Final Preps

Across the Dunes
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, FL
June 4, 2024

 I am working on final preps for the Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) ride next week with Patrick, Jen, and Jeremy. Yesterday, I rode a hard 20-mile tune-up that saw 51 percent of my 1h34m ride in Training Zones 4 and 5. 

It was a great ride along Beach Road on Jupiter Island with the ocean and the Uber-expensive properties to view. The area is a very exclusive area and many of the houses cannot be seen from either the road or the adjacent Intracoastal Waterway, but there are others that allow a glimpse as to how people live in $30M plus homes. 

Trimmed Trees
Jupiter island, FL
June 4, 2024

The winds were light yesterday, blowing mostly from the north which meant the ride back would have a small assist. The north end of the ride, and coincidentally the end of the road, is the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. I appreciate that much of Jupiter Island is devoted to the Refuge. 

On the ride back we toured some of the side roads through the neighborhoods and in pone place came upon heavily trimmed/pruned trees. They look as if they are preparing for Halloween early as they must be an eerie sight at night when the moon is bright. 

New Cassette and Chain
Tequesta, FL
June 5, 2024

After the ride and lunch, I took my bike to the local bike shop for its annual tune-up. I wanted to get it done before the ride next week and I finally made time to complete the task. I expected to be without my bike for two days, but was pleasantly surprised when they called just before closing to tell me it was ready. Awesome! I can ride it today and see if any adjustments need to be made. 

It was good I took my bike in because it needed a new chain and cassette. I expected the need for a new chain as I had over 3700 miles on the current chain. They also, as expected, adjusted my brakes and the gear shifts while giving the bike a general clean-up. They informed me that I was oiling my chain too much, which is why the collection of grime was significant. Funny, I was also informed that both the front and rear brakes were dragging a bit and that I will have more speed and power now. I am looking forward to that. 

Hopefully, my bike, and me too, is ready for the upcoming GAP ride. I will know more after this morning's ride, which will be my usual 16-mile route. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#bike #biking #GAP

Rainy Morning Evolves into a Beach Evening

Carlin Park
Jupiter, FL
 3, 2024

Down to the ocean we went yesterday afternoon. The day which began with greatly needed rain ended with blue skies and a beach afternoon. I made a special note that with the solstice approaching, the available daylight lasts later into the evening. During the winter months we would have been in darkness long before we departed the beach last evening.

The ocean was calmer; compared with Friday. I hope that it was mimicking the mood in the country after Friday's upheaval with the weekend for things to cool off. Of course the news media will keep emotions stirred as long as possible. There needs to be some rain in the news reporting to cool things off.

Temperatures are approaching summertime levels, in or near the 90s. It is a bit of a shock after spending three weeks in relatively cooler Europe. I don't think we will see morning temperatures in the 50s again until late September. The lowest temperatures expected during the next week are in the mid-70s. The ocean was already at 81 degrees yesterday, which is perfect for swimming although the sargassum washing ashore made entering the water an exercise in caution. The sargassum can be seen in the image I took both on the beach and in the waves.

And another day dawns!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - June 3, 2024

 

1. Monday musings in back! Welcome to the first Monday of June!. This is the month that Summer begins with the Summer Solstice. There are only 30 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Calm Day on the Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
June 2, 2024

2. I seem to enjoy activities that begins with the letter B. Some that I can think of are: biking, boating, and beaching.

3. I got out for a pleasant 17 mile ride yesterday. It was earlier than usual and the traffic, being a Sunday, was pleasantly light. Stopping on the Tequesta Loxahatchee Bridge as I neared the end of the ride I saw that it was a fairly good day on the water. I, of course, wished that I could be out in a boat. 

4. My grill died! Ugh. That is a travesty. Chris and I are now grill shopping. We are quite limited in our selection as it must be electric and have a surface area of no more than 200 square inches. Also, we do not have a large spot on our patio to support a grill station. 

5. I have avoided the topic of the former President's conviction intentionally, but I have happened upon items that need to be remembered. The Biden administration did not convict the former president--a jury of 12 peers in New York City did. One wonders why Trump is so unliked in the city he called home for decades. At least that is what he professes. Trump has been involved in over 4,000 legal proceedings during his career, the only reason this one was different is because he is a former president. He kept saying he was being treated unfairly, and he was because unlike any of us in a similar situation he was not in jail and is freely able to travel around the country. Finally, the eight Senators who signed the letter pledging not to do their jobs should be impeached for not carrying out the business they were elected to do and are required to do under The Constitution. I note that both of Florida's senators signed the letter.

6. Today in History. On June 3, 1943, a group of U.S. sailors marches through downtown Los Angeles, carrying clubs and other makeshift weapons and attacking anyone wearing a “zoot suit”—the baggy wool pants, oversized coats and porkpie hats favored by many young men of color at the time. 

Over the next week, the so-called Zoot Suit Riots spread throughout the city, including the largely Mexican-American neighborhood of East Los Angeles and the largely Black neighborhood of Watts. The riots marked the culmination of simmering racial tensions in Los Angeles, set against the backdrop of World War II.

Judge blocks key defense evidence in Hunter Biden gun trial - CNN

 Fact check Trump falsely claims he didn’t call to lock up Hillary Clinton - CNN

The far-right Proud Boys rebuilding, rallying behind Trump - Reuters

OPEC+ extends deep oil production cuts into 2025 - Reuters

Russia warns US against 'fatal' miscalculation in Ukraine - Reuters

The U.S. Gave Chip Makers Billions. Now Comes the Hard Part. - The Wall Street Journal

China Is 'Prepositioning' for Future Cyberattacks—and the New NSA Chief Is Worried - The Wall Street journal

‘She Hooked Me’: How an Online Scam Cost a Senior Citizen His Life’s Savings - The Wall Street Journal

Mexico elects its first female president - The Washington Post

The B-17 blew apart in an instant. The memory has burned for 80 years. - The Washington Post

A Surging Hard Right in Europe Stumbles Over Its Own Divisions - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#mondaymusings

Biking for June

Royal Poinciana
Tequesta, FL
June 1, 2024

 As the month of June began, so too did the return to my bike. I rode over 16 miles yesterday working on keeping a steady pace with an easy rhythm. 

Having been away for three weeks, it was nice to see the changes in the neighborhood in terms of the continued construction of houses and general clean-up corresponding with hurricane preparations.

Sandhill Cranes
Tequesta, FL
June 1, 2024

Yup, it is hurricane season. The Atlantic Hurricane Forecast is clear with no storms projected to form for at least the next 48 hours. Yay!

During my ride yesterday, I was impressed by the Royal Poinciana trees in bloom and I also saw two Sandhill Cranes. I do enjoy those big birds and especially the dinosaur-like sound they make. 

I need ti get in a few more rides before I will be ready to tackle the GAP! But that is now less than two-weeks away. At least all of the walking Chris and I did in Italy helped maintain my conditioning.

More biking ahead!

Part of the B's in my life: biking, boating, beaching

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Life is a Beach

 

Angry Ocean
Carlin Park Beach, Jupiter, FL
May 31, 2024

Happy June!

May is now in the past and it took almost the entire month of May, but Chris and I finally made it to a beach to enjoy happy hour last evening. 

The ocean was rough and beautiful with waves crashing on the beach with authority. The waves were too rough for surfing. We watched more than a few brave souls try to ride the waves. 

We tarried on the beach for about two-and-a-half hours to enjoy the waves and conversation with friends. Well, and also to enjoy the goodies that we had brought to celebrate the end of the week. I realized that two weeks hence I would be completing day 1 of the 150 mile Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) bike ride that I have been training for--well except for the past three weeks. And last week, Chris and I had departed our cruise ship in the morning and were in Venice, Italy. Wow, we sure are packing a lot of activity into this summer. 

But, it was Happy Hour and both of us, Chris and I, unwound from the week and travel and got back into a Florida state of mind. 

Life is a beach--that is where it comes from for me.

Like the Zac Brown Band song, Knee Deep says:

This champagne shore washing over me

It's a sweet sweet life living by the salty sea

One day you could be as lost as me

Change you're geography

Maybe you might be

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back to the Boat

Route 1 Bridge Construction
From the ICW, Jupiter, FL
May 30, 2024

The beautiful weather we are enjoying in Florida is good for a number of outdoors activities and one of them is boating. Yesterday we were able to head out onto the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) with the friends who watched our home and Finnegan while we were in Europe.

Iguana in the Dock Near our Boat
Seasons 52, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
May 30, 2024

The winds were light, the water had almost no chop and we enjoyed over six hours of motoring the ICW. The blue skies were fantastic. We set out soon our longest trip yet, motoring all the way south to Rivera Beach and in sight of Peanut Island, a manmade island accessible only by boat island at the south end of Lake Worth and entrance to the Lake Worth Inlet. 

It was a long motor to the island, about 2 hours. We didn't not land on the island but viewed it for a bit and turned north for our planned lunch stop at Seasons 52 in Palm Beach Gardens. We enjoyed a nice lunch and were amused by a green iguana walking the dock and checking out our boat. 

Setting up on the Beach
Jupiter, FL
May 30, 2024

After lunch we headed to a beach for some relaxing time, but that ended shortly after a large boat traveling very fast sent waves onto the beach which swamped our spot. It was very distressing as one umbrella became a watercraft for a short time. It was almost time to depart to get the boat back to the marina, so we broke camp and headed off. 

We enjoyed the day and Finnegan, who joined us, also enjoyed the boating experience. 

It was good to be on the water and at the helm. I had been on the water very often during the month of May, but as self-loading cargo. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Out the Hotel Window - Rome Airport

Mercur Da Vinci Airport Hotel
Fiumincio, Italy
May 28, 2024

 Chris and I stayed one night in a hotel during our European adventure. The other nights we were either on a cruise ship or in an AirBNB. I took the image to the right during the morning as we prepared to leave the room for the airport. 

It looked as if the day were to be another in a string of beautiful days that we had enjoyed during the trip. We did not get to enjoy the outdoors that day as we had a 7:40 AM shuttle to the airport and from there we were inside until greeted by the hot humidity of Miami upon arrival there. 

The scene out the hotel window is one of the last views we had of the Italian countryside, even though it was near the airport. With the sun rising, it provided a good memory. 

The travels have ended, but they are not forgotten.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Home, finally

Morning Selfie
Rome Da Vinci Airport, Italy
May 28, 2024

 We are home! Chris and I arrived home last evening about 8:45 PM after a long day of traveling which began at the equivalent of 1:30 AM EDT, or 7:30 AM Central European Summer Time. That was over 19 hours of travel related time.

Except for about a 45 minute air hold because of thunderstorms delayed landing in Miami, the travel day was as perfect as it could have been. We were fortunate not to have stood in any long lines and our bags even arrived with us. Yay!

Prosecco with Chris
Da Vinci Airport, Italy
May 28, 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our flight on ITA Airways! We flew them both ways and they were great! I recommend them for international travel. 

I was in awe of the International Terminal at Da Vinci Airport. Wow! Huge and filled with so much to see and do. We enjoyed a glass of Prosecco while waiting for our flight. That was after discovering that all three of the airport lounges for which I have a membership were full and not allowing people into them.

Hot Meal after Take-off
ITA Airways Rome to Miami
May 28, 2024

Our flight was smooth and I was astonished by the amount of food and drink we were served. We had a hot meal, a mid flight snack, and then another hot snack at what was supposed to be about and hour-and-a-half before landing. We did experience the aforementioned air delay after the snack was served. As for the hot meal, I should have taken an image of Chris's meal because the salad had shrimp in it and I gave it back to the server--so that is missing from the place where I have my wine sitting. Oh wait, I had two glasses of wine with the meal. The pasta was fantastic! The other meal option was veal.

The trip is over. We have many memories and will be cataloging and reviewing photos and videos during the next few days.

Statue at Pompei
Pompei, Italy
May 17, 2024

To close out our trip, after clearing customs, we chose to take the Tri-Rail from Miami to West Palm Beach so that our friends would not have a 5-hour round trip to pick us up in rush hour traffic. That worked brilliantly and we will remember the Tri-Rail if we ever use Miami International again. The most northern Tri-Rail stop is just 20 minutes from the house. Very doable. And the cost was less than $18 for both Chris and me, combined. 

We enjoyed nearly perfect weather for the whole trip. There were only two days where the rain interfered with what we had planned. The skies were blue and the countryside was beautiful. We enjoyed using trains, metros. busses, boats, aircraft, and of course our cruise ship. 

As Chris remarked last night, she is looking forward to a few days of vacation from our vacation.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back to Rome

Italian Countryside
Somewhere in Italy
May 27, 2024

 The numbers of people crammed into the train stations in Italy are astounding. 

We boarded a fast train in Venice just about noon and arrived in Rome at 4 PM. It was a very pleasant trip where we got to see the Italian countryside again. We both remarked, it seemed much like what we had seen on our bus rides: flatlands with many crops and mountains in the distance. 

Chris Enjoying a Last Evening in Italy
Rome, Italy
May 27, 2024

The train was very nice and the four-hour trip sped by. We are ready for our flight home tomorrow. After arriving at the hotel, we sat at the bar by the pool to enjoy our last evening. The taxi ride from the Termini to the hotel by the airport reminded us of all of the sights we have seen and visited these past almost three weeks. 

Cabs are very expensive. The cost for the cab to cross Rome was 2/3 the cost for the first class ticket from Venice to Rome on the train. It almost doesn't seem fair. 

But, we got to our hotel about 5:30 PM and enjoyed the sun setting by the pool, along with some adult beverages. We have to get going early in the morning and hopefully will have an uneventful flight home.

And so, we are back where the trip began. It seems perfect after all of the places we were blessed to have visited and all of the people we have met. Wow!

I still need to rummage through the images and select the best ones to put in a book of our Italian and Adriatic Adventure. 

Tequesta or Bust!

-- Bob Doan, Rome, Italy

Winding Down

Venetian Gondola
Venice, Italy
May 26, 2024

 Our vacation is winding down. We completed another day in Venice highlighted by a gondola ride and a visit to St Mark's Square along with walking over six miles. 

Yes, six miles!

St Mark's Basilica
Venice, Italy
May 26, 2024

We catch a train to Rome tomorrow at noon heading for an airport hotel to prepare for a Tuesday morning flight which promises to fill much of the more than 24-hour day, given the 6-hour time change. At least we are traveling first class on the high speed train and were upgraded on our 11-hour flight from Rome to Miami.

The gondola ride was exciting, but short. We were able to tour some of the area near St Mark's Square, but that is about all. We were briefly on the Grand Canal. Honestly, after the thrill of being in a gondola in Venice wore off, I was not all that excited about the short less than 30 minute cruise itself. 

Last Evening in Venice
Venice, Italy
May 26, 2024

St Mark's Square and the adjoining basilica are both fantastic and larger than life. Our day today was filled with crystal blue skies and bright sun with little wind. A perfect day to explore Venice--which we did. 

Chris Enjoying After Dinner Coffee
Venice, Italy
May 26, 2024

Chris took the image of our last evening in Venice while we were dining at a local restaurant. We became adept at finding great places to enjoy meals and happy hour. There is a lot of great food in Venice. As one travels away from the Grand Canal, the prices become more reasonable. For instance, a simple Aperol Spritz can cost €3.50-4.00 in much of Venice, but one bar on the Grand Canal wanted €24.00--that was high as most along the canal were in the €12.00 range. So we walked to the areas with lower prices, which were also less touristy.

As our last full day was a Sunday, some shops and restaurants were not open, but more than enough were open and catering to the hordes of tourists, and locals, walking the streets.

And so, except for the two days it will take us to return home, the trip is effectively over. It has been wild and exciting, but also very exhausting. I think we are going to need a vacation from the vacation.

Rome awaits! The die is cast. Wait, I am nowhere near the Rubicon.

-- Bob Doan, Venice, Italy