Showing posts with label river. Show all posts
Showing posts with label river. Show all posts

Sunday, July 4, 2010

July 4: Independence / Good Riddance Day, depending on whom you ask

Alternately, you could call it, Let's ride our bikes to the old river and swim around a bit, have a picnic, swim around a bit more, and enjoy the summer time.  Yes!
You ride into Germany, and pretty much follow the river north/northwest.  The destination, up close.  We left early, around 8:45, and had the roads mostly to ourselves.
Maria and Sam up ahead of me.  I was unsafely trying to take photos while riding my bike.  It turned out OK, however.  Nothing to worry about.
We found a nice rock to hang out on (look at this gorgeous day! and not so hot, because of our impressively electrical thunderstorm last night).
picnic, and foot.

Speaking of feet, I'm so accident-prone right now!  I smashed my big toe on a rock while swimming along.  It bled, I took a picture, but I know you don't want to see that.  You're welcome.
Instead, here is my shadow.  It wasn't until the bike ride home that I remembered the date; I had a jolly little discussion with Sam, the British half of the couple I went with, about Independence Day, where he decided that he could celebrate "We Didn't Want You Anyway" Day, otherwise known as Good Riddance Day.  The other half of the couple is Maria, who is from Transylvania.  Hungarian is a crazy language, I'll tell you.  I learned one word.  I have no idea how to spell it, but it sounds like this: "boo-djee."  It means "underpants."  How did this possibly come up?  Well.  There are many amusing things about British English and American English which do not cross over, as I'm sure many of you know.  In this instance, we were noting how American "pants" are British "trousers" and British "pants" are American "underwear" -- and now you see how this boo-djee fits in to the conversation.  Hilarity ensued.  

The only thing missing from this 4th of July is corn.  Fresh, sweet, delicious corn.  There's a bbq being hosted by someone from Vermont later in the day, so I'll probably go see if he was able to scare up any.  I bet he wasn't.  Sam told me that in Europe, corn is for feeding pigs.  Sigh.  Just think, if there was good corn, there could be good corn tortillas, and tortilla chips, and... oh.  Heh heh.  Did I already mentioned that I'm excited about eating Mexican food again?  Just another three days!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

What People Are Wearing In Basel. Part 1: Youth.

These two personify my glee at the arrival of spring.

serving ice cream 

wondering what I'm doing, no doubt

yellow pants = gay, or French

Probably vegetarians, on their way to do some capoeira.

Doubt not thine eyes; 'tis plaid-on-plaid.

Spring colors at the end of the walk.  So closes Part One.
Up next, People On Bikes.