard of Oz…only ridden by a nice witch.
What to wear? A scarf blowing from your neck is good. A waist length leather coat is good. Sun glasses?, sure….big ones. Cell phone? Yes, of course, you need to be in touch. Bike shoes, no. Helmet, no. Spandex?, you can't be serious….. only if you happen to be on your way to or from a bike race….that you are actually entered in.
On my last day I endeavored to capture the look on film. Given that most people are in motion and my camera skills are not so great, it was kind of hit or miss. But I gave it a shot, just the same.
First, the bike. Not every bike is in motion, so this is a little easier to capture.
The brakes are important. I loved these which are not uncommon.
No messing with brake cables when solid metal rods will do.
Chain guard is mandatory. It keeps everything neat. A chain tattoo on your white pants would be not good.
And a good brand name helps a lot. "Zanski" has some panache and I imagine it works well in any Slovenian sentence.
Basket and a rack maximize utility.
OK, now for some action shots.
If you have an instrument, it's an added plus. Big, but not too big. Cello size is about perfect.
Love the light under the basket and the wheel guard to keep your coattails out of the spokes. The derailleur not so really needed though. There are no hills in town.
I like the rack....and the coat...and the white pants and the swooping dual top tube.
A work truck of a bike.
Kids as passengers are common. So is the cell phone. Helmets are generally considered kid stuff, but I guess there isn't much car traffic so perhaps not so bad.
The sunglasses and scarf work. So does a non-moving chat on the mobile from the bridge near the main square. There is no better place to see or be seen.
There is a LOT to like about Ljubljana.
