The New Bicycle

It is the holidays and Matthew is enjoying them to the full with his new computer game and bicycle. Oh what can a boy choose from. With Matthew's BFF, Justin, staying over tonight I expect a raucous night.

94.7

Today was the12th Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge and over 25 000 cyclists took part. It is a 94.7 km long race that winds itself through Johannesburg and all the roads that are affected are closed to vehicles. It is these road closures that cut a number of people off from their destinations and they have to go a long way round. The route goes near our house which makes getting to BBC a pain. Why can't they make it on a Saturday? Don't get me wrong I don't mind the race, it just must not affect me adversly. I might even enter if it wasn't for being on a Sunday.

Set to Go

Wow, the rain came down heavy last night and I believe that there was a mighty thunder storm last night in Durban. Well after my rugby team, the Sharks beat the Blue Bulls in Durban last night and won the Currie Cup, the Bulls needed a good sending off back to Pretoria. The storm was just the right thing to tell the Bulls not to come back. Here is Matthew about to take Maxy for a run. Well what do expect with a dog that can out run any human. He is an Italian Greyhound after all. On your Marks! Get Set! GO!

Friends cycling

Not much to write home about today but I went to Pretoria to see a potential client and later went to another in Rivonia. I got back home and found Matthew with his friends Cassie and Justin enjoying a beautiful winter’s day cycling.

Ammersoyen Castle

Matthew and I visited my sister Raquel, her husband Ronnie and their daughter Judith who stay in Ammerzoden. After lunch we rode bicycles around the town and countryside. We stopped by Ammersoyen Castle which was built around 1350 and some ruins of an old church. The sun was out and the ride in the countryside was fun.

Bicycles and more

We went by bus to Dordrecht Centraal to check the availability of seats of the Thalys HSL train to France. Outside the stationshal we found many bicycles parked waiting for their owners to return by train. Later Carol and I walked into De Meent in Papendrecht. We browsed around the local shops and ended up stopping at a café for some ijs.

The flight

I had a terrible night on the plane. Well I had the leg room but not the width. The food on KLM was great and would recommend it anytime. The Boeing 747-400 “Rio de Janeiro”, I think was on the old side with one TV screen not working (the only one that Matthew could see from his seat), the seats were quite worn and Matthew’s night blanket had a hole in it. It was a long fight and I was very tired afterwards but the views over the Alps were striking. I was expecting that we were going to catch a train to Rotterdam and then onto Dordrecht but Graham met us at Schiphol International with his car. While unpacking we found someone else toiletries’ bag full of perfume and other stuff in one of our bags from the hold. After checking to see that there are no drugs in the bag, we are left to decide what to do with it. Matthew and I wasted no time riding around Papendrecht on bicycles. It was a wonderful evening looking at new and old buildings along the Merwede and Noord Rivers.

Bilaal and Matthew

How to jack a bicycle?