The newly hired tour leaders have all started to trickle out of the Farm after another successful Tour Leader Training week-long shenanigans. At one point there were 13 people staying here! A fun time, till you serve bean soup for lunch and completely wreck the 3 toilets those 13 people share the next day! Seriously we could smell turds all the way through the walls and into the bike shop! As much as I would like to re-cant what words of wisdom were imparted on our lustrous new batch of liars and magicians, I can only assume based on the looks upon their faces at the end of the week that is was as glorious as joining the Est cult simply for the free food. They looked hammered, and over theoretical-ized, and ready to booze it up to forget.
Alas they got to us towards the end and they were pretty fried. We set up a couple trainings for the new Hybrid bikes, and how to fix just about anything that can go wrong on tour, and gave them a little test. I think despite the wind and the sun and the allergies, they did really well absorbing the info and regurgitating it back at the end. Watch the video of their final test...complete with music pumped out of the shop computer to raise the stress levels...look at em go! (and If you are quick you can see Laurent's ass crack at minute .25...) Quote of the day: "I think the front one is fine, but...you never know" - Laurant
The best part was actually just meeting some of the new kids. There are Germans who planted grapes in Portugal, Italians who participate in extreme kite surfing competitions, Southern good old boys who love Spain and have made it their homes, complete with a "3/4 girlfriend," Croatians who aren't afraid of a little aperativo drink at mid day, and Frenchies who tell stories of being beat up and chased by Russian mobs while bike camping in Siberia in the winter. There are some really interesting people working with us this year and it was my pleasure to help them feel a little less intimidated by the mechanics of the bikes.
I also managed to get a ride to the beach on Saturday, the first of the year. Nothing like riding 100k round-trip just to have a swim in the freezing Adriatic and a nap in the shade. That's how I roll I suppose.
smelled these along the way...amazingly sweet from miles away!
This is the sign that counts how many cyclists use the path to go to the beach in the summer months, sometimes breaking 100 THOUSAND!!! That's commitment to cycling!
saw my favorite house, which I commemorated in abstract paint this past winter
And snapped this dude, doing his gardening in his summer britches...
and a fat lunch of Piadina...
All in it was a great week, seeing some returning friends from around the globe, making plans for visits in the off season, and meeting new peeps with great stories. Hopefully I will be back to the epic rides this weekend, and more stories from the pegboard as the season picks up speed.
Untill then Ill be going to bed at 9!
CIAO!
S.
1 comment:
Right on to the guy gardening in his undies! Man Americans make me feel weird when I garden in my bathing suit, we need to loosen up :)
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