Garmin Out; Cateye Strada In

My time spent messing with the Garmin Edge 305 may be over. The thing ("Is that a mediated bike, Andy?") wouldn't turn on this a.m., a day before the ALS ride in Mt. Vernon.

Do I replace it? Or, do I go backwards in technology, deciding that I didn't really need all the extra functionality, the angst spent wondering if my bike computer needed charging, upgraded software, measuring elevation, acquiring satellites, GPSing, and generally getting more data than I really needed?

Recycled Cycles installed a new Cateye Strada. Back to basics. Keep it simple.

I've got other ways to GPS.

Perugia and the Denouement

What can I say about the band's performances at the Umbria Jazz Festival? Two amazing sets at the Piazza IV Novembre. By the end of the second night's gig, we are reduced to tears of joy for how they have played, what they have accomplished, how much they have grown, and the sad and beautiful poignancy of this all ending.

First day, we are late leaving Hotel Il Grifone, but bus driver extraordinaire Marco Pranger maneuvers the massive tour bus right to the stage. Set-up, sound check, and they are off.

Basie tunes get the people in the square moving. Ballads are sweet. Dusk turns into night. Feetbone gets the people in the square shuffling. The last tune played on the 2nd Night is Brown Knows Rose. After the encore, the musicians sign autographs and pose for pictures.

We accomplish what we set out to do, and swing all the way.
Pictures here.

Denouement in Rome:

Nolan read from notes, thanking all, talking about jazz family, thanking Brown for all, for putting up with poor choices. This young man has grown up, as have we all. Not a dry eye in the house.

Following was Max, impromptu, once again thanking Brown, but also admitting that he couldn't imagine high school without jazz band, recognizing he would have been lost without that experience.

Colin and Anna lauded the musicians, the parents and Brown. Noted that they see a lot of bands, but Roosevelt is the best, easy to travel with.

Brown gave an emotional and inspiring talk, Teddy Roosevelt's "Daring Greatly." Thanked musicians for overcoming difficulty and peaking at Umbria. Remember the values of the band, excellence; support forthwith group., OK to work hard, to demand high standards of self and others, and to swing! He hugged every band member, told them to thank their parents, tell them about the trip, and to realize that their parents wanted them to have an experience they would remember the rest of their lives.

What a ride.

What's next?

Aboard the M/V Dubrovnik.....

Aboard the M/V Dubrovnik.....


Came on board after cleering customs and passport stamping '@ 6:30 p.m., dinner @ 8 and underway @ 9.:00.
Wonderful sunset, lights of Split, small ports and through a narrow passage into the Adriatic. No moon tonight so the stars just popped.


Chatted with Colin M about succession at Mandrake, after a conversation with he& Anna this afternoon about future tours, Dalmatians, Italy, Greece or maybe Russia and the Baltics.......who knows?

Comments overheard.....

...."My give-a-shitter's plum rusted."

....Their bubble is not quite plumb."

Before in Split, toured Diocletian's Palace this afternoon with Curt C. Roman ruins, world heritage site, monument to John Paul 2 in cathedral that had been Diocletian 's mausoleum. Then, pizza at Strega Nona's before returning to wait too long for ship.


Cabin was stuffy making it difficult to sleeping, after tossing and turning, awoken from unpleasant dreams to find the dawn. Spectacular sunset, billions of stars at night, spectacular sunrise, and then, Italy!

Euro Transport

One of the highlights of Hvar was renting a bicycle for a couple of hours, and cruising the city. Two hours for 50 kuna, or about $8 seemed like a reasonable fee, and I rode as far as I could on the promenade toward the south, until I came to a public beach, where bathers were enjoying the sun and warm Adriatic.

The rear tire on the Kona Mountain Bike was about half-full, so I swapped it for another steed and rode the promenade in the opposite direction. The local who rented the bike told me that keeping the tire pressure low was a good idea, as the hot sun and the tiles in town caused the tires to explode!

I saw several municipal bike sharing programs while traveling, in Vienna, in Rome and in Slovenia, all well used and seemingly successful. Overall there is much to emulate from the European approach to transportation, with small, fuel-efficient cars, well-functioning public transportation, trams and subways in Vienna and Rome, an excellent bus system in Perugia, and even municipal escalators in Perugia to move citizens up and down the steep hills of the city.

My photos of bikes and other transportation from the trip are here.

Hvar Musings

Espresso atop the Spanish Castle Magic overlooking Hvar, after swim, pizza lunch, and dropping off laundry. Climb in heat of midday, to see great views, contemplate Anna's mystical stories, Euro 2013 with Cynthia, talk with Curt about AA, fathers, family. This place is right and it's not all random. Some things fit too well.

Notes from Croatia

Opatija by the Sea - The Croatian Riviera.


Imperial Hotel is summer resort for some Hapsburg royalty, just as old but charming, ignoring window dry rot and other obvious "used to be great" touches, with the Baroque interior and ubiquitous yellow paint. Hot, humid; threatening thunderclouds cropped up as we drove over the border from Slovenia toward the coast. By the time we got into town, rain spreading across from Rijeka. Long lunch at Hemingway's that sufficed, then rain and thunder started on the way back to the hotel. Questionable whether we would play outside on the terrace. Sean led a group in an a capella Star Spangled Banner in honor of 4th of July.


The band set up under umbrellas on the terrace and used the festival's sound system. During the set up, Brown told the band, "Hey guys, Elvis needs some help." Has this phrase ever been used before in this context to this audience? Probably not.


Downbeat about 5:15 drew crowds from hotel, as well as off the street. Some watched from across the main drag in town and the band delivered a killer performance that left many slackjawed. In particular, New Musical Express rocked the place.


After dinner, Tower of Power (Described as 'God's Soul Band.' I like the idea of a deity with their own personal R&B revue.) at the Liburnia Jazz Festival; loud, lots of fun. Checked internet in an attempt to send email and photos, but no access so off to bed for early wake-up. Photos from Opatija here.

8 am and we are on the road to Split, 6.5 hours down the coast, through the mountains on the Croatian equivalent of the Interstate, well maintained, wide and great road, go Marco go! First, we get a ferry ride and then to Palace Hotel in Hvar.

Vienna>Graz>Ljubljana

We moved from Vienna, Austria into Slovenia today, stopping for lunch in Graz, a picturesque city in south Austria, from which Arnold Schwarzenegger hails.



Ljubljana - Another charming burg. Stayed at Hotel M. Comfortable, clean, step. Up from Hotel Atlas in Vienna.

Dinner then 20 minute stroll through their Tivoli Garden to main square where big crowds gathering for Saturday night out on the town., with added excitement of World Cup match between Spain and Paraguay on TVs at most all the bars and cafes. Got gelato and reconnected With Scott B., Curt & Andy McCarthy watched with the other Slovenians, as well as some great people viewing.

Sunday am, 4th of July, hour and a half of tourist stuff, strolling the waterfront. Pictures to be taken, souvenirs and chotchkes to be admired, even some stuff from Nazi era, as well as lots of Soviet memorabilia, disturbing for its nonchalant character. How do they deal with that history? Maybe the same way Americans do with slavery and the genocide of the native population.



Tomorrow, the 4th of July, we go to Opatija, Croatia, perform at the Palace Hotel, then go see Tower of Power at the Liburnia Jazz Fest.