A Bike of One's Own

 

Today our first order of business was to get our own bikes for the rest of our stay. We made our way to Biskeli which rents bikes; when the bikes are no longer suitable as rentals, they are refurbished and sent off to people in need in Africa. Our big plan was to get our bikes, get back on the train to Sølrod Strand, pack a picnic lunch and go for a bike ride around our town.

getting our bikes home on the S Train

The weather could not have been better. It was sunny and warm bordering on hot, and we couldn't get over how gorgeous it had been for our first few days here (a situation Ellen assured us was more miraculous than just general good fortune). By the time we had stopped at the grocery store and made lunch, we were hungry enough to skip the picnic portion of the ride we intended and instead took our sandwiches down to the beach to eat there before heading off. Thirty minutes later, it was raining as hard as it has ever rained in the history of precipitation (with the possible exception of my day at the U.S. Open last year http://www.placestogo-manomi.blogspot.com/2012/09/tennis.html).
 

We finished our lunch in the shelter of the covered back porch, played a fun dice game Susan had brought for just such a situation, and by the time the rain finally let up, Bo had offered to give Susan and me a driving tour of the area and had come to fetch us. Chuck came as well while Ellen rode off to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner.

Bo gave us a tour of the suburban/country-side past farm lands and fields, ancient churches, and spectacular seaside neighborhoods. He drove us around for almost two hours giving us commentary about the history of the area and taking us past pretty vistas and flowering fields.