The Grampies take their name and inspiration from (now) five grandchildren. They are Avi and Violet, now in Seattle, and Amelia, Evee, and Joey in Montreal. We always visit them before a cycle trip, because we know they will change a lot before we get back. So gearing up for "By the Books" starts in Seattle.
I would like to say that this photo shows us enjoying the highly entertaining Grampies Go South blog. In fact, we are watching a Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon. It's a little bit like the blog, of course, because it illustrates saguaro cactus and hoodoo rock towers. It also shows the coyote, like the Grampies, fruitlessly trying to increase his speed in the desert.
Rainy weather stopped us from getting Avi and Violet out on their bikes, but we did get to share at least two other activities:
Seattle is home to not only Microsoft but also to Boeing. At Boeing Field there exists the very large and fascinating Museum of Flight. This incorporates Boeing's original factory building, but now also houses an extensive collection of aircraft and spacecraft, and a tower with very informative and often live/real time displays about air traffic.
The main feature of the place from an Avi and Violet point of view is the huge amount of space to roam in, testing the Grampies knees and stamina!
Here in photos is a small sampling of what went on there:
The console in front of Avi shows all the aircraft currently over the USA. The greatest density seems to be over Florida. No doubt carrying Southern Tier cyclists!
The second activity was a Grampie favourite - a farmers' market, this one in the neighbourhood of Ballard. This all food market had a bit of a European air, with quality baked goods and cheeses, and a portable wood fired pizza oven.
One day we will go with Violet to France. For now, it's baguette at the Ballard Market.
We said goodbye for now to Avi and Violet at a street corner in the market. There were no tears, for them, because they don't quite realize how far away we are going and for how long. However we will be back, and our plan then is to take them out for a couple of hundred kms, cycling down the Willamette River. But that's for August. Right now we have to continue gearing up, by getting our bikes in order, and checking in with the other three kids, almost 5,000 km away, in Montreal. At least this time (unlike in 2011) we won't be cycling over there!
