Cycling in the time of Corona

Don't have sound on this machine, sorry.

After all it's not that awful. You know what the fellow said – in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly.

Went out for a ride yesterday. First thing I see is a group of six builders going out of the supermarket and interacting with a homeless dude at the door. And I have to worry because my cycling might offend someone's arbitrary guidelines.

I hate that movie clip. Literally every single thing about it is wrong. Gah!

Ha! I was being facetious. Apologies to the Swiss. The Third Man is a great movie though.

And to the Bavarians, who invented cuckoo clocks.

It almost sounds like the restrictions are being relaxed. or at least bring inline some of the more draconian forces.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/uk-police-reissued-with-guidance-on-enforcing-coronavirus-lockdown

Haha I did actually really enjoy the movie, just that particular sentence is as wrong as it can be. For starters, cuckoo clocks are German! Also, as a side note, the Swiss were mercenaries for the whole of Europe for centuries, that's how the papal (Swiss) guard came about - first as elite pikemen (and not just a few, in the ten to hundred thousands), then in smaller numbers as sharpshooters (I think there's the theory Nelson might have lost his eye to a Swiss sharpshooter in a French crow's nest). 500 years of democracy and peace, my ass....

or at least bring inline some of the more draconian forces.

Yeah as I read it, it's mostly about keeping the more enforcement-happy officers in line and making them focus on people who are really flouting the rules in a major way, rather than getting out a tape measure to see whether everyone is really staying 2m apart.

500 years of democracy and peace, my ass....

The Stecklikrieg wasn't exactly peaceful, and that was definitely within the last 500 years. And there wasn't universal female emancipation in all Swiss cantons until 1991, so as for democracy...

Glad I have moved the debate on from cycling to the veracity, or otherwise, of the dialogue in the Third Man.

To get back on topic, I rode outdoors for one hour and twenty minutes yesterday. Didn't see any other cyclists, but pleased to report the hatchback doggers of Epping Forest don't appear to have let the current state of emergency stop their nocturnal activities.

Took the family out for a walk. Went on for well over an hour.

They say the Swiss are more German than the Germans

Were they wearing lycra?

Tbf he did say brotherly love.

I think we're on a two walk schedule.

Noticeably more drivers out today and a definite fall-off in the recently more accommodating attitude (knobber boy-racers and wannabe wanker rally supremos excepted) with much bargy-ness and close passing. Am sensing the rapid return of driver-entitlement over all other road users, timed with the police being told to cool it? Maybe just out here in cuntryside thou.

I see a disproportionate number of either boy racer or luxury cars out at the moment when I go for my run, compared to what it used to be.

Rev-passed by a black Ferrari yesterday.
A driver with such poor judgement,
could only have been on a life-and-death medical supplies essential journey?

could only have been on a life-and-death medical supplies essential journey?

1 Attachment

got buzzed by a wee dick in a some shitey .8l 'sport hatch' replete with go faster stripe and absurdly loud tail pipe yesterday, saw him fly up the 20mph limited road a while later too. A veritable biscuit-tin of a motor if ever there was one.

Just finishing reading a history of Switzerland. Peaceful it was not.

pleased to report the hatchback doggers of Epping Forest don't appear to have let the current state of emergency stop their nocturnal activities.

Ah. Normal life continues. Nature finds a way. I find this oddly comforting.

Went for a quick hour yesterday which is the first time since the 12th March (after a suspected case of Covid), bloody hell it was difficult. Haven't felt so raspy for years.

Tried to wave at everyone, got a single wave back. Gonna stick at it though (limited exercise, and waving).

Sorry i didn't make a vid for you