Kiawah
So it is that we rock up to the bike kiosk at six in the evening on a beautiful Saturday night. There are two bikes. We dip our card into the machine and start the process. Another couple, already equipped with the magic key, comes by and sees we are busy and moves on to the next bike rack. We manage to get one bike out and are waiting for the machine to give us the magic code for the other. Meanwhile, some young bloke stumbles over and unlocks that last bike. I call out cheerfully to him to get his attention. Nothing. I’m standing there holding what is by the way a very heavy bike while Finbar is waiting for the machine. I call over to him again. Nothing. I finally walk over to him and it turns out he has his ipod on hence his not hearing me. Or he is blatantly ignoring me. He removes one bud from his ear. I kindly explain we’re in the process of unlocking that last bike. He looks at me and shrugs his shoulders and says, ‘so?’ I kindly repeat myself. He clearly could care less. And then has the nerve to tell me ‘that I don’t need to be so hostile about it.’ What? Buddy, if you think that’s hostile, dear lord you have a lot to learn. He goes back into whatever hole he climbed out of. My heart is beating very fast at this point and I’m starting to think this whole idea is ridiculous. Finbar mercifully unlocks that last bike. So off we go into the sunset. Sort of. We head through Holland Park, across a few very small city streets. We head into Kensington Gardens which is teeming with bikers, buggies, walkers, runners...the whole of London really. I’m stopped by the ‘No biking’ signs. Finbar reminds me not to be such a stickler for rules. I bike on, trying to be invisible, following many other bikes by the way. It is sunny and breezy and lovely. We carry on into Hyde Park and find a long proper bike path. I’m really getting into this biking thing. I am trailing Finbar at this point as he rings his bell at some pedestrians who clearly have had a few too many pints in the sun. I watch as this guy rattles on to his girlfriend about the ‘f-ing bikers’ and realize that the relationship of everyone and bikers is very fragile. Ah well…I’ll leave it at that. We dropped the bikes and fortified ourselves at George for a lovely meal.
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