2019 -- THE YEAR IN REVIEW

It was a year of travel, pro cycling and “the knee”. Lots of surprises along the way.

We started out with a surprise, as Norbert and I traveled to Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA, but our suitcases did not. We arrived on Saturday, they arrived on Monday, as did my brother Bill. We very much enjoyed sharing the time with him, as always.

Hilton Head proved not to be our thing, unfortunately, although we found an incredibly outstanding restaurant: the Sea Shack. It doesn't look like much, outside or inside, and everything is served on styrofoam with plastic utensils. But it had probably the best seafood any of us have ever eaten. Of the four times we ate out, three of those were there.

The highlight for Norbert and me was touring the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown near Charleston, SC. Really incredible and just so much to absorb.

I then started the cycling season with a new cycling team, a very small Austrian team. The first month went smoothly, however, for the second month I was told that I would not be paid as “they were unaware that I was doing any work.” As I said publicly, I have never been so insulted in my entire life.

Having now been screwed over by two teams in a row, I decided it was time to take a further step into retirement. I remained on call for www.cyclingnews.com as a journalist, and did various translations.

In May we had the absolute highlight of the year, as we flew to Vancouver and then took an Alaska cruise. We had a beautiful Airb&b apartment in North Vancouver, and spent several days oohing and ah-ing over the attractions, especially the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The bridge, the platform walk through the trees of the rain forest – spellbinding.

We met up in another apartment with my friend Carleen, with whom I was traveling 30 years ago in Banff when we met Norbert. And we finally got to meet her husband, Doug. For Carleen and me it was as if we had never really been apart, and both of us got along perfectly with Doug.

The four of us then took off on the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship, heading “North to Alaska”. The food was good, the scenery incredible, the companionship ever better. The stop at Icy Strait Point was funny more than anything else, Juneau was good with whale-watching and Ketchikan was ok.

The landscape was unbelievable, and we loved watching the sunsets.

However, it was the Hubbard Glacier which proved the most mind-boggling. So big, so impressive. We had wondered why we would spend three hours there, but when it came time to go, we didn't want to!

The summer went quietly, but by the end of August I noticed that my right knee was acting up more and more. Long story short, MRI showed the meniscus was badly off and needed surgery. I could have had it fairly quickly, but I had something more important to do the beginning of October.

Family always has priority, so the knee had to wait while my brother Bill visited us. A good time was had by all, and we all enjoyed a visit to the Kröller Müller Museum in the Netherlands, with its fabulous Van Gogh collection.

 Lucas joined us for a visit to the Borussia Mönchengladbach museum and fascinating tour of the stadium.

About 3 days after Bill left, I had the arthroscopic surgery on my right knee. We were distressed to hear that the damage was worse than anticipated. However, the surgery and recovery went well and after two weeks I was able to put the crutches away. The knee is not 100% and probably never will be again, and I will most likely have to have it done again at some point, with the possibility of an eventual knee replacement being real.

I had a huge surprise in November when the Israel Cycling Academy contacted me, to see if I was interested in working for them in the coming year. It was a second league team which is moving up to the top ranks in 2020, and they wanted a native English speaker who was also a good writer and knew pro cycling. Nothing strokes the ego like having someone seek you out specifically like that, and of course I said yes!

So much for retirement, right? Frankly, I found it rather boring!

December kicked up with a trip to Israel for the team, now called Israel Start-Up Nation. Several days in Tel Aviv, the Holocaust Museum, the Gaza Strip, the Negev Desert in a sandstorm – it was educational and moving. 

And of course professionally great. I very much look forward to my work the coming year.

Most importantly, we are all well and happy, and looking forward to further adventures in 2020!

Vancouver, Day 2, last part

Just one dam thing after another.....

We returned home after the park, and took naps. We decided there was still time enough to do something in the afternoon, so we went to the Cleveland Dam and fish hatchery.

The dam is set on a lake with incredible surroundings.

And here is the dam itself, built in 1954. It is used strictly for water control, not for energy production. 

It was, however, open (if that is the right term) -- that is, they were letting water through.

We walked down to the river, which was, of course, lovely.

I keep wondering who or what lives in this cave:

We then went downriver to the fish hatchery. Once again we walked along the riverbank. 

On our way to the hatchery, we ran across this sign. It is actually pointing out where the wheelchair ramp is, but it looks at first glance as if it is suggesting something else. 

And we saw lots of baby fish!

Finally, we found this beautiful scene at the hatchery:

We stopped at Walmart on the way home to buy a cable for Norbert's camera, then home for dinner. A salad for me and a sandwich for Norbert. We managed to stay up a bit later, all the way until nearly 9:30!

Vancouver, Day 2, Capilano, part 2

A multi-part day today!

After the boardwalk, we took on the Treetops Adventure. From the park website:

"Treetops Adventure, a series of seven suspension bridges attached to eight 30 ton, 250 year old Douglas-firs. Built in 2004, the innovative and award-winning Treetops Adventure was designed to accommodate the continuous growth of the trees. The viewing platforms are attached to an innovative tree collar system that is adjustable and moveable and has no nails or bolts penetrating into the Douglas-firs. It is unlike any canopy walk in the world. 

Visitors are able to venture from one magnificent Douglas-fir tree to another on a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 110 feet (33.5m) above the forest floor."

The bridges were not terribly long, and only slightly wobbly. 

And don't forget to look down!

Back down on the ground again, we recrossed the bridge and turned to the Cliff Walk: "this heart-stopping cliffside journey takes you through rainforest vegetation on a series of unobtrusive cantilevered and suspended walkways jutting out from the granite cliff face above Capilano River to previously unexplored areas of the park." And attached only at 16 points to the cliff, which I am probably happier to have learned later rather than earlier!

Not at all dangerous, or to me, even particularly scary. Perhaps because the nature is so incredible and attention-consuming. 

It is hard to see in the photos of Norbert, but he is beaming with delight, as was I. This day was such an incredible experience, in the heart of beautiful nature.

VANCOUVER Day 2, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, part 1

We got up at 6:30 this morning, how late :-)

We left the house at about 8:30 and drove maybe 10 minutes to the Capolino Suspension Bridge State Park. Although we were early, we were not the first ones there. The entry fee is pretty high (less for me at the senior rate, ha ha) but in the end we decided it was well worth every penny.

Beautiful landscape work and totem poles.

The main attraction, of course is the suspension bridge across the Capolino River. It is 140 meters long and 70 meters above the river. Yes, it moves and sways, but not excessively.

Do you recognize that guy in the black jacket in the photo above?

The views from the bridge are fantastic.

Once on the other side, we took the Nature's Edge Boardwalk, through the rainforest.

There's not a lot to say, except that it was stunning. The trees are unbelievable, truly towering. The air was clear, crisp, clean, so fresh. I could have found a place to sit and just stayed there for hours, absorbing the whole atmosphere and being in awe of the natural beauty.