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The World on Two Wheels
The World on Two Wheels

The World on Two Wheels

After discovering the joys of cycling in 2002 I took a group of fellow riders to China in 2006. Since then we have gone on to complete 54 other overseas cycling and trekking adventures which have taken us all over the planet. Leer más🇦🇺Melbourne
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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Cake and Coffee by the Ocean

    23 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    One of life's little pleasures used to be to go to the local bakery to enjoy a coffee and cake. That now seems to be an eternity ago. The coffee shops are now mostly empty and locked - a sad reminder of what life used to be like. One of the hardest parts is not knowing how long the shutdown will continue.

    When we awoke to a fine and sunny day we made the decision to make use of the favourable conditions to go for a long walk. While the walk was hugely enjoyable, we did find ourselves giving every other walker, jogger and bike rider a wide berth. It is sad that we see every other human being as a potential source of deadly contagion. I really hope that this fear will abate in time and we will be able to enjoy the close proximity of others.

    Somehow we found ourselves standing outside the biggest bakery in Inverloch (actually it was because I had planned it that way). I suggested that we could buy a couple of take away coffees and enjoy them by the oceanside. Maggie was not convinced. She peered inside and saw that it had several other customers inside.

    "They all look infected", she said.

    I reminded her that we cannot live the rest of our lives in fear. We still have to live. She did not seem convinced of my logic, but reluctantly allowed me to enter the shop. A short time later I emerged with two steaming coffees and a couple of lovely apple and blueberry crumbles. Maggie proceeded to smother my hands and the credit card with sanitizer (such is our new life).

    We carried the coffees and cakes to the waterfront and sat down to enjoy them in the sunshine. It wasn't the same as sitting at a table with our friends, but it was still quite good fun. While we ate the crumbling cakes, we were joined by a couple of curious and very hungry magpies. I guess we weren't alone after all.

    We then slowly made our way back to the house, still savouring the lingering sensations on our tongues. It was a great way to improve our morale.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Oh No, Not 2020

    22 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    January 2020 seems a lifetime ago. At that time the share market was setting new records almost every day, our retirement savings seemed safe, we were able to see our families any time we wanted, we could dine out and share bike rides with our friends.

    We also had the Olympic Games to look forward, along with the AFL premiership season, the Tour de France and lots of rides with the Ghostriders. What could possibly go wrong ?

    Meanwhile, somewhere in China, a tiny organism made the leap from animal to human and a dreadful chain of events was set in motion. Over the space of just a few weeks, this evil little bugger had spread all over the planet and affected billions of lives.

    In the course of our lives there are certain days that become etched in our memories. All of those that are old enough can remember what we were doing when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. We can remember what we did on Ash Wednesday or Black Saturday. Such events burn themselves into our memories. I think that 2020 will be similarly remembered as the year that wasn't.

    At least the news isn't all bad. Australia is faring better than most other countries, with the infection rate steadily dropping over the past couple of weeks. We are all hoping that this may mean that we can start to conservatively wind back some of the harshest restrictions in the not too distant future. For Maggie and me, we are most hoping that we will be able to see our latest grandson on his first birthday in 6 weeks time. It is such a significant milestone in his life that we would hate to not be able to share it with him.

    The highlight of our day was the weekly delivery of groceries from the Woolworths on line service. We even got a new pack of toilet paper, so things are really looking up.

    Unfortunately, the day ended with an almost indescribable tragedy when four police officers were killed on the Eastern Freeway. They had stopped a speeding Porsche driver and were killed by a huge truck driving up the emergency lane. When faced with such events, our hardships seem pretty minor by comparison.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Cycling by the Seaside

    21 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I know how important it can be to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. That is why you should never pass a toilet without making use of it, especially when you are of more mature years.

    When we awoke to a perfectly blue sky, I knew that it was going to one of those glorious autumn days. It is this sort of day that makes this one of my favourite times of the year. It was just too good an opportunity not to take full advantage of.

    We packed the bikes onto the car and drove to the outskirts of Wonthaggi. It is still very ambiguous whether such activity is allowed under our current restrictions, and Maggie spent the whole time looking behind us expecting a police car in hot pursuit. Fortunately we made the short drive without being thrown into the back of the paddy wagon and were soon enjoying the Bass Coast Rail Trail.

    The trail itself extends from the Mitre 10 store in Wonthaggi to the Anderson roundabout, about 3 km past Kilcunda. More recently it has been extended from Anderson to Woolamai. There is also another bike path that joins at Anderson and runs to San Remo and finally all the way to Cowes.

    We were not the only ones making use of the lovely weather. Quite a few other walkers and riders were enjoying the conditions. Each time we rode past any of these, we tried to leave as wide a gap as possible. This virus scare has made us see every other human being as a potential source of travelling contagion.

    The most spectacular part of the Bass Coast Trail is the section near Kilcunda. Here the path follows the oceanfront clifftops and the views are amazing. We discovered that recent storms had severely eroded the cliffs, in some places causing part of the path to collapse down onto the beach. These damaged areas had been fenced off by new security fencing.

    We kept on riding up the hill to Anderson and then decided to explore some of the new trail towards Woolamai. Since the weather was starting to show signs of deteriorating, we did not have time to ride the full distance and stopped to have our picnic lunch at a high point, with a panoramic view down over Westernport and Philip Island.

    The return ride was a little easier as we had a brisk tail wind for most of the way. By the time we had arrived back at the car we had ridden around 43km. It was not a long ride, but it did a lot to improve our morale. The forecast for the next few days is not as promising, so it might be our last ride for a little while.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Sucker Comes to a Fiery End

    20 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Back in the "pre Covid" days we used to take the dog to the groomers for her regular haircut and beauty treatment. Those days are now long past. A few weeks ago Maggie ordered a set of dog clippers on line and set about learning how to cut hair (both hers and the dogs).

    This afternoon she decided that the dog really needed a trim. She propped the unwilling little beat atop the washing machine and set about attacking her tight black curls with the clippers. After about an hour of furious clipping the laundry floor was covered with black hair and the poor dog was modelling her new "Madam Pompadour" haircut.

    Maggie announced that the dog was finished and then set about vacuuming up all the hair clippings. For a little while the house resounded with the normal sounds of vacuuming, and then all hell broke loose. The air was rent with ear splitting cries, just like a demented banshee. At the same time Maggie started yelling for help.

    At first I thought she must have sucked the little dog right up the hose and into the vacuum cleaner.

    "It's on fire", she yelled. No, not the dog, the vacuum cleaner. By the time I ran to the laundry the room was full of acrid black smoke, billowing from the cleaner. It was quickly switched off and cast into the yard. All the windows were opened to clear the smoke. Once out into the open the cleaner continued to billow out smoke for some time. Now that was quite an unexpected turn of events, although in a strange way it did give colour and excitement to an otherwise drab day.

    The vacuum is still sitting outside, but we both know that it has sucked its last gasp. Its next resting place will be the garbage bin. I suppose we can't complain since we only paid about $70 for it around 10 years ago. That works out to about $7 a year. Not too bad.

    Later in the day we had another picnic by the inlet and then drove to investigate a future bike ride to Venus Bay. It was a nice ending to an exciting day.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    It Could be Sunday

    19 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today might have been Sunday. Or it could have equally been Wednesday or Monday. The days of the week have lost their significance to us. Without the normal routine, punctuated by bike rides, table tennis matches, visits to the kids and the like, every day is just about the same as every other day. This seems especially true when the weather is grey. Even the sky seems to lose its clarity.

    So how did we spend the last 24 hours ? It's already becoming a little foggy in my memory, but I think we started with breakfast. Maggie then set off with her sister for an early morning walk with their two dogs. I read a couple of gripping short stories and then went back to fiddling with my locks. It was at that point when a type of disaster took place.

    One of my locks is called a "cruciform lock" because its key way actually consists of 4 separate channels, each alligned at 90 degrees to each other. Although this type of lock is common in Europe, they are relatively rare here. The main advantage of such a lock is that they are quite difficult to pick. The challenge lies in picking all four channels at the same time.

    A few days ago I achieved a personal milestone when I managed to pick the cruciform lock, not once, but twice. I was quite chuffed. Unfortunately when I returned to have another go at the lock today, I discovered that one of the pins was stuck. It resisted everything I could to do get it freed up. I decided to disassemble the lock. Stupid move.

    As soon as I removed the retaining circlip from the rear of the barrel, the barrel slid out of the body and miniature pins, springs and ball bearings went flying to the four corners of the earth. I spent the next 30 minutes on my knees, trying to collect as many bits as I could. Of course it was a waste of time. That lock is now definitely an "ex lock". The sad collection of remnants now resides in a small pill jar. Maybe I learnt something from the exercise.

    The day was too drizzly for an enjoyable ride, but we did pack our thermos and drive to the ocean for a nice picnic overlooking Bass Straight. It might have been Sunday, but it certainly wasn't a sunny day.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Brady Bunch

    18 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    It seemed like a good idea at the time. I am not sure who suggested it first. The discussion had been floating around for some time - long before the coronavirus scare that has now enveloped us all.

    "Let's have a reunion of our French riders", somebody said.

    "Yes let's", someone else added.

    And so it started.

    Of course it's all very well to have an idea. It's another thing entirely to make it work, especially when all our participants are now confined to their homes in the pandemic lockdown.

    Well we do all have some sort of Internet access, even if not all Internet access is created equal. We shouldn't have too much trouble setting up a multi-way video chat. Or should we ?

    The process would have been simple if I had been setting up a chat room between 5 year kindergarten students, but I quickly discovered that it is much. much ,more difficult when the participants are all in their 60s and 70s.

    To make sure that everything would go well I even tried contacting each person on the previous night to have a practise and to go through the procedures. That was a mistake. A big mistake, After over an hour spent with just one person, trying unsuccesfully to help her turn her webcam on, I probably should have just given up. Against my better judgement the torment went on for another hour. I finally managed to get her to turn her camera on, but somehow in the process she managed to turn her microphone off. It did not bode well for the upcoming reunion. I gave up and went to bed instead.

    Much of this afternoon was spent continuing the self flagellation. I can tell you it was a (very) laborious process, but finally I thought we had reached the point where everyone knew what to do.

    "Just wait for me to call you at 6.30 pm", I instructed them, thinking that the hardest part was over.

    At the appointed hour I started sending out the digital invitations to the other 4 couples. Things appeared to be going smoothly when the first two couples joined without a problem. After a bit more fiddling we got the third couple on, but the fourth couple would not respond to my calls.

    We eventually called them on the phone and discovered that they somehow they had forgotten the start time. "Do we have to turn our computer on ?", they asked. "Well it would help a lot if you did", I replied.

    After a bit more fiddling we finally got everybody on line at the same time. Then everyone tried to talk at the same time. It sounded like the Tower of Babel. If that wasn't bad enough, people started randomly piushing buttons on their screens. "Would you all just leave the &&^%$# buttons alone", I yelled.

    People's faces randomly appeared and disappeared for the next 30 minutes, while elderly people in various locations around Melbourne played with their controls. Just when we had it right, someone (ie David Yates) would decide to leave the chat and reenter again. If I had any hair, I would have pulled it out in frustration. It was going to be a very long night.

    Somehow the dinner progressed and we started to make progress. People learned to take turns talking and to stop fiddling with every button on their screens. The final result was a screen with five windows, each one containing the faces of our dinner guests. I have to admit that the screen reminded me of the famous opening sequence to The Brady Bunch TV show.

    After the teething problems were ironed out, we were able to share a lovely chat and a whole lot of laughs. It was not the same as being together in person, but overall it probably went a lot better than I had feared. We may even do it again sometime.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    A Real Miracle

    17 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    A couple of days ago Maggie noticed that we seem to have developed a leak in our hot water service. I don't know how she notices such things, but I guess there is not much else to do nowadays, other than to go looking for things that are broken or leaking.

    When I examined the leak I came to the conclusion that it was a "dodgy connection". Since I am a complete moron I also decided that I could have a go at fixing it myself. Of course I immediately struck a problem - just about all of my tools are back home in Pakenham. Of course that didn't stop me.

    I went at the offending junction with the only tool at my disposal - a cheap pair of vice grips. Pretty soon the obvious happened. I made the leak worse. Much worse. It was time to the smart thing and call in a professional. While I was searching for a local plumber, my mind was busily calculating how much the exercise was probably going to cost. Your know the routine - $50 to answer the phone, $150 to turn up (even more if you want them to turn up on time) and then about $50 for every 2 minutes on site. If our finances were not already decimated enough, it was probably nothing compared to what one greedy plumber could do.

    I found a likely plumber on yellowpages.com.au and made the call. A cheerful voice answered and told me that he could be here within the hour. To my surprise he turned up on time with his apprentice in tow. I showed him what some idiot had done to our hot water service. He rolled his eyes and then set about fixing the damage.

    A short time later he knocked on the door to announce that it was all finished. I steeled myself for the awful invoice. "Will you send me the invoice ?", I asked. "No need to, it was only a small job, let's forget about it", was his unexpected reply. It was almost enough to stop my heart.

    Thinking that my failing hearing may have misheard the reply, I asked again "Are you sure ?" He reiterated that it was too small a job to charge for. If it hadn't been for the social distancing protocols, I might have hugged the guy. All I could do was thank him profusely, probably sounding like a senile fool in the process.

    It certainly was a surprise, and it was evidence that maybe times like this can also bring out the humanity in many people. I must admit that it was the highlight of our day. That plumber did not realise it at the time, but I know who I will be calling next time I need any work down.

    Later in the day we had a "virtual dinner" with our children and grandchildren. Although we had a few technical issues, we did finally manage to have our entire family (3 sons, 2 daughters in law, 4 grandchildren, 3 dogs and 4 goldfish) all on the screen at the same time. That was the second miracle of the day.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Almost Like Christmas

    16 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Life in lockdown does tend to become a little monotonous. In our previous lives we had lots of things to look forward to. Visits to the grandchildren, bike rides with our friends, coffees by the lake, lunches at our favourite cafes. The weeks tended to pass quickly because there was always something to do or a place to go.

    Now that most of those things are no longer possible, the days do tend to drag by rather slowly. There is only a limited amount of time you can spend reading books (or picking locks) before you start yearning for something else to do. Today was a Thursday, not that it really makes much difference any more. Every day is the same. Rather than calling them by the days of the week, I have started to classify them by their weather type - lovely day, windy day, wet day, etc.

    On a normal Thursday we would have had the regular Thursday ride to look forward to. We might have been riding the Warby Trail and having lunch at the Carriage Cafe, or maybe we would be riding to Waterways and having lunch at the Nest, or maybe exploring a brand new trail. Thursdays were always active, and the time spent with our friends was precious.

    But what about today ? The sunshine had retreated for a while and it had been replaced with a canopy of grey clouds. It was not perfect riding weather, but I had another idea. We had previously noticed that the big bakery in Inverloch was apparently still open, I suggested to Maggie that we could buy a couple of take away pies for lunch. She did not seem convinced, but reluctantly agreed to come along, provided she could marinate herself with antiseptic every few minutes.

    AT least we did not have to touch the door handle, as the doors opened by themselves. Inside the huge bakery all the tables and chairs had been stacked against the rear wall. The place was deserted and it looked so sad. This place is usually one of the busiest places in the town. It just looked wrong for it to be completely empty The display cases were still fully stocked with pies and a wide range of cakes, but there were no customers to buy them.

    The young assistant seemed happy to have something to do. I commented on how sad it was to see the place empty and she replied that it was like that every day now. I could not help but wonder how much longer the business will be able to survive under such circumstances. We bought a couple of cakes as well, just to help the bakery (and also because they looked delicious).

    The other highlight of the day was the food delivery from Woolworths on line. We have been ordering our groceries once a week from the Woolwoths in Wonthaggi. Although the process is rather tedious, it does avoid the need to attend the store and I have to admit that it is sort of exciting to have a driver bring all the parcels to our door.

    When you are of great age, you do quickly forget what you might have ordered. That means that opening each bag is a bit like opening a lucky dip parcel. You find all sorts of stuff that you cannot remember ordering. To add even further to the excitement, we find that Woolworths will randomly replace out of stock items with other items that they seem to think you might be interested in. We had ordered blueberries, but got raspberries instead ! Just as well we both like raspberries.

    It was almost like Christmas Day.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Oh No, Not The Tour

    15 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    I woke up this morning to the news that the 2020 Tour de France is the latest casualty of the Covid19 virus. Although it was almost inevitable that it would join the likes of AFL football, the Melbourne Grand Prix, Wimbledon, The Olympic Games and so many others, it still seemed a little hard to accept that we will not be glued to our TV sets in July watching those glorious views of France.

    So many things have been taken away from us this year. If 2020 was a computer program, I am sure that we have hit the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys to reboot and start again. Unfortunately it's not that simple. It is looking like it will be a long, long winter for most people.

    Since we can only live one day at a time, we decided to make maximum use of the fine and sunny weather to get back out on our bikes. This time I left the gears well alone and we were able to get underway without yesterday's delay.

    Our first destination was the RACV Country Club at Inverloch. Of course we knew that the lovely restaurant would be closed, but we thought that it would be fun to at least ride around the bike paths.

    As we entered the main gate a group of maintenance staff gave us a friendly wave. We waved right back and continued up the hill. It was only when we riding past the main building that we heard a shout somewhere behind us.

    "Did you know this centre is closed ?", it shouted.

    Well actually we didn't. There was no sign at the entrance and the maintenance staff obviously didn't know it was closed either. I could have debated the situation, but it was much easier to play the "confused old person" card instead. We Uturned our bikes, waved to the grumpy guy and headed back down the hill. There were plenty of other places to explore.

    A short time later we were at the other end of the town and looking out over the beautiful waters of Anderson Inlet. If we are going to be locked up for the next few weeks, this is not such a bad place to be.

    Later in the day we returned to the beach with our dog. Over the past few years the beach has been steadily retreating away from the Esplanade. There is now a wide expanse of sand at least 500 metres wide where the sea used to be. This makes for a lovely quiet walking location - absolutely perfect in times where we have to practise social distancing.

    I guess the only people who are probably not excited about the retreat of the sea are the people who own the mansions along the waterfront. These places used to be able to boast that they were within a few metres of the water, now the water is a 10 minute walk away.

    The Weather Burea is predicting that the fine weather might be over for a few days. That probably means that we will not be able to get out on the bikes for a little while. It's just as well we have plenty of books to read.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    It's Not Easy

    14 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    It's not easy. No, it's not easy. After three and a half weeks of lockdown, it is starting to sink in that this might be our lifestyle for some time to come. Although the effectiveness of this strategy is being shown in the latest statistics, it is not easy to be separated from our family and friends for such an extended time.

    I think it is also the complete uncertainty of the whole thing that makes it harder. If we knew just how long it was going to last for, we would have something to look forward to. As it is we don't know whether it will be for just a few more weeks, or maybe to the end of the year or longer. Maybe the only way to approach this is to take each day at a time. Each day that we get through is another day closer to that day when we will all be free to return to our normal lives and relationships.

    I know another thing that is not easy. Adjusting derailleur gears has always been a black art, but for some unknown reason I decided to give it a go this morning. On the past couple of rides I had been conscious of the fact that my gears were not engaging as precisely as they should. Since it was a pretty good day as far as the weather was concerned, I had promised Maggie that we would go on another ride.

    Just as we were about to leave, I called out to Maggie.

    "Hang on a moment, I need to adjust my gears", I said, as if I actually knew what I was doing. It did not take me long to upend the bike, spilling the entire contents from my pannier in the process. I had forgotten to close the zipper.

    Then I attacked the gear cable, succeeding in almost immediately ripping off the cable cover on the end. It was not going well and I hadn't even started. Very soon I could not engage any gears at all. That was not the result I was planning.

    "How long will you be ?", Maggie asked.

    "Not long now", I lied.

    About 30 minutes later I had managed to repair most of the damage I had inflicted on my bike. The gears might have been marginally better, but then again they might have been even worse. I washed my hands and announced that the job was done.

    When we finally got underway the weather had deteriorated a little. At least it was not raining (yet). We first headed up the main road to Korrumburra, before turning left into Lynnes Rd and heading towards Wonthaggi. The traffic was still light, but was substantially heavier than it had been in the Easter break. Fortunately none of them managed to knock us off our bikes.

    We eventually reached the road to Wonthaggi and that is when the rain started. The pace quickened in an attempt to find somewhere to shelter. Unfortunately we never did find shelter, but fortunately the rain stopped after about 15 minutes.

    The final section of the ride took us along the Bass Highway from Wonthaggi to Inverloch. Although there is a generous shoulder for cycling, it was a little unnerving when large trucks flew past at 100 kph. We did make it home in one piece and decided that overall it had been a successful ride.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Coffee by the Inlet

    12 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    While most people agree that everyone needs to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus, some of the restrictions do seem confusing and counter productive. According to some of the interpretations I have seen, it is illegal for a husband and wife to have a picnic in their car as that would represent "unnecessary travel". While I can see that it is important to cut down the amount of travel for trivial purposes, I see that a quiet coffee in the sanctity of their own vehicle constitutes absolutely no danger to the couple in question, or to anyone else. It may also be an essential for maintaining mental health.

    Whether it was illegal or not, this morning we decided that we needed to get out for a short time. We filled the thermos, packed a couple of biscuits and drove the short distance to the waterfront. It felt great to be able to watch the water in the inlet while we enjoyed our coffees. Fortunately no law officers tapped on the window while we were there.

    Later in the day we enjoyed some more video chats with other Ghostriders. We are learning to embrace this technology, as are our friends. It is becoming very clear that it was a wise move to get the NBN connected as we would have exhausted the data allowance that was included in our mobile phone plans.

    It has been interesting to see how everyone else has adapted to their many housebound hours. Gardening and home maintenance seem to be the two most popular pastimes. I have already said that I have taken up a new hobby that I have been finding quite interesting. Tomorrow I might even reveal what that hobby is.

    I just glanced up at the clock and saw that the time is almost 8pm. No wonder I am starting to feel like bedtime.    Leer más

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    Hello NBN

    11 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    If yesterday had been a perfect Autumn day, today was anything but. Sometime during the evening the predicted storms arrived with a vengeance. The rain poured heavily all night and the wind steadily built up to a real crescendo. I recently learned that Melbourne has received as much rain in the first three months of 2020 than it had in the whole of 2019. That is quite a statistic, especially as it was only a couple of months ago that it seemed that the entire state of Victoria was engulfed in bushfires. Another example of how quickly things can change.

    When the sun rose this morning the storm was still raging. It was very obvious that there would be no bike riding today. This was a reminder that winter was surely drawing closer and that we would have many cold days indoors in the months ahead. Since our main connection with the outside world is the Internet, we will become increasingly dependent on having a reliable connection with a generous bandwidth.

    At that stage I had an idea. Since, for the foreseeable future, we will no longer be living in Pakenham, I wondered if it would be possible to transfer our NBN service from Pakenham to Inverloch. I suspected that there would be a hundred reasons why it could not be done, but I have learned that you never know unless you ask.

    I wasn't even sure if our Internet company Aussie Broadband would be open during Easter, but I decided to call them anyway. One thing I really appreciate about Aussie Broadband is that they are situated nearby in Morwell and that their support staff all speak Australian English. Soon I was chatting to a friendly young man who knew exactly where Inverloch was (something you would never get with those call centres in Manilla). I explained what I would like to do with my Internet connection. To my surprise he said that it "should not be a problem". After a few minutes I had begun the transfer process. It was simple and painless. What I didn't know was how long it would take for the NBN to be connected to our house in Inverloch. I suspected that it would be a couple of weeks at least.

    You could therefore imagine my surprise when my phone chirped with an incoming SMS about an hour later. It told me that my new service was now "ready for use". I connected the router and was delighted when the Internet was up and running just a few minutes later. The NBN often gets bad publicity when things go wrong, but I could not believe how quick the whole process had been . There was no charge for the transfer and I did not have to enter a contract. How good was that ?

    The rest of the afternoon was spent experimenting with our new and improved Internet connection and trying to learn how to use Skype. It might help to maintain our sanity over the next few months.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Good Friday in Inverloch

    10 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I have to admit that it looks a little weird. Easter time in Inverloch is usually one of the busiest times of the year. The caravan parks and B&Bs are always packed out. The main street is full of happy holiday makers, enjoying al fresco dining at one of the many eateries. Not so this year.

    Since the weather was so perfect, Maggie and I took the opportunity to get out on the bikes again. We decided to ride out from Inverloch on the road to Korrumburra. At peak times this road can be quite busy, and it would not normally be a road that we would feel comfortable riding along. Today there was barely a car in sight. We could have been riding on one of those beautiful back roads in rural France. We might have been the last people left on earth.

    After riding about 10 km, we decided to turn back to Inverloch. The same scene of complete solitude was replayed everywhere we went. It felt sad to ride down the main street and not see another soul. For many businesses, Easter is their last opportunity to make some profit before the off season begins. This year their turnovers will be close to zero. I wonder how many will survive.

    In the middle of all the focus on the coronavirus, I guess that Easter has almost been forgotten. Yet the story of Easter is all about hope rising from despair, joy being born from grief and new life coming from death. If ever we need such a renewal, it is now. It seems that the entire population of the earth is suffering together. It is hard to recall any other time in history when all the nations have been united in their struggle. This is made all the harder when the common enemy is invisible and can be imagined to be lurking everywhere.

    Some people think that the planet has its own way of defending itself. If that is the case, then maybe it has finally got tired of us pouring our rubbish into the oceans and our filth into the atmosphere. If no other good comes out of this, it is clear that the world has had a little time to recover from some of this destruction. I guess time will time if we ever learn anything permanent from this.

    After returning from our bike ride I settled down to read some of the collected works of Arthur C Clarke. This guy really was a genius. The story I read today was written in the same year that I was born and yet it is still scientifically accurate.

    Tomorrow the weather is predicted to take a turn for the worse, so I suspect that our cycling might be over for the time being.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Settling in to our New Normal

    9 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    After arriving in Inverloch last night my solitary life has finally come to an end. It feels a little strange to now have someone to talk to and a dog to sit on my knee. We were worried at first at how we would be able to squeeze so much stuff into a small house, but somehow we seem to have managed the impossible. Maybe we should rename the house to "The Tardis". We even managed to find a place for our two bikes inside the house !

    Today was just too glorious to let it go to waste. As soon as we could get sorted, we jumped on our bikes and headed out to explore some of the bike path network. Although Easter is normally one of the busiest times of the year for Inverloch, this year it is almost deserted. Apart from the people who live here all year, there has been absolutely no intake of visitors.

    It was a strange feeling to be able to ride up the main street and see most of the shops closed. I don't how how some of these businesses will survive the loss of such an important trading period.

    We stopped to gaze across Anderson Inlet and admire the beautiful blue ocean. Earlier in the day I had seen some images on the Internet of towns in northern India where, for the first time in decades, they were now able to see the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas. For many of the younger people it would have been the first time in their lives that the mountains were visible, as they are normally blocked by a curtain of air pollution. Now that so many cars are off the roads, it is as if the earth is starting to rebuild its damaged atmosphere. The same phenomenon is happening in cities all over the planet. It is ironic that it might take a virus to shake us into action about what has been destroying our beautiful planet. Changes that take place slowly can somehow go unnoticed. I wonder if the people even realised that their amazing mountains were gradually being hidden from them.

    I spent some time practicing my new skill and I must admit that I am quite pleased at the progress I am already making. I can see why some people really get involved in this. My first few successes did give me something of a rush, and inspired me to keep practising and improving. One day I might even tell you what it is.

    Our first day together ended with a delicious crock pot stew. We have plenty of food and plenty of toilet paper too, so we should be OK for the next few weeks at least. The weather bureau has promised another lovely day for tomorrow, so I think we will be back out on the bikes in the morning.

    It's almost 9 pm already. Time for bed.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Goodbye Melbourne, Hello Inverloch

    8 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today I finally left my solitary existence and reunited with Maggie and Laila (the dog). It was a day that I had been looking forward to eagerly ever since I returned from Cuba. What I was not so eagerly looking forward to was tidying and cleaning the house before I left. After two and a half weeks of living as a bachelor, it was starting to show the collateral damage from missing a woman's touch.

    The first step was to pack about everything I own into the car. I guess I should be glad that the Skoda has such a large boot. Believe me, I needed every cubic centimetre of the space. After packing clothes, tools, computers and cycling gear, I started packing all the food from the fridge and pantry. The car sunk a little further on its suspension.

    Then I started the housework. Vacuuming really is exhausting work, especially when you are just not really into it. It was somewhere during all this activity that I made a shocking discovery - one of the car keys was missing. From bitter personal experience I already know that a replacement costs about $600. Considering the massive hit that our finances had taken over the past few weeks, that was enough to send me into a tailspin.

    I searched high, I searched low. I even unpacked all the stuff that I had already packed, just in case it had accidentally got caught up in other things. There was no sign of it. I did what any other elderly lunatic would do under the circumstances - I started to panic. The problem was the more I panicked, the less logical my searching became. I needed to reset.

    I decided to return to the vacuuming, hoping that it might also suck some of the cobwebs from my addled brain. My strategy worked. After a short time of cleaning, my mind started to clear and I thought of some other very logical places to look. Within a couple of minutes the lost key was found. I almost jumped for joy.

    The final step was to put the bike carrier on the car and load our bikes. Then it was a final look around, not knowing how long it will be before we can return home. By 3 pm I was backing out the driveway and on my way.

    I had heard about police stopping people in their cars and hitting them with monstrous fines. With the bikes on the back and the car packed to the roof, I guess I looked exactly like someone heading off for an (illegal) Easter holiday. I would not have been surprised if I had been pulled over and interrogated, however the entire journey was achieved without incident.

    Maggie and I will now be settling into a new lifestyle, until the isolation period is officially over. The hardest part is being separated from our family and friends. It will also be interesting to see if our marriage survives being trapped together in such small quarters for an extended period of time.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The "New Normal"

    7 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Now that most Australians have been confined to their homes, it is already evident that subtle (and some not so subtle) changes have been taking place. People who once prided themselves on their smart attire are now content to wander about their homes in their pyjamas till sometime after lunch, then change into their trakky pants and tops. Some who used to always rise with the larks are now learning a new skill. It's apparently called "sleeping in".

    Back in the old days when all we had to communicate was a mobile phone, you never knew what the other party was actually doing when you called. I have even heard of cases where (horror of horrors) people have chatted on their phones while they are sitting in the toilet.

    Now with the advent of video calls, it is no longer possible to hide in obscurity. If we answer a call while we are sitting in our underwear, the whole world will know (and see) what is going on. With the proliferation of these video calls, I have been gaining an interesting insight into the way our friends have metamorphised over the past couple of weeks.

    When I now chat with my friends the people that I see looking back at me are not the same people that I remembered from the last time I saw them in person. What I now see are unwashed faces, stubbly chins, messed up hair and unbrushed teeth. If that was not bad enough, the men are even worse ! Is that what they refer to as the "new normal" ?

    If I am brutally honest, I would have to admit that my own lofty standards have also slipped just a little. Perhaps that is due to the fact that I have been living alone for the past two weeks. That will all come to an end tomorrow, when I will be making the journey down to Inverloch to be reunited with Maggie and Lailla (the dog, not a secret mistress).

    So how did I spend my last full day of isolation ? The highlight was a lengthy bike ride exploring some recently completed new bike paths. Although the weather was a bit grey, at least it did not rain. I have to admit that time on the bike is the very best medicine for improving the morale. The only sad aspect was the sight of all my favourite coffee shops closed and empty. I seriously wonder if many of them will survive this challenge, no matter how much government support they get.

    In the afternoon I had another event occur to brighten my spirits. It was a long video chat with my 10 month old grandson. He really is at an adorable age, and it breaks my heart to think that I may not be able to give him a hug for some months. It is looking like he will not even be able to have his first birthday party. I realise that many are much worse off, but it is still a difficult burden for Maggie and me to carry.

    Tomorrow morning I will clean the house and finish packing the car. Then I will turn out the lights for last time in goodness knows how long. Stay safe everyone.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    On the Road Again

    6 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After the freezing weather of yesterday, I was happy to discover that the temperature had risen a fraction of a degree and the rain had stopped. I really wanted to get out on my bike again, but I could see that it was going to involve some careful timing if I was going to avoid getting drenched.

    By mid morning the sky was blacker than a coal mine. It looked like it was about to pour at any moment, but I could not wait any longer. I donned some cold weather clothes and headed out. It did not take long to see how the wild weather had wrought havoc on the local bike paths. Not only were there numerous fallen trees, but in many of the low lying areas the path was completely submerged. On one occasion I had to leave the path completely to detour around a large fallen tree. I didn't mind in the slightest. I was just exhilarated that I was feeling free at last.

    By some fluke of probability I actually managed to complete my ride without getting rained on at all. Although it was not a very long ride, it was sufficient to boost my spirits. I am sure that I must have worn a big silly smile on my face as I rode back up the hill to my house. It certainly felt good.

    I spent some time later in the day calling some friends and seeing how they were coping with the current situation. It seems that everyone's life has changed so much in the last few weeks. Some seem to be adapting better than others. Now that daylight saving is officially finished, the days seem dramatically shorter. This change can also potentially be detrimental to our state of mind. The next few weeks will be difficult for us all.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Icy Blast

    5 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    I should have known that the temperature had plummeted. No matter how much I pulled and fought with the doona, I just could not get warm during the night. I even tried cuddling the spare pillow, but it was just no use. I was freezing. Although the Weather Bureau had been predicting that an Antarctic blast was coming our way, I did not expect that it was going to make its way right into my bedroom.

    After a long and cold night, I awoke to the sound of wind blowing against my windows. It was not any ordinary wind, it was actually blowing like a thousand demented banshees. For a few minutes I could have believed that I had somehow woken up in the middle of Antarctica. And then the weather took a turn for the worse.

    By 10 am the wind has risen to hurricane force, the rain was sheeting in horizontally and icicles were starting to form on my ceiling. Yep, it certainly felt like winter. I was sorely tempted to just head back to bed, except I knew how cold and lonely that place had been.

    So on went the trakky pants, fleecy jumper and thick socks. I would not have scored well in the fashion stakes, but I did finally start to thaw out. I would like to say that I spent the rest of the day engaged in home improvements and fastidious cleaning, but that would be stretching the truth just a bit.

    I did tidy the kitchen, catch up with the laundry and cook a nice pasta dish for dinner. The rest of the day is a little hazy, but I know that quite a deal of it was spent on the phone and on emails. I also watched a movie on Netflix. It might be just as well that my time alone is drawing to a close. Within a couple of days I will moving to rejoin Maggie and the dog down at Inverloch. With three of us in the bed, at least I won't be as cold down there.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Rains Came

    4 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    It was great while it lasted. We all love those beautiful lingering warm and sunny days that are inclined to tease us that winter is not really on its way. These sequences of late warm days used to be called "Indian Summers". I don't know if that term is used any more, but whatever we wish to call it, our run of glorious weather came to a sudden halt late yesterday.

    Sometime after nightfall the wind picked up, the temperature dropped and the rain started. I went to bed relatively early, with the lovely sound of heavy rain on my iron roof. I awoke a couple of times during the night and each time the rain was still falling steadily. It was still falling when I awoke at 6.30 am this morning.

    Today was my second day of comparative freedom, however there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy a bike ride in this weather. I decided to go on a short drive around my neighbourhood instead. The car had only been driven once in the past five weeks and I was getting worried about the state of the battery.

    As I headed off down the hill, the first thing I noticed was how wet everything was. It was obvious that a LOT of rain had fallen during the night. Our lake had risen markedly and a lot of surface water was lying around the lower areas.

    There has been a major level crossing removal project taking place on Cardinia Rd and it was interesting to see how much progress had been made in the past month. Three large concrete bridge supports have now grown where there was previously just level ground. Work had also started on a new high school building in Henry Rd. I was surprised to see so many tradies in their high vis gear working on a Saturday.

    After driving around for some time, I found a nice place to park and resumed work on a crossword that I had been battling with. I figured that, as long as I did not leave the car, I was not in danger of inadvertently breathing in a virus particle.

    Tonight marks the end of daylight saving for this season. I usually get a little excited at the prospect of an extra hour's sleep, however it all seems a little meaningless in the current lockdown. Time has lost its relevance in most respects.

    I could also mention one other event that took place this morning. At 9.00 am I had a ring on the doorbell that signified my second delivery from Woolworths on line. I never thought that I would get excited over a delivery of groceries, but somehow it felt like Christmas, especially when I had forgotten exactly what I ordered. With apologies to Forrest Gump, I think that a bunch of Woolworths delivery bags is just like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to find inside. And guess what ? I even found a chocolate bar in one of the bags !    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Free at Last, Free at Last

    3 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Way back in August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The immortal closing words of that speech were "Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty we are Free at Last". Almost 57 years later I was tempted to utter the same words as I stepped onto the footpath outside my home for the first time since arriving home from Cuba.

    That might have been just slightly over dramatic, but I have to admit that it was a moment that I had been counting down to for the past two weeks. Although it is not a terrible fate to be confined to the house for a relatively short period, it still gave me something of an insight into how much we can take for granted.

    I was also relieved that the rain had temporarily stopped and the sun had reappeared, just in time for my walk around the neighbourhood. My favourite local walk is down to the large lake and then do a few laps of the lake itself.

    When I arrived at the lake it was soon evident that quite a few others had decided to exercise at the same time. I joined dozens of walkers, dog walkers and joggers as we made our way around the perimeter walking path. I had not walked far before having something of an epiphany.

    The biggest potential risk in exercising in a busy location is from other walkers and joggers coming from the opposite direction, This could so easily be minimised if everyone moved in the same direction. All it would take would be a few strategically placed signs to initiate the one way rule. It would not even cost much money to implement.

    I decided to share my idea with the staff at Cardinia Shire Council. I might as well have discussed it with one of the ducks in the lake. The receptionist did not seem to know who to put me through to, and then decided that it would be better if I "contacted the police" ! I am not kidding, she wanted me to ring the police. I could have said that it is the council that I pay $3000 a year in rates to, not the police force, but I could see that I was getting nowhere. At least I tried.

    After lunch the sun was still shining, so it was a perfect excuse to put on my cycling gear and head out on the bike. I cannot describe how good it felt to be back out on two wheels again. It would have been even better if I could have stopped somewhere for a coffee, but you can't have everything.

    I decided to head to the Pakenham Wall and ride to the highest point of the city. At the summit I enjoyed the 360 degree views and tried to ignore the broken glass which some air head had spread liberally all over the bike path. I should have shouted "Free at Last", but there was a lady and child in the nearby picnic shelter who might have thought that I was a recently escaped convict. At least I mouthed the words to myself.

    Over the next couple of days the rest of the returned Cuba riders will also be reaching the end of their captivities and will probably be experiencing the same feelings.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 14 of Quarantine - almost over

    2 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    At around 9.30 am on Friday 20th March I touched down at Melbourne airport after an exhausting 3 day journey from Havana, Cuba. At the time I was just relieved to be back home. Throughout the journey I had seen the international situation change almost hourly. Borders were closing so rapidly that I was fearful that I could have been left stranded somewhere along the way, with no immediate prospect of getting home.

    Of course I knew that I would be arriving back home and going straight into a 14 day self isolation period. That seemed like a very reasonable precaution to take if it meant ensuring the safety of my family and the general population. Today marked my last full day in isolation. This means that tomorrow morning I will be legally permitted to leave my property. It is a day that I have been eagerly counting down to.

    It seems a little ironic that the past week has consisted of a succession of glorious autumen day. The forecast for the next few days is not encouraging. Apparently the skies are about to open and the temperature will plummet. In spite of this, I am so looking forward to being able to go for a walk, that I plan to do so, regardless of the weather.

    It is worth noting that I have started to receive emails from others in the Ghostrider cycling group telling me how they have been passing their time. I plan to include these accounts in the weekly newsletter as I think it will be benefical to those who do the writing and also for those who do the reading. Perhaps the newsletter will be one way of keeping us connected during this stressful time. Perhaps we should make a temporary change of name from Ghostriders to Ghostwriters ?

    My temperature is still perfectly normal, so medically I feel fine. I am however suffering from a severe case of bike withdrawal. The only effective treatment for such an illness is to get on the bike and start pedalling.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 13 of Quarantine

    1 de abril de 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Sometimes the weather can be really cruel. Today was another of those idyllic autumn days that makes everyone glad to be alive. As I looked out my window into the park opposite, I could not help but think how glorious it would be to go for a walk or get on my bike. As it was, the furthest I was allowed to venture was to my front nature strip to bring my rubbish in.

    According to the calendar I now have only two more days of self isolation to get through. Then I will be able to cast off the home shackles and set out to rediscover my neighbourhood. The only problem with this plan is that the Weather Bureau is now telling us that the spell of marvellous weather will come to a crashing halt. When will this happen ? You guessed it - Friday !

    I have previously said that the next few weeks would be a great opportunity to master a new skill. I have already chosen one skill that I would like to learn and have already started on the learning trajectory. And what is that skill, you might ask ? For the moment I will keep that to myself. I want to see if I make any progress before I tell the world about it. I promise to let you know by the end of the month (but only if it works out).

    So how did I pass another day in solitary confinement ? Like many of the previous days, I have found myself spending an increasing amount of time on the phone or in video chats. A few weeks ago I had never used any of those video apps, but I think we are all learning quickly. It will be increasingly important as we head into winter.

    The warm sunshine was also the catalyst I needed to get out into the yard and prune all the hedges around my house. Sometimes I could almost swear that I can hear them growing. I trimmed the hedges about noon and I wouldn't be surprised if they have already grown several cm since then.

    According to the thermometer, I am still free of fever. Does that mean that I can relax ? Not quite, but each day that passes by, I do feel more confident that I didn't bring anything nasty back with me on the plane.

    Tomorrow will be my final full day in lockdown, so maybe I should do something special tomorrow night to celebrate. I will feel a bit like a prisoner who has come up for parole at the end of their sentence. If I had some fireworks I might also be tempted to let off a sky rocket or two.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 12 of Quarantine

    31 de marzo de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    It would not be so bad if it had been pouring rain all day. Then I would have had a great reason for staying indoors. My problem was the day was just too perfect - just the sort of day that makes autumn my favourite time of the year. It would have been the ideal weather for enjoying a ride or walk, but instead I had to watch the proceedings through my front window. It was a bit like looking through the window of the world's best chocolate shop and not being able to walk in the door.

    The only good thing is that I can feel my period of enforced confinement is drawing closer to an end. By Friday afternoon I will be able to at least enjoy my favourite walk to the local lake and parklands. It will be a glorious feeling of freedom, even if I cannot get within several metres of another human being. I am not sure what the advance weather forecast is for Friday, but it would just be my luck if it was for a day long downpour.

    My day was busy spent writing a weekly email to the Ghostrider group, answering emails and having a delightful video chat with my newest grandson. It was wonderful being able to see him enjoying his dinner, but it is distressing not knowing how long it will be before I can again pick him up in my arms.

    I am also extending my limited culinary skills and beginning to experiment with some meal options that I haven't tried before. The toilet rolls are holding up well as I am still on the same roll that I started when I first got home. At that rate I should be able to last until the end of winter.

    I can feel another early night is instore for me. After all, it's almost 9 pm.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 11 of Quarantine

    30 de marzo de 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Many years ago I remember that there was a novelty that was intended as a gift for wives to give to their husbands. It took the form of a flat disc with a hole in the middle. Boldly printed on each side was the word "TUIT".

    In case you are feeling a little confused, a bit more explanation might be in order. The idea was that when wives ask their husbands when they will be attending to certain items of home maintenance and the like, their answer is invariably they will do it "when they get around to it". So there you have it. If you give them a "round tuit" they will have no excuse for delaying the job any longer.

    With so many people now confined to home for an indefinite period of time, maybe now would be the perfect time to hand out the "round tuits". While many businesses (cafes, coffee shops, travel companies, retail, etc) are suffering badly, shops like Bunnings and Mitre 10 are doing a roaring trade. The supermarkets are struggling to employ extra staff to meet the demand. On a darker side, apparently the gun shops in the USA are also seeing record sales of firearms and weapons. Sad but true.

    This morning I had a small degree of excitement when there was a knock on my door from the Woolworths on line delivery man. Because I am currently in home detention, I am apparently a "priority" customer. That means I belong to one of the privileged groups of people who can have the groceries home delivered (for a fee of course).

    I have to admit that it was kind of like Christmas when I got the packages, especially since I had largely forgotten what I had ordered. I never received any of those Crisco Christmas hampers, but now I can understand a little of what it must be like.

    With the spirit of the "round tuit" in mind, this morning I attended to a vital chore that I had been joking about for days. I finally reorganised my sock drawer ! Out went all the ones with dodgy heels, the inevitable few odd ones that had no partners and a few that were not worth keeping. All the rest were paired up and packed away. Job done. Nobody can say that the day was wasted.

    I also took some time to catch up on the latest round of restrictions. It is hard to believe that we can no longer even ride with a friend. All rides must now be solo or with others who live at the same address. This is another sad reminder of how much everything has changed in such a short time.

    Tonight I will be enjoying the first piece of steak that I have had since leaving Australia at the start of the month. I can't wait.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 10 of Quarantine

    29 de marzo de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    It seems that summer is not quite finished with us yet. The past three days have certainly felt more like summer than autumn. Each day has been warm and sunny with a top temperature in the high twenties.

    I must admit that this is making it very difficult for me not to step out past the end of my driveway. It would be so nice to be able to go for a walk around my familiar neighbourhood. It would have been even better if I could have stopped for a coffee along the way. They were previously such simple pleasures, but seem so far away from me at the moment.

    This morning I received the latest update on the government restrictions on meeting together. They have now made it illegal to organise a bike ride where two or more people are involved. That's right - two or more. That means we can no longer even go riding with a friend. The only exeption is where they both reside at the same address. That will be a bitter pill for many, but I can see that such measures are required if we are going to avoid even worse pain down the track.

    The run of hot weather came to a dramatic end with a thunderstorm, accompanied by much thunder and heavy rain. The temperature has fallen considerably, promising cooler weather ahead.

    And how did I pass my time ? As usual I spent a lot of time on the phone and answering emails. I also set up the high pressure washer and finally washed away the last remnants of the red dusty rain that fell on Melbourne a couple of months ago. It gave me some feeling of achievement.

    I also managed to lodge an order with Woolworths on line. It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow morning, so I will be interested to see if it turns up as promised. As for now ? I think another early night might be the best way to finish the day. Television just has no attraction at all for me at the moment.    Leer más

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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 9 of Quarantine

    28 de marzo de 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    What a glorious Autumn day. It would have been ideal for a group bike ride or even for just a nice walk in the sunshine. Unfortunately I am still in quarantine, so neither of those is an option for me.

    I awoke early, as has become my new daily routine. After a solitary breakfast I went back to finish the painting I had started yesterday. At least my time in quarantine won't have been a total waste of time.

    I am not sure how many phone calls I received or how long I spent on the phone, but it must have been at least two hours. This has become my new normal, but at least it allows me to maintain contact with the friends that are so important to me.

    Later in the day I tried watching a movie on the computer, however it failed to grab my attention, so I abandoned it about 60% of the way through. The news is almost entirely bad, so I have stopped watching it altogether.

    Six days to go till I can leave the property !    Leer más

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