Category Archives: Bicycles

Photo Of The Day: Tour de France Parade

One of the stages of the Tour de France went through the nearby town of Vire in Normandy this past week on a particularly cold and rainy day. I opted out of going, but Mark decided to brave the weather and he was one of the many folks who lined the streets to watch the professional cyclists go by.

He caught this simply splendid shot between the rain showers when the parade came through town prior to the race. And it actually isn’t of a living cyclist — it’s a rather huge replica of a cyclist sitting atop a tiny little car. I just love this shot and I hope you will enjoy it too!

Cyclist replica atop parade car at Tour de France in Vire, Normandy, France

Picture Of The Day: Taking Home The Groceries Via Bike

So what do you do if you live in a small town near Dresden in eastern Germany — Ortrand to be specific — and you either don’t have an automobile or you choose not to use it? How do you take your groceries home?

This man rode his bike past the pretty, pastel buildings after I watched him filling the cart up with plants from the garden shop and groceries from the greengrocer. No traffic stress, no petrol bills, a nice bit of exercise, and definitely a way to live more lightly on the planet!

Taking home the groceries via bike in Ortrand, Germany

Photo Of The Day: Guess What Is Coming To Town?

This may not get everyone’s blood pumping, but my cycle-mad husband was quite excited when he figured out what the sign said that I was photographing. This sign was on the sidewalk in Mortain in Normandy, northern France. Just a few more weeks to go!

Signs announcing the imminent arrival of the Tour de France

Pourquoi Parking Signs Called The Musketeers?

Whilst driving north from the Pyrenees to Normandy over a several day period, we stopped one afternoon at an Intermarche grocery store to pick up picnic supplies for one of our cheerful and healthy lunches and I saw these signs on the covered parking area for bicycles and motorscooters. I didn’t know what the words meant at the time, but when I took a few minutes and did a Google translate of them a few days later, I discovered that Les Mousquetaires meant The Musketeers.

Les Mousquetaires logo on the cycle parking at Intermarche grocery stores in France

But why??? What did parking spaces have to do with the legendary musketeers of old? And was there some kind of association with Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers???

Image by Maurice Leloir, 1894

A bit of research answered that question — and don’t we just love the internet for speedy answers! The Intermarche grocery chain is one of several companies owned by a retail marketing conglomerate called Les Mousquetaires.

Ah well — marketing — plain and simple — using the romantic imagery of heroic figures as the name of a retail umbrella corporation.

C’est la vie!

Photo Of The Day – Rather Retro Advertising in Eastern Germany

“Goodness! That’s a bit of old fashioned cheesecake style advertising, isn’t it?” Mark looked over at what I was pointing to and smiled as he nodded yes and added, “It certainly is!”

This sign is mounted on the side of the bike shop in the village of Kroppen in Eastern Germany. We were eating lunch in the beer garden of the tavern across the street when I spotted it.

Hope it makes you smile, too!

Retro style 'cheesecake' advertising on bike shop in Kroppen, Germany

Bullet Holes Remember Berlin’s Past

The signal sent to my consciousness was a slight prickling of the skin at the back of my neck as the baby-fine hairs raised and brushed against my silk scarf. “We’re walking around in history. Can you feel it?”

“Yes,” Mark answered — “and those are bullet holes all over that building!”

A sunny Sunday in Berlin — Easter Sunday in fact — and there were throngs of people in the public squares. But the side streets were quiet and I was able to take quite a lot of photos without being jostled by crowds.

The buildings around us were a mix of old and new and some of them still retained their stunning late-19th or early-20th century facades. Although I am a huge fan of modernism and contemporary architecture, these handsome structures made me wish that all new construction still had such attention paid to the small details and bits of ornamentation.

On either side of that visually arresting entry were the bullet holes — intentionally left unrepaired so memories of the tumultuous past of this city do not entirely fade.

Architectural detail of classical head over entry of building from early 1900s

World War II bullet holes in stone building

Bullet holes in stone building

Further down the street, we had a chance to have a laugh and then do a double-take. Here’s why.

Four weeks ago we were in London and we passed by the short street leading to 10 Downing Street where the British Prime Minister resides. The amount of security personnel and high tech security gear all around that area was rather interesting to see. Apparently, much like the President of the USA, both heads of state believe that they are in a constant state of threat.

Now contrast that with the pictures of the residence below. And this is where the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel lives. Not only are there only two guards out front, but there is a man with two red shopping bags having a casual conversation with the guards while a young dark-haired woman sits on the edge of the sidewalk. You can even see the cones and bit of construction items including a site caravan from the ongoing construction all up and down that street. There are no high tech gates or fences or any such ‘necessary’ items of security outside. Even the windows are quite open to the front of the very accessible street. She may live quite high up in the building and the inside may be fortified, but the very fact that she lives on a normal street instead of behind locked gates shows an amazing sense of trust. And I find all of that quite refreshing!

Apparently low-tech security at Chancellor Merkel's house

Come back soon for another post from beautiful and fascinating Berlin!

Berlin On A Sunny Sunday – Part One

Quick, quick preview with a couple of pictures. A longer post will be coming later today or tomorrow morning with lots more wonderful photos of Berlin from a walk on a sunny Sunday. The two pictures below were taken in what was the old East Berlin and it’s now a lovely and lively area!

The Fernsehturm or television tower was a strong image, not just for the German people, but for the world during the division of Berlin into East Berlin and West Berlin. Built by the GDR during the Cold War period of the mid-1960s, it was meant to be a symbol of power for the eastern side and visible throughout the city, but there are also some amusing facts about it. So click on the link to read the history!

Sunny Sunday in old East Berlin with Fernsehturm shining in the distance

Do you remember the post from Hannover? I included a photo of one of these vehicles sitting empty and I wondered what it would look like with people on it. Here’s a fully loaded version! They look like they are having quite a good time on this multi-passenger bike.

Fully loaded multi-passenger cycle

Check back soon for more wonderful pictures of Berlin!

A Wanderful Life

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