//location:
Burlington Campground
Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Calif.
//time: 9:25 pm
//mi: 736
//from where I write:
Today was gorgeous + yummy + full of kind people.
Gorgeous: sunny, relatively flat the whole 50 mi, slight tailwind, first few miles on Avenue of the Giants, which is basically just like swimming through redwood forests. Generous shoulder on 101 made for a relaxing ride as well.
Yummy: started off the day with an epic breakfast at a poppin' joint in Eureka called Chalet House of Omelettes. Line out the door and around the side of the restaurant - of course it was good. Asparagus, mushroom + tomato omelette with Hollandaise and two pancakes fluffed to heavenly perfection. Then posted up at a cozy coffee shop, Old Town Coffee & Chocolates. Americano + dark chocolate almond biscotti. Later, another Safeway waffle doughnut + made myself a tofurkey, swiss, avocado sandwich for dinner. Which brings me to another reason I love touring: I get to justifably eat any and everything I want all day, errday. It's great. Lowfat chocolate milk? Nah, pass me that whole goodgood. Ice cream for dinner? Y'all know I'm about that life.
Kind people: waitress at breakfast was genuinely caring when asking about my trip and have me some advice to avoid a couple areas down the road. Said they were seedy areas. And a particularly more than usual # of people congratulated me and cheered me on today. + dudes at the Henderson Center Bicycles helped me with my new cyclometer (I just couldn't stand riding any longer without one) and gave me a bunch of free energy gels. But also a highlight of my day was meeting Alban, and eventually his wife Jessica.
I was unlocking my bike outside the coffee shop when this man approached me with a curious sounding "Hello?" But seemed to linger just long enough to form itself into an exclamation point.
I whipped around, studying the man for less than a second. "Hi!"
He asked me where I was going.
I couldn't tell if whe was just a kooky dude roaming the streets or if he, too, was a cyclist.
His "Me too!" to my "San Francisco" confirmed the latter.
But then he totally threw me.
"Oh nice, nice. Heyyyy." (I usually say something like this in reply because 8/10 people you meet on this last leg are SF-bound.)
I asked him where he started.
"We start in France."
whut.
So, Alban + his wife, Jessica, started in France, crossed Europe, through China, Laos, Cambodia, then to Japan; flew over to Seattle and are in the final 250 mi of their nearly 10,000 mi + 16 month journey. (and their blog, if you know French: www.lattitudeterre.com).
I almost bowed down right there in the street. Ridiculous. Incredible.
I realize there is a tree blocking half the bike, but you get it.
Their setup is something I'd never seen before. While it's technically a tandem, it's not your traditional doubled up bicycle. Theirs is made by some German manufacturer (figures): the front seat is recumbent + the rear is like a regular upright bicycle seat + handlebars. Later, Jessica and Alban explained that as they were choosing the bike during their planing phase-which began 5 years ago--they saw this one at a bike festival in Switzerland; they thought it was perfect because unlike the traditional tandem, both riders share the view.
I was in awe of their contraption and entire adventure, and Alban offered to let me take a cruise down the street with him.
WHOAH YES.
So I sat in the recumbent seat, where Jessica normally rides. Alban unhitched the trailer and hopped on back.
Derrrp. Ok not the best selfie, and you can't tell we're riding a bike. But you can tell how much fun we're having and that's all that matters.
It was surprisingly easy and super fun. Though it did feel a little strange not having control over the breaks. That was all Alban, and gear shifting, too. They never swapped spots, he said.
We chatted for a bit longer. Just bike stuff.
We really appreciated being able to take the time out of life to so a trip like this (though, this is the stuff of life, no?); me one month, Alban + Jessica 24 of 'em.
Then we geeked out over how cycling is the best pace to experience things, and how addictive touring is.
There's hardly really a "goodbye" on tour, so we said our see-you-laters and I made my way out of Eureka.