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| Los Horridos |
Ayn P
The boys leave for a fancy schmancy vacation with their Dad to New Orleans, Cozumel, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica...Bon Voyage Pierre and Alexander!
July-06-12 5:06 PM
2010 Seduction, Pinot Gris, Vin de Pays du Val de Loire, Vignoble Poiron-Dabin, 12%
2005 Chateaux La Tour de Mons, Margaux, 13.5%. Grogg wanted me to Google this:
90 points Wine Spectator: "Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberry, Indian spices and
cherry follow through to a full body, with firm, round tannins, sweet fruit and a pretty,
caressing finish. Juicy and delicious. Best after 2011."
2008 Luca Malbec, Uco Valley, 14%. This was my favourite so I Googled itas well:
Winemaker Notes: This is a great example of Mendoza Malbec. Incredible color!
Loads of spice and black cherry cola aromas with notes of cocoa. The berry
flavors really pop on the palate as the wine has both good depth and very
lively acidity that leads to an incredibly long finish. A bottom note of freshly
brewed espresso keeps the mouth watering too. This one is a teenager at
the moment, and should age very well. Pairs well with foods such as venison
or wild game, steak, lamb of any kind and medium-strong cheeses.
Since we had some of the tenderest and most succulent lamb on the bbq it
Since we had some of the tenderest and most succulent lamb on the bbq it
was a a most felicitous pairing. I would add to the above description that the
colour really was astonishing, an inky purple and I tasted violets,
crushed violets after a summer's rain.
2006 Fabiano Amarone della Valpolicella, 15.5%
2006 Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Tardieu-Laurent, 14.5%
2008 Charles Cimicky, Barossa, Shiraz, 14.5%
2006 Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Tardieu-Laurent, 14.5%
2008 Charles Cimicky, Barossa, Shiraz, 14.5%
Hi Whirlygig!
Fabulous rides! You would have enjoyed every minute had you not been at the dog fights! Cora Lee filled us in on the unprovoked attack by the unrestrained, rabid poodle on steroids, during the ferry crossing. (Had it not been for the Tantric Yogina and her powers of levitation and astral teleportation, who knows what might have happened!) A crossing we were lucky, indeed, to make! Ready to leave by 9:30am when Flamin' couldn't find the key to her bike lock. By the time she had unchained her steed it was 9:45am and then she decided to lower her saddle. Back to her apartment for an allen key. I usually carry a set but I couldn't find my nifty tool, (bought in Oz in 2006), when I had loaded my pannier earlier that morning. By the time her seat was adjusted it was about 9:50am.
Enjoyed the thrill of zipping down into the village after all the uphill battles, let me tell you. I used the washroom at the park and then we bought our tickets. Flamin' wanted a frappaccino so she locked her front wheel even though I was having a sip from my thermos and was watching the bikes. When she returned, iced beverage in hand, we decided we'd head for waiting area. (I'd never taken a bike on before so didn't realize we needed a "code" to allow us access to gated area opposite to building where tickets are sold.) At any rate, we were just about to set off and once again Flamin' couldn't find her key! (I had thoughts of leaving her behind by this time!) After emptying her pockets about three times she finally found it and we proceeded to let ourselves into compound.
We were a bit early and so we sipped our drinks and looked at cars driving on to Bowen Island Ferry, Flamin' called Cora Lee but didn't reach her. (She was walking Molly, as it turned out.) There were only three of us with bikes and I started talking to the chap with the full gear and road bike. Very pleasant chap who lives near Comox. Although he has lived there for over five years this was the first time he had cycled from there to Vancouver. He mentioned he'd passed us on way to Horseshoe Bay, not far from Dundarave, if I remember correctly, as I recalled having said a few words about what a lovely day it was to one of the few riders who passed us. In fact, there were not many cyclists out, more coming from HB, for sure. We continued chatting and one thing led to another. I noticed what I thought was a slight French accent in his speech and it turned out that he was originally from Quebec City. We introduced ourselves and learned that Chuck Samson, for that is his name, is a ski rep. I wondered if he might know Grogg, (friend we were staying with), from shipping merchandise but he didn't. However, I knew that Stormin' Normin', (another mutual squash friend who lives in Courtenay), had a few lines of ski wear so I asked Chuck if he knew Norm Cardinal. Sure enough, they are quite good friends!
We were able to board shortly thereafter and once down the ramp we rode our bikes to the front of the vessel and stowed them on the racks provided. Flamin' has a lock with a long reach so she said she'd lock our bikes together. Guess what? She couldn't find her key! No surprise there, I'm afraid, Dear Reader! She surmised she'd dropped it near where she was sitting before we walked on and Chuck said we had time to go and look. Flamin' didn't want to do so but I felt if it was there it was going to be a hell of a lot easier to retrieve that from Lost & Found if it ever made its way there. We walked back to where an BC Ferries' employee was directing huge semis onto ferry. When a lull occurred I explained our dilemma and after he waved a tanker aboard, he stopped traffic and I scampered up gangway to waiting area. Scoured the section where Flamin' had been sitting but no key on a lanyard! Even asked the few other foot passengers there but nobody had seen anything of the like.
By this time cars were being loaded so I had to wait with everyone else until that was completed. Who should drive past but the Grand Yogina and she even gave me a dismissive wave as she drove past. Once loading had finished, we were waved aboard and I met The Sisterhood, now united, near the back stairwell, only to learn that the missing key had unearthed itself from one of Flamin's back pockets!
Made our way to upper deck and found comfy seats. Not many passengers in section we choose so we had our "picnic" lunch not far from the Gift Shop. I ate my "overlefts" while The Goils scoped all the items on sale. Put my feet up and read for an hour or so and it was soon time to return to our bikes. Said goodbye to Cora Lee upstairs as she was headed to stern. It was about 2:45pm by the time we were on dry land and waved goodbye to Chuck. Told him that he might catch us by the time we reached Lantzville! He had mentioned, when we were unlocking our respective bikes, (I actually regretted that I'd allowed Flamin' to lock my bike to hers, figuring on yet another Lost Key Fiasco. While we were waiting for ferry to dock I asked one of the crew if they had any bolt heavy duty bolt cutters. He nodded and said they have to cut off locks quite regularly. He went on to say that he even found a very high end road bike that had been left on the rack and nobody came back to claim it, at least before the ferry sailed. Another crew member said that an entire bike rack, loaded with three bikes, fell off a car as vehicle was driving up the ramp and kept going. Staff had to pull it to the side to let unloading continue!), that it would probably take him about 3 and a half hours to make it to his place. I knew that we were probably looking at about two hours ourselves.
I had decided that I would like to try to stay off the highway as much as possible so when we reached the top of the hill leading down to Departure Bay, I turned right, thinking, from past rides, that this road paralleled the highway for a few kilometres before rejoining it. In fact, we turned too early and ended up on Departure Bay Road, a route I'd never taken before. I didn't let Flamin' know as she was already fusing about how sore her muscles were from the HB section. A grand swoop down the hill to the water and then, perhaps, one of the longest hills I've ever ridden. I had to do at least two or three dipsy doodles, (church, parking lot, corner grocery store, side street), to allow her to catch up. There were bike route signs posted but since I was unfamiliar with route, I missed the turn onto Uplands Drive. We continued up Departure Bay Road and then it was by guess and by golly. Actually ended up back on the highway for a short stretch until I recognized a frontage road access I'd used in the past. This took us through a series of malls that I'd ridden through a few years ago when I was first cycling in the area so I had a rough idea of where we were and where we had to head. Up a fairly steep hill and this did in Flamin' as she had to walk up most of the way.
She wailed that she needed electrolytes so I found her a Liquor Depot at the Woodgrove Mall, not far from the start of the descent into Lantzville. I "circled" while she went in search of replenishment and once she had her ions back to normal we zipped down the long hill into Lantzville itself. From there it is pretty level going until Superior Road where one makes a left, up a short grade to rejoin highway. Busy, busy busy so I was glad that we had avoided most of the heavy traffic. Few long, steady climbs but nothing like what we had endured earlier and we were soon at the Petro Canada gas station at Nanoose Bay where turned off on Northwest Bay Road. Good climb up from highway to turn off, on right, for Fairwinds Golf Course and Canadian Forces Maritime Testing Facility, and Red Gap Mall, on left. Flamin' had flamed out by then and said she could go no further. She gasped that she would call Cora lee and ask her to come and fetch her. Her calf muscles were cramping so I didn't try to urge her on but waved goodbye and made for Madroña Manor.
Once I had crested the last hill, about a kilometere or two from where I'd abandoned Flamin', it was a fairly easy ride to Il Palazzo de Dawe. Turned towards the water, off NBR onto Beaver Creek Wharf Road which intersects with Madroña Drive and pulled into their driveway at a few minutes before 5:00pm with 75.33K on the trusty odometre. (I must admit, Dear reader, that I extended the distance by doing a final dipsy doodle to bring reading up from about 37K for last leg to better Island Inn-Horseshoe Bay distance of 37K , by 1.33K!) Walked in the door to find that Flamin' had not called. Of course, Cora Lee's cell was turned off! Grogg was about to go and retrieve her but decided to call before leaving, not wanting to waste gas if she had already expired! Turned out that she had taken in enough electrolytes at Red Gap mini-mall that she was able to proceed on her own steam, spurred on, as well, by not wanting to admit defeat when she was so close to the mountain top. In the end, I think she pulled into the driveway about 30-40 minutes after me. We cheered her pluck and then she quickly showered and plunked herslef into the hot tub to soothe her many aches and pains, sipping on a cold beer!
All in all, a wonderful set of rides. More to follow about the ride into Nanaimo to collect Sarge at the ferry terminal on Friday, and then again on Saturday morn, on way home. Had composed the bulk of this message late on Friday afternoon but shortly after I'd finished entry above, guests were to arrive for a pre-dinner drinks and Cora Lee was throwing daggers at me and the Parksville Diaries! Cheers, Il Conduttore!
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