Happily this morning started off sunny, if chilly. Sunny is good. 36F less good, but doable and I was intent on a ride. Partly because I wanted one more descent of Blue Hill Road before the temperatures really drop. Plus, the Monterey General Store has recently reopened, now owned by a friend who previously had a cafe in West Stockbridge. I wanted to try coffee (and lunch) at his new place. Better still, a friend lives nearby and she agreed to meet me.
It was a plan.
We had a good meal, which turned out to be noontime brunch. Intentionally erroneously believing that since I had ridden my bike there I could eat whatever I wanted, I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon and roasted potatos. All delicious. The coffee was good, a lighter roast than I usually drink, but not too acid, and flavorful.
We skipped the pies, though the photo makes me sorry.
Returning outside, the sky had darkened and the wind picked up. Nonetheless, the descent down Blue Hill Road was delightful. Curious, but the hills seem to have shrunk a bit while I was gone, the downhills not so steep, and barely curving at all. Less amusing, a month of barely riding has taken its toll and I am again much slower than I would like.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and next weekend will bring two coffeeneuring rides.
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteGood to see you did not get blown off the eastern seaboard. From here, Sandy is hard to fathom. I likewise had a moment of hills seemingly getting smaller....last week Chris and I did a route about an hour east of here, a ride I might do once a year. I was churning along behind Chris waiting for the 'big hill' and before I knew it were were already going down.... I'd totally missed that we were, in fact, already on that hill. The alps really puts these local rides in perspective. But I'm also slowing.. alas, fitness is a fleeting thing...
Hi Ellen,
DeleteThanks ... even from here, only about 150 miles north, it is hard to really understand. We were spared the worst of the storm, but it is just a sad destroyed mess along much ofthe NY and NJ coastline.
I'm enjoying your Alps posts ... they make the trip seem to last longer, and take me back to France in time. Guess even in the Cevennes between the Alps and Pyrenees there has already been snow.
I'm sorry, too. I was hoping for a review of those tasty-looking pies! And was that $3.95 for those baguettes? The French would be pulling up the pavé if we had prices like that ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, you read correctly. My experience says that good food costs less in France. (Duh...)
ReplyDeleteThat picture is of a good tasting baguette, but you pay just as much for long skinny loafs of white bread. Even more oddly, this delicious loaf is made in New Jersey and shipped here frozen. Just imagine that the only good baguette in Nimes was made in ... the Toulouse area, or somewhere equally far away.
Yes, I know baguettes aren't a part of our patrimoine. In our favor, you can get a great loaf of whole grain sandwich bread locally. Costs a very lot more!
Ahh, a diatribe!
Love the pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhy thanks! Much as I love the cycling, pretty much love all riding, I so often feel that I have very little that needs to be written, so am probably paying more attention to images. So it's particularly good to hear positive feedback!
DeleteI know what you mean about bicycling and earning your brunch. I make the same mistake every time. Those pies do look amazing. I love the photo of the coffee cups, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment! It was quite the intentional mistake, but have to admit to feeling considerably more sluggush riding afterwards!
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