#333 Med - No Snake

Due to popular demand I have replaced the rather boring picture of the Mediterranean with this Snake Scene, taken during a recent ride.

#332 Alan Mecurial Pro - another bike.

I liked my cyclo-cross bike (#314) so much that I went to my spare parts bin and dragged everything out; stems and bars and wheels and cranksets and saddles and pins - nearly enough to make another bike. I only lacked a frame and some odd bits, so I searched the interweb and came across this Alan Mecurial Pro Cross frame, bought it from the man in Italy and built it up for Sally to ride.

Cyclo cross bikes are good for touring because you can fit great big fat tyres and go off-road down tracks and trails that would shred a road bike's wheels to bits.

Now we both can go zooming up and down the Vias Verdes in Spain or the Voies Vertes in France to our hearts content :-)

#331 Money grows on trees in North london.

I couple of weeks ago I was walking through Highgate in N London when I saw a woman standing at a Barclays cash machine (rather strangely, it has to be said, she was leaning forward on the machine with her legs crossed) this reminded me that I too needed some cash. As I arrived at the ATM and was about to put my card in, I saw that she had left her money behind. I took it out and quickly zipped up and down the road looking for her - but to no avail.

I then took the money into the Barclays (100 pounds) and handed it in, thinking that she would be straight back once realising her loss. I suppose I could have kept it, but having actually seen the woman and also wanting to maintain my good karma I did the right thing.

A week later I rang the bank to ask if it had been collected. No, the manager told me, and it seems that they were not about to make any effort to find her, even though they had her card details. It seems it is up to her to claim it back.

I felt a bit miffed that I had taken the trouble to return the money but Barclays couldn't be bothered to do their bit.

Next day I was in Sainsburys supermarket at a self check-out till. The electronic voice wouldn't let me start but kept telling me to take my change. What do you know? The previous customer had left a fiver in the slot.

********Update************
The local newspaper The Hampstead & Highgate Express printed this piece, almost word for word :-)

#330 Shoes - Take 2

Back at #325 I got a new pair of shoes - but - they came out a bit too small :-(

I was disappointed and my cobbler man was mortified, to such an extent that he made me a new pair. Not having any more of the original leather I chose this reddish leather and my man took it on himself to spend three hours punching a few million holes in the top section, because in Spain you need a bit of aeration in the hot summer months.

Now I have the most beautiful pair of hand made, made to measure, not expensive shoes in Denia - if not the whole of the Iberian Peninsula :-)

#329 Come the Revolution!

. . . . and in other news; As I'm still in London I went to the Tate Modern, saw a load off stuff but liked a set of photos taken by Simryn Gill of Malasian house interiors (oddly hypnotic in their sameness) and even more, a display of Russian Revolutionary Graphic Art, mostly posters, some seemed to have been printed on brown wrapping paper with bold red and back inks, poverty and power all on one piece of paper. I liked the display so much I went back for a second look.























Then to the very best curry restaurant in London the Mirch Masala in Tooting. Even as you come out of the tube station at Tooting Bec you can smell the curry sauces wafting from the dozens and dozens of restaurants in Upper Tooting Road.

Went with Jay and Marcel & Karen (pic ©Karen) It's difficult to describe how wonderful the Mirch is, busy, noisy, friendly, excellent food. We shared Ginger Chicken, Saag Paneer, Masala Karella Daal Burji, Lentil Daal, Nans and BYO beer. If you are in London - go there!


















And finally, another thanks for my birthday gifts, some of which included; a bell, a book, v nice jacket and some portable scales.

#328 Art and Ribs

Met up with Jay in London. Should have been Art and Dim Sum but we couldn't get into PingPongDimSum so went round the corner for Ribs.



































Earlier went to the Saatchi Gallery for my once a year visit, met up with our friend Janet, and looked at The Empire Strikes Back - Indian Art Today. Liked the big pic of Bindis, those little dots Indians put on their foreheads.