knitting neels

Only two things of note has happened since the Yarn Tasting: I got sick and I got a new bike! I’m not sick any more, thankfully; I think everything just caught up with me. As for the new bike, it is a second-hand Dawes Duchess.

Every now and then, you get a bit of luck out of the blue. I had my luck with this bike. I’ve had my old bike, a second-hand shop-display neon green mountain bike, for ten years. It served me admirably but gradually, my needs changed. I found myself thinking that a chain guard would be really handy. A more comfortable saddle might help me go further. And maybe if the handlebars weren’t so far forward, I would have better visibility around in traffic. I found it hard to give clear hand signals and keep control of my direction.

A few rental bikes in Belgium and the Netherlands later, I knew what kind of bike I wanted and gradually came to the conclusion that it was time for an upgrade. I stalked many second-hand sites but couldn’t find what I wanted. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews. Eventually I made the glum decision to buy the Dawes Duchess new for €380 and reasoned that the financial hit would pay me back in saved bus fares over the years to come.

Here’s the lucky bit! The very day I decided to buy the Duchess, I looked again on Gumtree. Just listed that morning was an as-new Duchess, recently serviced, on sale for €250 due to relocation. I immediately secured an appointment and later that evening, rode home on Bertha, complete with lights, oil and pump, and a cool €200 lighter. The lady was really very sad to sell her but is moving home to Poland (she named her: it’s perfect!).

So, Bertha and I have been touring all over this week. I haven’t got any work at the moment – I don’t start teaching until October – and even with my own practice, I figure I should enjoy the settled weather while I still have the time. The last time I cycled regularly was when I worked in This is Knit and let me tell you, there are a lot more cyclists now! Anyway, today, Bertha and I hit up the Honest2Goodness market in Glasnevin today.

It’s situated the next right turn after Lidl in the Industrial Estate. Not the most picturesque setting, true, but definitely a proper market with lots of fresh produce on sale. If you spy in the corner of the photo above, you’ll see a Blazing Salads stall selling fresh breads. Yum! They were all sold out of gluten free bread by the time I got there. I picked up some fresh steak from these guys…

…as well as some parsnips and strawberries from the vegetable ladies. There’s also a cheerful café area surrounded by a book seller, cheesemonger, lady selling jewellery… you get the idea.

It was encouraging to see it quite busy, with long lines at the butcher, fishmonger and olive guy. If you live nearby, check it out every Saturday from 10 to 5pm.