Friday, May 4, 2012
The South Appears to Spoil Us
Rails to trails out of DC, a gift of a trail apart from car traffic direct to our destination, setting a high bar for the coming tour. Rain showers and ups and downs, everyone we pass seems to own a Surly. We meet Fred, one of many super friendly people interested in what we're up to, who's 74 and rides at our pace just fine. His tourer is rigged out with 3 superflashes and a set of faded orange panniers. He did the northern tier 2 years ago and doesn't seem to be quitting anytime soon. Hope for our physical futures.
On the other end of the spectrum are Hannah and Bella, 13 and 9, respectively. They and their parents, Pedro and Ann Sauer, hosted us in Leesburg, Virginia. They live in a big, beautiful house that typifies everything in my mental concept of the stately south. Pedro teaches Jujitsu and loves old cars. He wants to move back to Rio. Anne teaches special education, cares for the girls, and keeps up the impressive house and garden. We wander around the bookshops and pleasantries of the historic downtown. Everything's wood floors, old glass, and kept up architecture.
We're dragged into a Tango class, and Hannah somehow becomes the co-instructor for a quick lesson, stepping in unison with the lead dancer. She's great at it. I like talking with her, learning about the values and brains of the next generation.
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