It's been quite the journey. Thanks for sharing it with me.

I carry really old metal levers for bikes that use Schwalbe tires, for just that reason. If they break, I've got bigger problems.

Were the leaks in the same relative positions between the two tubes? If yes there may still be something in the tube. If no, the replacement tube may have been damaged during installation. Or it may have leaked from the beginning. No way to know, now.

You're not alone. It took me AGES to re-seat the tires (also Schwalbe Marathons, but not the Mondial sub-model) when I flipped the front and rears after replacing the rear triangle on Odysseus a couple weeks ago.

Beautiful countryside, glad our first visit to the area was with you and the Andersons. Thanks for sharing your insights on this trip, from cycling with new friends, to growing older (yet stronger, mentally and physically !), along with songs that move us and yes feeling fortunate for this time in our lives to explore new places and have adventures. Safe travels home. Our last day in Toulouse is tomorrow, a couple of days in England and then homeward bound too.

Lovely trip down the Lot.

There's a Lot to be thankful for! :-)

Lovely post, Susan.

Landslide is a great song. I’m also partial to the Chicks’ version.

It is so interesting to listen to younger/older versions of iconic songs like Landslide. I happened to look up Stevie in wikipedia recently and hadn’t realized she wrote that song when she was so young. Then I watched a much later performance with Lindsey Buckingham on YouTube. It’s like comparing Welch’s grape juice to fine wine.

Another great aging to compare is Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. She put out an orchestral version in 2000. The contrast in what life wisdom she was able to add to her song is tremendous.

And that’s what we’re doing more of now these days, aren’t we? 60s and 70s are times we’re facing the reality of our declines while, for me anyway, enjoying how far I’ve come, what I’ve done and what is yet to be done. What you and the Andersons and Suzanne/Janos and many others on this site do shows that we may slow down but we ain’t finished by a long shot. Onward!

What a beautiful write up with the reference to the song and the photos are great!

Such a reflective, contemplative post, Susan. As we close in on our own bittersweet return next month it’s very easy to relate to this. Two things in particular struck me though. Those photographs! It’s a beautiful gallery that complements your words well. You’re really doing that camera proud, and I’m almost sorry it’s in the mail now.

And the song. It’s one of my favorites (as is Frank Bruni - I appreciated that piece also). I especially like the version by Stacey Kent that I must have listened to a hundred times by now.

Thanks Keith for your wise words and perspective. Glad you are back in the atelier working on another beautiful Keith Klein piece. Give my best to Susan

Hi,
So if you really don’t want to go back…….?
Retrospection goes with the age, but if you look around there are still things to be done that will add to your story. I myself have spent way too much time thinking about the past, especially lately with this damn disease. I still find time to work in my shop (atelier) , my latest project being a pair of lamps with stained glass shades for our bedroom, and I read and listen to music with the same fervor as always. And thinking of Fleetwood Mac there’s another tune that comes to mind so Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.
Dylan Thomas speaks for me:
Go not gently into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light!

Cheers,
Keith

Hi,
Only if you speak English. In France, and most of Europe for that matter, the fruit of the tree of knowledge is the pomegranate.
Cheers,
Keith

Great photo!

I’m so glad you got to stay at the same place we did! It was such a beautiful setting.

What a great and challenging ride! The photos are wonderful.