October 2020
Thursday 22nd October 2020
During the months of the Corona lockdown we often had glorious weather and many people took to their bicycles. I also did a certain amount of cycling, but not as much as you might think.
My old mountain bike has been around quite a bit. (Seen here when in Congo-Brazzaville). This summer it started having some technical problems. In fact it began to make an unpleasant grinding noise every time I have to pedal hard and quite frankly that was rather embarrassing when I had to cycle past the hordes of hikers who were around.
So I took it to the bike shop and the mechanic advised me that it would be better not to spend money on repairing the bike, but invest that money in a new one. So I did some careful research and came up with specifications for my number-two-dream-bike. I say “number-two-dream-bike” since my number-one-dream-bike would simple have been too expensive.
So I took it to the bike shop and the mechanic advised me that it would be better not to spend money on repairing the bike, but invest that money in a new one. So I did some careful research and came up with specifications for my number-two-dream-bike. I say “number-two-dream-bike” since my number-one-dream-bike would simple have been too expensive.
Backlog
At the end of July I went to a local cycle dealer and put in my order. There was one major hitch, though. The small company which builds the bikes to the customer’s requirement has been flooded with orders, and I believe they also had to close for a while because of a case of covid-19 amongst the staff. Well, they haven’t caught up with the backlog of orders yet, and I am still creaking and grinding around on my old bike.
Anticipation
But I must admit there I am getting a lot pleasure from anticipating the day when the bike dealer phones up and says my machine is ready to be picked up.
In the meantime I had a birthday and the family gave me money to get kitted up with some biking gear.
Today, with my daughter as my cycle-wear advisor, I went and bought some padded shorts and a cycling shirt. I am a dedicated bike user, but I have always been reluctant to get kitted up with specialist cycling clothes. It seems to me that there is a real risk of being a poser. Let me tell you a story to illustrate what I mean.
In the meantime I had a birthday and the family gave me money to get kitted up with some biking gear.
Today, with my daughter as my cycle-wear advisor, I went and bought some padded shorts and a cycling shirt. I am a dedicated bike user, but I have always been reluctant to get kitted up with specialist cycling clothes. It seems to me that there is a real risk of being a poser. Let me tell you a story to illustrate what I mean.
Full cycling gear
The story is a true one and it happened to us in or around the year 2000 when we lived in Libreville, the capital of the central African country of Gabon. One weekend we went out eat in a small roadside restaurant, the sort of place where you can go to eat burgers or chicken and rice.
When we went in and sat down, there was a young Frenchman sitting at another table. He was dressed up in the full cycling gear, shorts and glossy shirt. He has a pair of cool wrap-around sunglasses perched on top of his head and he was reading a cycling magazine. On the table next to him lay his keys and a glass of coke, which he sipped from time to time.
I was impressed, because Libreville with its clammy heat, heavy traffic and pot-holed roads is a most unsuitable place to do cycling. Only the most hard-bitten cyclist would cycle around here.
But all was not quite what it seemed.
After a moment, the young waitress came up to him and said “Excuse me, monsieur, you’ve left your lights on.” He nodded, got up, picked up his keys, returned to his car parked outside and switched off the lights.
When we went in and sat down, there was a young Frenchman sitting at another table. He was dressed up in the full cycling gear, shorts and glossy shirt. He has a pair of cool wrap-around sunglasses perched on top of his head and he was reading a cycling magazine. On the table next to him lay his keys and a glass of coke, which he sipped from time to time.
I was impressed, because Libreville with its clammy heat, heavy traffic and pot-holed roads is a most unsuitable place to do cycling. Only the most hard-bitten cyclist would cycle around here.
But all was not quite what it seemed.
After a moment, the young waitress came up to him and said “Excuse me, monsieur, you’ve left your lights on.” He nodded, got up, picked up his keys, returned to his car parked outside and switched off the lights.
Friday 23rd October 2020
Well, I’ve just tried out my new cycling clothes, though, given the autumn weather, they were discreetly hidden by a sweater and track-suit bottoms. I must say that I am satisfied with them.
Ladybirds everywhere
Over the last couple of days we have had a plague of ladybirds. A plague is perhaps rather a strong word for wave of harmless and charming insects. From our balcony you see them flying round, rather aimlessly, it seems. And quite a number of them landed on the white walls of the house.
These particular ones were not the classic sort with the bright red wing cases, but mostly yellowish brown in colour.
A few were black with a few large red spots. I can’t remember ever having seen so many ladybirds at one time, and I wonder what conditions combined to bring them all out at once.
Front page story
Look back to 1665: the Plague Year
Contact
If you’re interested in English lessons or translation and checking services, please feel free to contact me in the language of your choice - English, French, German or even Lingala!
Here are my details:
Here are my details:
Mobile
078 609 56 51
+41 78 609 56 51
+41 78 609 56 51
Location
Tödistrasse 9, 8634 Hombrechtikon
(New address from 24th March 2018)
(New address from 24th March 2018)
If you are travelling from Rüti / Wolfhausen, drive past the Hombrechtikon place-name sign for about 300 metres and turn right into Tödistrasse, just before the Tobel bus stop.
Approaching from Hombrechtikon
If you are approaching from the centre of Hombrechtikon, follow the signs to Rüti. At the Tobel junction (the Methodist Church is on the left) turn left. Tödistrasse is the next turning on the left, just past the Tobel bus stop.
The entrance to our new flat is about 100 metres from the junction with Rütistrasse, on the left-hand side of the road.
The house number is number 9 and we are on the first floor.
There are a few visitor’s parking bays a short distance beyond the entrance, on the left.
There are a few visitor’s parking bays a short distance beyond the entrance, on the left.
Arriving by bus
If you arrive by bus from Bubikon, get off the bus at Tobel and follow Tödiweg until you get to Tödistrasse. Our house is on the right.