I have been looking at several scooters as possible means of transport in France. I went to a Honda dealership in Slough where I looked at various models. I soon became aware of how much things have changed since my 1959 Vespa. Everything I looked at 
was 4 stroke and fuel injected and all were twist and drive. Lots of plastic and other lightweight materials, all very sexy! I also soon realised that I didn’t need a big bike – 125cc would do me fine – they will do 100 kph all day. A change from the 650 Suzuki that I owned 18 years ago! So finally I asked if I could test drive one and the guy said come back in 45 minutes and we will lend you a crash helmet and get a PS125i ready to go. I went back and put this unbelievably tight helmet on, left my wallet and off I went. A bit odd at first but I soon got the hang of it. Surprised that I kept squeezing the left lever every time I stopped. thinking it was a clutch. Amazed at this reaction as I haven’t driven for so long! Went up and down the Uxbridge Road, around roundabouts out into the burbs of Slough. I had a great time and the bike was really instantly responsive and dead easy to drive. The only problem was that I got lost so took a while to negotiate the back streets of Slough back to the dealership. Reluctantly handed the keys back to guy completely enamoured with the machine. Spent the evening reading all the bumph on the bike and then went out the next day to check out Gileras, Aprilias and Peugeots – loved them all but still think I will probably go for a Honda because of their reputation. E mailed a dealership in Beziers where they had a demo on for a good price but obvioulsy they can’t hold it unless I make a firm offer. I now have to wait impatiently until I get to France.
Windsor Great Park
08.07.07 Biked into Windsor Great Park this afternoon with Julia. This park continues to amaze me by its size and also how unchanged it seems to be. So pastoral and peaceful it appears more 50s than the new millenium – hardly any cars, just bikes and horses and families walking. No hydro wires only planes overhead about every minute from Heathrow! We both did a couple of watercolours, mine are attached.
Le Grand Depart – Tour de France London
07.07.07 Went up to London to see the Prologue of the Tour. Beautiful sunny day for a change. Lots of people which makes you realise how big London parks really are. Caravanne started the whole thing off with floats going around the course with pretty girls throwing samples to the crowd. All very jolly. Riders warming up very colourful, lots of spandex and very high tech bikes with carbon rear wheels. Hard to see much on the actual course so watched most of it lounging on the grass watching the large screens. The hopes were that a Brit might win as this was the first time the start was in London but Fabian Cancellar, a Swiss, won with an average speed of 53.7 kph.
A day in London at the galleries
Decided to have a day in town so I bought the Travel card and went in on the 9.23. The first stop was the Host Gallery just off Old Street in the city. There was a show entitled Hard Men and Heroes by Stephan Vanfleteren who shoots gritty back and whites. The photos showed scenes and portraits of cyclists and spectators of the various cycle races that culminate in the tough Tour of Flanders. The show coincides with the beginning of the Tour de France in London on Saturday. Great photos of some really tough looking men who live in this cold, drizzly part of Belgium.
From there I made my way to the Tate Britain on Millbank to see the Turner watercolours. En route I passed by the old offices at John Murray where I first worked in 1959 – now but a large hole! The Turner show was partially curated by David Hockney and was brilliant. Talk about ahead of his time! I was really floored by his ‘colour beginning’ sketches which are very gestural and abstract but then you check out some of his studies of architecture and you wonder how he did them – they are so tight and wonderfully accurate. No wonder the guy was successful. I also like the fact that he travelled in the summer and then spent the winter in the studio doing large studio pieces. He owned his own gallery on Harley Street and exhibited once a year. There were also some new Hockneys at the Tate – a watercolour in the Turner show and five of his new large multi canvas paintings of Yorkshire. Interesting idea but I find his new palette a bit garish. Lunched on the steps of the Tate and then caught a bus up to Piccadilly. Rode on top at the front and was again amazed at London. The Horseguards in Whitehall looked younger than ever and I was fascinated by the variety of decoration and the rooflines of the houses. Also noticed how effective the Congestion Tax appears to be. it is still crowded but at least it moves now.
Got off bus at Albemarle Street where I worked from 1961 – 1963 – still a very elegant address. Walked along Piccadilly to the Royal Academy where I bought a ticket £6 – for seniors for the Summer Show. Huge show with every conceivable kind of art. Big Hockney but again weird palette and a massive Anselm Keifer complete with lead submarine and the roots of something sprouting out of it. Loads of paintings of all sizes and a surprising number of large drawings but nothing cheap. Lots of red dots. Also a lot of people looking and taking notes. I think that if you can get in, one can probably sell from here. After all this culture I caught the tube to Waterloo and met Julia and her friend Donna and we had a tasty and cheap fish and chip supper at a place on Waterloo Road just by the Old Vic. Julia and I then returned to Windsor.
Solstice Canoe Trip
Convened in Jon’s back alley Friday morning for this year’s trip. We were eight with 4 canoes. Alan couldn’t make it this year so we had 3 new voyageurs. Jean-Pierre a French chef and owner of Gamelle teamed up with Jim to produce the usual outstanding meals. Tom and Cec, friends of Paul’s from Brampton, made up the extra canoe. I knew Tom from another life when he attended a publishing workshop in Banff. And Cec, who is an intrepid cyclist, might have inspired me to attempt the tour du Canada next year. Weather was not as hot as last year but we only had one brief shower and we actually had a tail wind coming back along the Key. A lot of wild life including sightings of moose calves and rattlesnakes. We also discovered that we were sharing the island with a young bear! Jimmy excelled himself with fishing and caught a couple of bass and a pike. Below are a few paintings from the trip and a slide show of photos taken by Paul.
Owen Sound
Today went to Owen Sound with Maryann to see the John Hartman show at the Tom Thomson Gallery in Owen Sound. Nice start to the day with warm weather and sunshine. Stopped at Gramma Jo’s in Flesherton for breakfast and arrived in Owen Sound just before 11 when the gallery opened. Gallery is situated next door to the library which was once a Carnegie Library. Carnegie libraries were the original lending libraries before the Public Library system took them over. There were once 2500 of them all over Canada. M suggested that we get a grant and photograph and draw them. We were welcomed into the TT gallery by a very cheerful and knowledgeable woman – we already like this place especially when I get a senior’s discount of $2 off the entry fee of $5. Much better collection of Tom Thomson than the AGO’s! There was also a small exhibition of, to us unknown except for A Y Jackson, Canadian artists who had painted in Europe. We were impressed at the quality of the paintings. Finally went into the Hartman show. Big, juicy paintings. Overhead views of various port cities mainly in Canada except for NY and London. Also pencil sketches and watercolour sketches. What I found particularly interesting was the fact that Hartman added historical details to the map-like quality of the paintings. I was also interested in the fact that he had used concentina sketchbooks. These allow you to extend the sketch ad infinitum or have a series of linked sketches. Drove to Southampton on Lake Huron after the show and did some drawings of the waterfront there before driving back to Toronto.
