“I was dreaming of a steel guitar engagement
When you drink my health in scented jasmine tea
You knifed me in my dirty filthy basement
With that jaded faded junky nurse
Oh, what pleasant company…”
-The Rolling Stones - “Let It Bleed”*
I’ve not got a lot of great photos of Sweden to share with you today because, if the truth be told, I’ve not been out of the house much since our arrival on Tuesday. This isn’t, as you might think, due to the lousy Swedish spring weather. Nope, it’s the continuing struggle to get grounded and settled after our whirlwind departure from Britain. Dr. O’C is doing a little bit better - she’s headed off to a nearby shopping mall today, but your underwhelming narrator - well, I’m still trying to remember whether we shipped or packed my Billy Connolly book.
I did manage a bike ride yesterday. It was sunny and reasonably warm and I was lured out of my bed by the promise of taking Zach along with us - his first bicycle trip. I’m a sucker for firsts (and his mother is a slightly erratic cyclist), so I dragged myself out of my state of self-indulgent emotional hibernation and joined Dr. O’C and son for a little ride to Önnered harbour. I’m glad I did, because it was brilliant - a bright sunny day, cycling on well maintained Swedish bike paths with the occasional reassuring tug of my jacket from my little boy firmly strapped behind. Cycling is one of my favorite activities and was my main mode of transport for our time in Britain. Cycling is also great because it allows for mind wandering time and yesterday my brain went into fast forward gear - Zach with his first trike, his first two wheeler with training wheels and that fateful day when he pedals off on his own with the realization that he doesn’t need his Dad’s help anymore. Followed fairly quickly by his first crash when, aided by the clarity that comes with skin scraping on concrete, he realizes that maybe he still does - for now.
* Yeah, I know this song has nothing to do with bicycling around a Swedish harbour, but man, The Stones used to be good! Buy “Let It Bleed” from 
or Amazon
3 responses so far ↓
1 Jessica K // Apr 4, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Oh, he looks so cute and so happy! Sadly, Grant has never been on a bike, though I’m thinking of getting him one of those new seats that go in front of you with his legs under the handle bars. I think that would make me feel safer taking him. I’m not so great at balancing…
Jessica K’s last blog post..Slow day
2 arizaphale // Apr 6, 2008 at 9:05 am
Great photos!!!!!! I think that lad is going to love cycling like his dad; he looks very happy and at home.
Nothing like getting out of the house and getting a bit of exercise to get your mind focussed and clear again eh? The step you forgot was the trailer bike which bolts onto the back of yours and enables a 3-5 year old to cycle along with you on rides which they would otherwise find too onerous. Cycling friends of ours swore by it!
One of the good things about Adelaide is the Linear Park which enables you to cycle from West Beach to Tea Tree Gully
(I think…anyway…its a bloody long way)…
And rock on The Stones! Let It Bleed is one of my favourite albums of theirs.
arizaphale’s last blog post..Big Wish Bike Ride 2009
3 Maggie // Apr 6, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Seriously, does he ever NOT look completely adorable? No, really. I need to know.
Sweden: *sigh* I am so jealous. I have a Swedish friend and I’ve followed her birthing chronicles with more than a little envy. She gets, like a year off — paid — with each kid. SO DOES HER HUSBAND. It’s amazing.
Maggie’s last blog post..The post in which I lose several readers.
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