Lesvos Map
Our holiday base is Anaxos located in the northern part of the island and we are going to Polichnitos and Agiassos.
Polichnitos
For this trip, we have decided to go to Polichnitos and Agiassos, and I was also hoping, Plomari, but that never came to fruition. Just before reaching Polichnitos we saw this abandoned (military) runway. Dutchman is fascinated with airplanes, he once was a spotter (mostly military aircraft), so we did a detour and inspected the runway. It was barricaded but what the heck, we will check it out =)
Dutchman said that the airport could have been used during the years when hostilities between Turkey and Greece were heightened. As you can see, Turkey is just a stone’s throw away. Both had a very turbulent relationship and past, let us just say that both nations are friendly with each other now but there is still work to be done.
In Polichtinos, we stopped to take our lunch. Dutchman and I are not big eaters, we usually eat light and healthy. We also share our food. And because of the heat, we always end up ordering the usual local refreshing Greek snacks suspects—Greek Salad and Greek Yoghurt to go with our lemon soda and water. In Greece you always get a basket or plate of bread. They gave us buttered garlic bread.
The Cafe Toulipa was a nice temporary oasis for us. It is located on the intersection of the village with an open terrace that has ivy crawling on its wooden trellis. A perfect retreat on a warm summer day since the foliage gives a cooling effect.
Nevertheless, Polichnitos town was almost dead! There were barely people walking on the streets, Maybe because it was sweltering hot, but anyway, we have decided to move on...
Off-the-beaten-path
We drove down to the beach and pondered if we should stop for a quick dip but decided to drive further until we reached the junction. There is an unpaved road going up the mountains, a short cut actually to Agiassos, and well before we knew it, the adventurous in us kicked in. We are going off road with our little car!
The off-the-beaten-path is a narrow gravel winding road in the mountains where we barely saw a soul during the entire drive. I watch too many CSI’s and Investigation Discovery episodes these days so being in the middle of the wilderness I cannot help but think of grisly stuff. Let’s not go in there, but you can imagine the torture going through in my head as we drove through this deserted part of the island.
It was a long slow drive of half an hour. Not a nice place to get a flat tire or problem with your motor. Here is a quick video:
As we drove on the gravel road passing by the lush vegetation of olive trees and pine trees, we never saw a single soul. A bit eerie.
Agiassos
Finally we reached the main road to Agiassos. In this part of Lesvos we noticed more pine trees than olive trees. I love it that the island is quite varied, not only in terrain but in vegetation as well.
Agiassos is one of the pretty places in Lesvos and I really wanted to see it, however when we were there we could not find parking. The village sits high up in the mountain and we will have to park somewhere before going up. A heated debate ensued in the car about going into the village or not.
Anyway, without going further into detail, we turned back the car to the direction of Anaxos, in the northern part of the island where we are staying. My heart was so heavy, but sometimes we just have to let certain things go.
The only 2 pictures of Agiassos that I took, taken from the entrance of the village. You can already see and feel that this village is going to be pretty, but, helaas...
It always interests me to know how a person arrives at their preference for a specific bicycle, especially people of different skill levels. Unlike me, the Co-Habitant is naturally athletic, handles a roadbike like it's nobody's business, and loves speed. And yet, he chose a sedate, stately roadster as his daily commuter - complete with such distinctly non-sporty features as full chaincase and dressguard.
To be honest, when we first bought the Pashleys I assumed that he was getting the Roadster mainly for my benefit - so that we'd have matching bikes. When we later got roadbikes, I expected him to gradually transition to riding his roadbike to work, and to only ride the Pashley when out with me. But nothing of the sort happened. He loves his Roadster and has been commuting on it faithfully for over a year now, snow days included. When I ask him why he prefers such an enormous and heavy bicycle to his faster and more agile roadbike, his answer is that the Pashley is "the most comfortable bike [he has] ever ridden." A straightforward enough reply that explains how two cyclists with different skill levels can ultimately choose similar bicycles for their practical, everyday needs.
The terms "commuter bike" and "practical bike" can mean completely different things to different cyclists. There is a school of thought out there positing that relaxed and upright bicycles are mainly for those who are inexperienced, afraid of car traffic, or lack physical stamina - and that as a rider grows more confident, they will naturally come to prefer a faster and sportier bike for commuting. But clearly that is not the case. A runner can still prefer walking as a means of getting around in their everyday life, and a bicycle racer can prefer commuting on a beach cruiser in flip-flops. It's really all about individual perspectives.
Sure, at first glance this is just another filthy Sturmey Archer hub. Those who know bicycles will see that it's an AW model, which identifies it as being from a vintage 3-speed. But look closer still. Anything unusual? If you have a good eye, you can see the words at the very bottom of the hub: "Patent applied for". 
Meet my "dirty little secret". She was given to me about a month and a half ago, but I kept quiet, because I am not yet certain what I will do with her. From a historical point of view, this is an amazing find: an early Raleigh Tourist in all original condition; year of production most likely 1936. This early Raleigh is the predecessor to the DL-1 Lady's Tourist I so love, but there are some notable differences between them. This early bicycle has a geometry that I find somewhat puzzling: The seat tube is quite long (almost the same size as on the 22" DL-1), but the wheelbase is extremely short, making for a crowded "cockpit" with very little room between the saddle and the handlebars. This makes the bicycle seem much too small for me, even though the saddle height is just right for my size. I would love to know the reasoning behind this construction.
A very early Sturmey Archer 3-speed quadrant shifter. This preceded the trigger shifter that we are used to seeing on the handlebars of vintage 3-speeds. On diamond frame bicycles, the quadrant shifter was mounted on the top tube. On this bicycle it is mounted at the very top of the "loop" tube. Aside from some fading due to age, this beautiful shifter is in perfectly preserved condition. The whole bicycle, in fact, seems to be frozen in its original state, save for a coat of surface rust. The rod brakes are attached via braze-ons on the inside of the fork (as opposed to clipped on, as became the standard on later models) and function extremely well. The chrome on the handlebars and rod levers is in excellent condition.
The original chaincase is entirely intact and dent-free. Notice also the holes drilled for skirtguards in the rear fender! I wonder what sort of guards this bicycle had when it was being ridden 70+ years ago.
The rear reflector is glass, not plastic.
And I believe the pump is original as well, though the handle has split open. It is engraved with a Greek-themed motif. Aside from the split pump, other aspects of the bicycle that are damaged beyond repair are the melted rubber grips (see first picture) and the cracked tires. The wheels themselves look extremely rusty, but some have suggested that they might be salvageable by a soaking in an oxalic acid bath.
Every Sunday from April to October, a stretch of Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Mass. is closed to motorists to create "Riverbend Park" -- a car-free road for the use of cyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders and pedestrians.
I know that something similar to this event exists in Chicago and other cities. Do you make it a point to go to yours? Do you see these as beneficial?
A family member brought over a couple of old bikes to see whether I could sell them.The bikes came from the basement of an old property, and had been sitting there for several decades. They are in good condition, but nothing remarkable: Both are steel Columbia 3-speeds - most likely from the '80s. My plan was to post them on C-List and I had no intention to write about them here... But while snapping the photos, my imagination got the best of me and I started thinking about the bicycles' history.
The smaller of the two has 24" wheels and appears to be a children's bike. The larger one has 26" wheels, but the small frame suggests that it too probably belonged to a young person - maybe the teenage sister of the cream bicycle's pre-teen owner? I can picture them cycling together down a sleepy suburban street, trying to make it home in time for dinner - one on the cream bike, the other on the blue, their delighted squeals rising above the clicking of the hubs...
In addition to its smaller size, there is something about the little cream bicycle in particular that evokes gentle images of childhood and its possibilities - maybe the soft, delicate colour.
I wonder how typical it is - if at all - for parents today to pick up vintage children's bikes for their kids and restore them, instead of buying modern ones. Based on what I have seen, not very typical. Limited availability is probably a big reason: I don't actually see many children's vintage bikes around, even in Boston.
Speaking of twenty years ago... I was 11 then, and riding something not too different from these bikes - as was my younger sister. That could be why I felt compelled to photograph these in a golden light, and to wonder about their history.
