Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Ok, so now for Heidi :0) and english speaking friends...
From Long Island... after staying at smily Michael's place we took a train from Port Jeff to Bellerose, just on the border of NYC and cycled into the city through the numerous bike paths. Oddly enough, it takes some time (you actually get to Manhattan) before realizing you're in a metropolis.
I think we were both 1) breathtaken 2) moved by the fact of being there, the architecture, the vibes, the swirl, the people, the LIFE and LIGHTS everywhere...
In NY we were really lucky to be staying at the above-mentionned Heidi's in her cool flat (with a view! :0) ) in the Upper west side. Spent a delightful week-end cycling around Manhattan, eating real NY bagels etc etc, taking the temperature (which was incidentally really good) of the city.
After spending 3 days there, we left New York litterally racing on our bikes through Manhattan, slaloming between flipped out taxis and buses, probably the best timing we ever made! Actually arrived one minute (again!) before the ferry departed towards Highlands New Jersey, where we were joined by Dan the Musical man who came to pick us up on his dad's funny bike.
From there we stayed with Dan's family + Rufus the dog, spent a really nice evening chatting, drinking good wine and generally chilling after a really long days' cycling (not!).
Next day, left real late (ain't got no better!) towards Manahawkin where we were more than exquisitely welcomed by Dan's aunt and uncle who fed us the best cookies in the western (?) hemisphere. Road between the two not worth mentionning, let's say it wasn't the best part of the country.
Manahwkin wednesday morning: meant to leave early, Louis' bike has a flat tire... From this fact I conclude there is probably a funny little genie somewhere playing practical jokes on us: no matter what we do, each time we decide to leave early (as in way, too early for our metabolisms) something comes in between to stop us.
Anyway, after Manahawkin the road got better...Well, make that less worse...and we did our best timing ever: 71 miles for about 5.40 minutes biking. Nice! Got to Cape May, took the ferry over to Lewes and here we are, at Jack and Betty's :0) , our last Warmshower hosts.
Well, on a laisse la maison de Dan l'homme musical, ses parents, et Rufus le chien debile trop cool qui m'adorait (surtout le gout de mes pieds) pour entamer la lente descente le long de la cote new jersyenne.
Que dis-je lente, aujourd'hui on a culmine dans la vitesse, mais je vais rien dire parce que les hardcore riders se foutraient de notre gueule si je mettais des chiffres.
En tous cas, on est content de nous.
Ben on voit pas beaucoup l'ocean, mais ca m'a quand meme fait quelque chose de revoir des vagues et sentir l'odeur de la mer. Well, pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas, la cote du new jersey, excusez-moi, mais c'est pas trop la peine de se deplacer.
On dirait la cote belge ou les petites villes balneaires anglaises (en admettant qu'elles feraient 100km de long) pourries de beton. C'est construit de bord en bord, zero nature, des affichages publicitaires et du beton partout. Sans rire, a New York on se sent plus dans la nature, c'est dire.
Back to New York, elle est maintenant au top 10 de mes villes preferees, un endroit completement hallucinant, vibrant. Chaque matin je me suis reveillee en me disant "hey, on est a new York!!!!"
C'etait vraimant tripant de slalomer entre les taxis a velo... Petit cote irreel encore. Tripant de se promener le long de la hudson un samedi matin, regarder les joggeurs, joueurs de tennis, promeneurs urbains avec leurs chiens bizarres.
Et puis New York la nuit, sous la pluie, les promeneurs ramasses sous leur parapluie, les bouches d'aeration du subway qui fument (ouais, comme dans Batman!!!) les gouttes d'eau qui scintillent dans la lumiere, partout, tellement qu'on dirait de petites pluies d'etoiles.
Ca me faisait penser a quand on regardait l'amas lumineux de la metropole NY sur google earth. Putain, quel bonheur! (pardonnez l'expression)
From Long Island... after staying at smily Michael's place we took a train from Port Jeff to Bellerose, just on the border of NYC and cycled into the city through the numerous bike paths. Oddly enough, it takes some time (you actually get to Manhattan) before realizing you're in a metropolis.
I think we were both 1) breathtaken 2) moved by the fact of being there, the architecture, the vibes, the swirl, the people, the LIFE and LIGHTS everywhere...
In NY we were really lucky to be staying at the above-mentionned Heidi's in her cool flat (with a view! :0) ) in the Upper west side. Spent a delightful week-end cycling around Manhattan, eating real NY bagels etc etc, taking the temperature (which was incidentally really good) of the city.
After spending 3 days there, we left New York litterally racing on our bikes through Manhattan, slaloming between flipped out taxis and buses, probably the best timing we ever made! Actually arrived one minute (again!) before the ferry departed towards Highlands New Jersey, where we were joined by Dan the Musical man who came to pick us up on his dad's funny bike.
From there we stayed with Dan's family + Rufus the dog, spent a really nice evening chatting, drinking good wine and generally chilling after a really long days' cycling (not!).
Next day, left real late (ain't got no better!) towards Manahawkin where we were more than exquisitely welcomed by Dan's aunt and uncle who fed us the best cookies in the western (?) hemisphere. Road between the two not worth mentionning, let's say it wasn't the best part of the country.
Manahwkin wednesday morning: meant to leave early, Louis' bike has a flat tire... From this fact I conclude there is probably a funny little genie somewhere playing practical jokes on us: no matter what we do, each time we decide to leave early (as in way, too early for our metabolisms) something comes in between to stop us.
Anyway, after Manahawkin the road got better...Well, make that less worse...and we did our best timing ever: 71 miles for about 5.40 minutes biking. Nice! Got to Cape May, took the ferry over to Lewes and here we are, at Jack and Betty's :0) , our last Warmshower hosts.
Well, on a laisse la maison de Dan l'homme musical, ses parents, et Rufus le chien debile trop cool qui m'adorait (surtout le gout de mes pieds) pour entamer la lente descente le long de la cote new jersyenne.
Que dis-je lente, aujourd'hui on a culmine dans la vitesse, mais je vais rien dire parce que les hardcore riders se foutraient de notre gueule si je mettais des chiffres.
En tous cas, on est content de nous.
Ben on voit pas beaucoup l'ocean, mais ca m'a quand meme fait quelque chose de revoir des vagues et sentir l'odeur de la mer. Well, pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas, la cote du new jersey, excusez-moi, mais c'est pas trop la peine de se deplacer.
On dirait la cote belge ou les petites villes balneaires anglaises (en admettant qu'elles feraient 100km de long) pourries de beton. C'est construit de bord en bord, zero nature, des affichages publicitaires et du beton partout. Sans rire, a New York on se sent plus dans la nature, c'est dire.
Back to New York, elle est maintenant au top 10 de mes villes preferees, un endroit completement hallucinant, vibrant. Chaque matin je me suis reveillee en me disant "hey, on est a new York!!!!"
C'etait vraimant tripant de slalomer entre les taxis a velo... Petit cote irreel encore. Tripant de se promener le long de la hudson un samedi matin, regarder les joggeurs, joueurs de tennis, promeneurs urbains avec leurs chiens bizarres.
Et puis New York la nuit, sous la pluie, les promeneurs ramasses sous leur parapluie, les bouches d'aeration du subway qui fument (ouais, comme dans Batman!!!) les gouttes d'eau qui scintillent dans la lumiere, partout, tellement qu'on dirait de petites pluies d'etoiles.
Ca me faisait penser a quand on regardait l'amas lumineux de la metropole NY sur google earth. Putain, quel bonheur! (pardonnez l'expression)
