Confessions of a Coffeeneur

Sometimes, despite the best intentions, all does not go as planned. I was looking forward to starting the 2018 coffeeneuring challenge in Lisbon, where I was arriving right on the kick-off date of October 12^th. I’d already scoped out the bikeshare system and found a docking station just a block from my Airbnb. Alas, it had to be accessed through the GIRA app which would not let me set up an account, despite repeated attempts. 

Inside Pasteis de Belem

  Lisbon abounds in coffee and pastry shops, of which my cousin and I availed ourselves on a regular basis – but always on foot or using public transit. We went everywhere by metro and tram and walked miles and miles. The coffeeneuring highlight was to have been Pasteis de Belem – reputedly the city’s premier conveyer of the pastel de nata – Portugal’s prized sweet egg tart. In fact, theirs were the best I sampled anywhere on the trip, and my cappuccino came with a mountain of whipped cream (sorry - I'd consumed it before I thought to take a photo). But I am not counting this as an official ride, as – alas – no biking was included.

You can still see one pastel de nata in the background

Beautiful tile work in the restaurant

Returning home to weather more than 30 degrees colder than what I’d left was a shock and, sadly, I became sick almost immediately. Once I started feeling better the weather turned downright nasty and I wondered whether I’d be able to get back in the saddle in enough time to complete the challenge.

Fortunately, both the weather and my health cooperated and here is a catalog of my rides:

#1 – October 29, 2018 – Kung Fu Tea – 9 miles total

Anxious about the mid-term elections, I decided to vote early to avoid what I hoped would be long lines on election day. I rode to the courthouse and cast my vote, stopping on the return at Kung Fu Tea in Clarendon. I’d never seen it before so decided to start off with the classic sweet hot milk tea. It was So delicious with a good strong flavor of black tea and sweet enough to feel like a dessert. True confession #1 – I really like sweet tea. I never sweeten coffee, but always do tea. Go figure.

Note the voting sticker

Still life with bicycle, tea and backpack

#2 – October 31, 2018 – Livin’ the Pie Life – 6 miles total

Another lovely day. I biked to the gym for my Body Pump weightlifting class and then to Pie, making a triangular circuit for the trip. Although the total mileage was modest, I figured any biking on top of weightlifting was bonus and so, in addition to my espresso (on the sour side – just how I like it) I had a pumpkin pecan pie because, well, you don’t go to Pie just for the coffee. Their pies truly are outrageously delicious – albeit pricy.

They had some very cute Halloween treats

Always good bike parking

 Bonus – November 1, 2018 – weather so nice – Amma’s – 14 miles total

The weather was just so beautiful I had to go for a long ride – despite having fulfilled my coffeeneuring quota for the week. I decided to ride out the W&OD trail toward Vienna to pick up a couple items from the Whole Foods. Suddenly I remembered Amma’s vegetarian kitchen which I hadn’t been to in quite a while – low key South Indian food. I wasn’t ready for lunch, so I got my food to go, but sat and drank a mango lassi whilst I waited. Although the food was fabulous, the lassi was too sweet for me.

Vegetable uttapam with sambar and coconut chutney

#3 – November 4, 2018 – Bakeshop – 7 miles total

I teach yoga on Sunday mornings and thought it would be too chilly to bike at 8:30, but at the last minute decided it was just right. I was so glad I did, especially since the temperature was perfect when I finished teaching at noon. So I rode toward Bakeshop in Clarendon choosing a peanut butter cookie and a soy “London Fog” – an Early Gray latte. They initially made the tea with dairy milk, which I was going to just go ahead an drink – but it appeared that the owner was there and insisted not only that they make what I’d requested, but offered me a second cookie on the house as an apology. Who was I to refuse? And it smells so good I didn’t mind the extra wait.

 #4 – November 7, 2018 – Baked and Wired – 12 miles total

No coffeeneuring challenge is complete for me without a stop at Baked and Wired. Here’s another true confession: I’m really more of a “cookieneur” and Baked and Wired, in my opinion, has the best cookies short of homemade. They’re delicious and you also can get chocolate chip with NUTS which I consider essential to a truly satisfactory experience. I took along my own favorite drink from home: half ginger tea/half homebrewed kombucha.

View of the Potomac

Made a stop on M St and found a new bike rack - yay!

This kitty must have been sleeping off an election night hangover

 #5 – November 12, 2018 – Northside Social (Falls Church) – 5 miles total

Pressure was building to get enough rides before the end of the season and the weather had been erratic. The day had started out too cold for me to ride, but by afternoon had warmed up nicely. I always like a visit to Northside Social and this is the first year their Falls Church location was open. Again I took along my own brew, and got a delicious scone. Usually I avoid Northside Social on weekends because it's so popular. It was Veterans Day holiday, so it was still crowded, but not a long wait for the scone.

Bike parking definitely beats car parking

It was nice enough to eat outside

#6 – November 17, 2018 – Rare Bird – 5 miles total

Pulling toward the finish line I knew I had to made a trip on days that weather was accommodating. I rode to the Falls Church library to stock up on some books and DVDs for the holiday week, stopping at Rare Bird on the way home. This is a low key coffee roaster and nice place to hang out. I almost never order hot chocolate, but somehow it called to me that day. It was very rich and delicious.

Bike and rack were perfectly matched

 #7 – November 19, 2018 – Trader Joe’s – 8 miles total

My last official ride of the season started with a ride out to the Apple store in Clarendon to look at the Iphone 8. My old 5S was becoming obsolete and AT&T was offering a 2-for-1 deal on the 8. I like to hold something in my hand before making a decision and was satisfied that it was time for the upgrade. I had to pick up a few last Thanksgiving items, so I stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way back and had a nice little cup of their free coffee. I also bought a pomegranate tea, which proved to be a bit disappointing when I later brewed it at home…not as strong as I like. Nevertheless, I had a bunch of flowers sticking out the top of my pannier which always gives me a happy feeling. Then, just under a mile from home I spotted a group of deer grazing in a most relaxed manner right along the side of the bike path. I stopped to photograph the 3 does and a stag – none of whom seemed the least bit disturbed by my presence.

 After missing the challenge last year, I felt glad to be able to complete this year’s rides – despite, or perhaps because of – the obstacles. When the weather turns iffy, Mary, our inspirational leader, knows that a fun motivation to get out and ride regardless will end up boosting spirits. Besides, I realized that my bike trailer and backpack both have coffeeneuring swag – but not my pannier. Now I’ll be able to rectify that situation.

I hope everyone has something to be thankful for this year – no matter how small.

Madeline Island

 

Rocky coastline of Madeline Island

The purported reason for my visit was to write and meditate. But the real reason was a childhood memory of visiting the island and finding pink stones on a rocky Lake Superior beach. I've kept one of these for nearly 60 years: a smooth hard stone the approximate size and shape of a cat’s femur bone.

I expected to swim in the clear, cold waters of the largest Great Lake, but had no idea the Madeline Island School of the Arts (MISA), which sponsored the writing/meditation retreat (led by Writing Down the Bones author Natalie Goldberg) would provide bicycles! I’d left my bike shorts behind in Minneapolis, but I didn’t let that stop me.

Ferry to the island

It is delightful to be in a place where they laugh when you ask about locks for the bikes. “You don’t need a lock here,” they tell us. “Just take any bike you find on the campus.” So I started with a bit of a Goldilocks adventure to find the bike that would work for me.

The first morning I took a bike whose seat I could lower to accommodate my short legs. Well, I’ve never been on a bike geared so low I could barely move – even on its highest gear. I felt like it took forever to ride the 1.5 miles into “town.” So, the next day I searched for a better ride. Many of the available bikes did not have seats that could be adjusted without tools and they were too high or too big for me to ride. Darn – the plight of the short person. I had to survey the campus beyond the bike racks, as people are free to just leave the bikes anywhere. I was rewarded with a blue Iron Horse bike on which I could adjust the seat and gears to my satisfaction. The front brakes were a bit past their prime, but it’s almost entirely flat on the island, with very little traffic so I didn’t worry about that. The Iron Horse was my daily companion the rest of the week.

Rocky point at Big Bay State Park

It’s about a 10-mile round-trip ride to Big Bay State Park from the school. The park offers both a rocky coast and long sandy beach, as well as wooded hiking trails and a boardwalk between the lake and a large lagoon. My first visit to the park I opted for the rocky cliffs, which distinguish the Apostle Islands. MadelineIsland is the largest, and only inhabited, of the 21 islands. I learned that the action of the Spring ice break-up in the bay accounts for their distinctive formations. For those who kayak, it is possible to explore a series of sea caves.  Some have large overhangs that require the paddler to lie down flat on the kayak to enter. I don’t trust myself on the waves of Lake Superior, so I chose to forego that adventure. But I did climb down the rocks and swim in the very clear, very clean, and – this year – not terribly cold water. Water temperatures are generally 50-60 degrees in summer, but this year, I'm told, closer to 70. Those more adventurous than I took a flying jump off the rocks into the water.

Beautiful clear water

I was delighted to see an old-fashioned pump in the park, reminding me of childhood visits to Northern Wisconsin. The water tasted just as fresh and clean as I remember from 60 years ago.

In Wisconsin they call the thing you drink from a bubbler

The island has both a Town Park (no entry fee) and a State Park with beautiful long, sandy beaches. On visits to both parks the water was shallow a good distance out, the waves were mild, and the swimming was glorious. On my last visit the water was choppier, but still much gentler than the ocean. For me, swimming in Lake Superior is the best of all worlds. I enjoy the waves, but appreciate that they are not as demanding as the ocean. The large body of fresh water doesn’t leave one sticky, like salt water, or icky, like smaller lakes. And, did I say how clean it was? Yes I did, but I can’t repeat enough how delightfully clean the water is. I never had the slightest trouble getting in and staying in as long as I wanted.

Inlet at the Town Park

The town park has an inlet in which the water is a deep reddish color. Asking whether it resulted from iron in the water I was told, no, it was tannin from the cedar bark. As I looked more closely I decided the color indeed looked much like my home brewed black tea kombucha!

State Park

On morning rides between breakfast and my morning workshop session I explored virtually every paved road on the island. The entire island is only 14 by 5 miles, but the northeast section is accessible only by gravel road, which I avoided on the bike. Riding toward the ferry and turning left my first morning, I passed Joni’s beach, a small sandy beach where I took my first swim. On another day I continued past a golf course on the left and a harbor filled with sailboats on the right. Past the golf course I ascended the largest hill on the island, after which I turned around and headed back to the campus.

On my last morning I rode toward the ferry and turned right, going to the Bay Road which traverses the northern part of the island, passing a recycling center and the very small island airport. Where the north road turns to gravel I turned right, making a loop back to the Middle Road, returning to the MISA campus.

The entire island is sacred ground to the Ojibwe or Anishinaabe Indians, nearly all of whom were driven from the island by waves of French and English fur trappers and then missionaries. A museum on the island is packed with items from the island’s history, but there is still much work to be done to restore better access and control to descendants of the island’s original inhabitants.

I learned many interesting facts about winter life on the island. While most of the population is made of summer-only residents, a hundred or so people brave the island year-round. The 2-mile distance from the mainland freezes over from about November to May. So what do the winter residents do? They drive across the ice – brave souls. The local tradition is that all families take their Christmas trees and lay them out on the ice to form the borders of a road. This road becomes the official highway, traveled by the school bus, public transit, and hardy Wisconsin residents. It gets plowed and sanded like any other road. When the thaw begins and the bay can’t be traversed by car or ferry there are some special slush-friendly vehicles. Transporting the school children is their first priority.

But I didn't have to worry about the ice, and didn't learn whether anyone is crazy enough to bike across in winter. We had glorious weather the entire week, generally mid to high 70s during the day and as low as mid 50s at night. In the early mornings a low mist hung over the grassy fields outside my cabin. One night I awoke at 3:30 and walked out to see the stars, which filled the sky and seemed to fall nearly down to the earth. I was rewarded with the sound of wolves howling – an eerie, haunting sound in the distant woods.

Morning mist and my trusty bike

Here are some other things I saw on Madeline Island: cattails, chicory, daylilies, Queen Anne’s lace, milkweed, and goldenrod; pine, birch, cedar, oak, and maple trees; Monarch butterflies; rocks, sand, waves, and clouds; boats, bicycles, and not too many cars; raspberries and apples growing wild; one deer, one snake, two cranes, many squirrels, ducks, and small birds.

Lots of cattails

Traveling to the northern United States, the summer is short but the days are long – the sky beginning to lighten at 5 am and not fully dark until after 9 – even in August, which is approaching the equinox. The only downside is that it’s a bit of a haul to get there. The nearest airport is Duluth – not a major airport – and close to 2 hours from Bayfield – the Wisconsin town from which the ferry departs to La Pointe on the island. But for clean water and air, easy biking and hiking, and glorious swimming in a refreshing lake – it can’t be beat.

Marvels of Minneapolis

Given that half the year the Twin Cities are covered in snow, it’s no surprise that summertime brings people out in throngs to enjoy the warm weather. By a combination of circumstances, the Biking Yogini finds herself in Minneapolis for an extended visit this summer. 

I found an Airbnb just 1.5 miles from downtown, in a quiet, walkable neighborhood with a “Niceride” bikeshare station just 4 blocks away. Knowing I would be here for several weeks, I signed up for a one month pass for the very low price of $18. This bargain entitles me to unlimited hour-long rides and, in one week, I’ve more than gotten my money’s worth.

Here are just some of the highlights:

Using a combination of light rail and Lyft, I dropped off luggage at my Airbnb. While it was being readied for occupancy, I headed to my local bikeshare station, which dispensed my key. I rode around the neighborhood a bit to get my bearings and then headed to Lunds and Byerlys – a very nice local grocery store – to stock up on a few basics.

The next morning I was up early – still being on East Coast time, and rode about 3 miles to Birchwood Café – which had been pointed out as one of the best places for brunch. A docking station right out front was a plus. As I sat outside and devoured my delicious savory waffle, I noticed that virtually all the customers arrived on bikes.

After breakfast, I found the Seward Co-op just down the street (another docking station right there) and picked up a few more groceries.

Monday morning, after biking across the Stone Arch Bridge for a breakfast with family, I headed to the House of Balls – an extraordinary and unique art installation in which everything is sculpted from found objects.  Here also, a bike dock was just a block away. On the way back I had ice cream on my mind and a dock across the street from Izzy’s told me it was meant to be.

Tuesday morning I headed to Minnehaha Falls – about an 8-mile ride along the Mississippi. It turned out to be a bit hillier than I’d expected, which is hard work on a heavy Niceride bike with only 3 gears. After docking my bike, I hiked along the Minnehaha Creek to where it flows into the Mississippi and then hiked along the river. The day was getting quite warm, so I walked up the 134 steps (but who’s counting) to street level and made my way to the light rail station which took me back downtown. The air conditioned ride allowed me to rest and cool off and the $1 senior fare was quite the bargain.

After arriving downtown, I picked up another bike and headed to the Herbivorous Butcher which makes the most amazing and delicious vegan meats and cheeses. I was hungry enough that I ordered a Korean BBQ rib and devoured it on the spot, before going back to order an assortment of offerings to take home. There were so many choices, it was hard to decide. Over the course of the week I feasted on maple bacon, two other varieties of ribs, pulled pork, and vegan feta cheese – all of which were delectable.

On Thursday I rode to the farmer’s market that stretches for blocks along Nicollet Mall downtown, riding back with the long ends of scallions sticking out the top of my backpack.

Friday I headed out the Cedar Lake trail, ending up on a long, hot misadventure that included many opportunities for getting lost. The trail is very wide, but not particularly scenic: to my right were railroad tracks and to my left a sound barrier. Apparently the trail is used quite heavily as a commuter route. I hadn’t planned out my trip very thoroughly – deciding to “wing it” which tends to not work out so well for me. After heading out about 5 miles I realized it was some distance to a docking station. The nearest was at Lake Bde Maka Ska. There is quite the little cluster of lakes in the middle of Minneapolis and for someone like me with a terrible sense of direction, even GPS couldn’t save me from going around in circles several times. The day was hot and humid so after docking the bike I rested in the shade before picking up another bike.

My next destination was Hola Arepa. Unfortunately, the ride along West Lake Street was very trafficky, with no bike lane. The nearest bike dock was a mile from the restaurant, so I was hungry, tired, sweaty, and probably stinky, by the time I arrived. By the map my total ride was about 8 miles, but when you factor in several instances of going the wrong direction, it felt like much more! I rewarded myself with happy hour arepitas and a “wrecking ball” – which was a delicious combination of tequila, bonal, rhubarb shrub, and grapefruit bitters. I almost never drink a cocktail, but it was delicious and refreshing. I ordered carryout for later and hopped a bus back downtown. Sadly the fried brussels sprouts with tamarind and pumpkin seeds leaked all over my backpack, but it was a small price to pay for their deliciousness.

Saturday morning the rain held off long enough for me to bike to the Loft Literary Center for a writing workshop – just a mile away. Today (Sunday) was going to be my day of rest, but I’m getting antsy and am thinking about biking the short distance to Nicollet Island and walking around before this evening's performance of West Side Story at the Guthrie Theater.