I often watch the US TV series ‘Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives‘. I like to see how these eclectic restaurants and their very unique owner/chefs make simple but always super tasty food. The show gives me ideas for my own cooking. I downloaded the ‘Triple D’ app, so I could stop in to some of the spots on my travels between LA and Boston. This morning I used the app and found a cool place for breakfast with Deirdre down by the beach. North End Cafe turned out to be a winner. As with all the featured establishments on the show, it wasn’t the most impressive cafe to look at from the outside or inside, but the food and coffee were spot on, and just what we needed.
After breakfast, it was time to go and collect Irma from the Helen’s Bike Shop. For those who don’t know how my bike got her name, make sure to read the earlier post ‘ A Bike Called Irma’.
While at Helen’s Bike Shop we met Barry, another rider with the tour, and his wife Jodie. Barry is a veteran cyclist (and an Army veteran) and this will be his second coast to coast tour. I’m sure he’ll be a valuable source of insprition and learning! He aleady told Deirdre to make sure I had quarters for laundry, so off she went in search of a roll for the journey! I can talk for Britain most times, but as we had only met I tried not to talk too much. I failed miserably!
We headed back to the hotel to to get Irma (a BMC GranFondo for those cyclists among you) kitted out with the bits and bobs I brought in my luggage. l then wandered down to the lobby lounge and met a few more of my fellow riders. All come from different parts of the US and the world. I try never to jump to any quick conclusions or judgements when I meet new people. When I was nursing I learned that everyone has a story of their own. If you are interested enough to find out about their story, you are almost always surprised to discover that you share more in common than you may initially thought. Everyone is different in this small world we live in. Everyone has habits, likes and dislikes, varied views on things, and different musical, food or fashion tastes. My philosophy is that we don’t all have to agree on everything or even anything to be friends or sociable. For me, getting to know people is all about trying to find some common ground and build from that point!
The next few days will take me back to what it was like on the first day of school. Lots of new people will be jumping into my life. Lots of names I will have to try hard to remember, to put to faces I will remember easily and clearly for many years to come. Through a lifetime of playing golf I have been introduced to thousands of people on the first tee. After we tee off and head down the first fairway, usually all I can think of is ‘What the hell did he say his name was again?’ When I was nursing, remembering names was easy given a patient’s name was printed in big letters behind their bed. With no big letters printed on the back of golfers, I usually struggle and just hope someone else remembers the name!
We went down to Manhattan Beach for dinner and finished in time to see the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. I am another day closer to the start of my adventure. I’ve been reunited with Irma my trusty steed, the collective posse of riders has started to gather with their steeds, and soon we will all head out east together towards the rising sun and into them there hills.