Elizabeth Sherrill
  • Home
  • Books
    • All Books
    • Audio Books
  • Photos
    • Five Elizabeths
    • Jordan 2010
    • Rhine River Spring 2009
    • New Zealand 2008
    • Hong Kong 2008
    • Thailand 2008
    • North Thailand 2008
    • Singapore/Japan 2008
  • Stage & Screen
    • Movies
    • Stage Adaptations
  • Articles & More
    • Twelve Companions: Strength for the Journey
    • Featured Article Archives
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Q & A
  • Recent News

What's New!

Find out what's happening with Tib and John by visiting this page or subscribing to my RSS Feed

Bikes

4/11/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
The scene outside any Oxford college. This one is Christ Church.
The bicycles in front of every school remind John and me of our own student days at the University  of Geneva, except that Oxford is mercifully flat, while Geneva's streets are perpendicular. It's not only students who ride bikes here.  Postmen use them, policemen use them, businessmen and women use them.  So far this morning our favorite riders are a gray bearded man with a bright orange safety vest and a bowler hat, and a heavyset woman in a long black robe and a round collar.

Bicycles here are given the same respect -- and follow the same rules -- as cars.  When I googled a map to the Tate Britain museum in London two days ago, I was offered routes by bus, tube, car or bike, this last showing  bike paths and bicycle parking lots. 

And you'd better follow the road rules!  In Geneva 65 years ago, John was issued a ticket by an irate policeman for stopping his bike just a foot beyond a stop sign.  Bike riders here screech to a stop at pedestrian crossings and wouldn't dream of going the wrong way on a one way street.

I think with shame of my otherwise beloved New York, where I've seen bikes go not only against traffic but on the sidewalk, and nearly been knocked down by bicycles on Central Park's "NO BICYCLE RIDING" paths.  Maybe when the price of gas at home gets as high as it is here, we'll all get bikes, follow the rules, and save the environment.


4 Comments
Elizabeth Flint
4/12/2013 05:06:39 am

The way Europe treats bicycles makes it sound like an appealing way to get around in the good weather. We only use bikes for sport and on bike paths. We belong to a great group called "Rails to Trils" which is converting old railroad beds to bike paths around the country.

Reply
Andrew Wakeling
4/15/2013 07:18:37 pm

Hi there
love your books, both of you, but especially "They Speak with o Tongues" and "My friend the Bible" - yes John, yours, but then I'm a bloke too. I give MFtB to anyone I think will appreciate it. In fact I'm reading it now for the 4th or 5th time, can't say it's like the Bible in that I always find something new but I'm enjoying being encouraged and reminded of what I haven't started doing yet, eg. an arsenal.
Wish I'd known you were in Oxford, would have loved to meet you,
all the best,
Andrew Wakeling

Reply
Sarah Elisabeth link
4/22/2013 04:11:07 am

When we went to D.C. last November, we spent two weeks without riding in a car once. We walked, rode the Metro or a shuttle. Such an amazing shift in mentality compared to Texas where we have to drive ourselves everywhere, especially in our small town where there are few sidewalks and bikes aren't the safest on our roads.

Walking D.C. was one of my favorite experiences of the trip. I wouldn't mind walking or biking everywhere locally. We'd be a healthier society!

Reply
Marilyn Strube
4/25/2013 03:46:53 am

Me too! I hope Americans turn toward bicycling as gas becomes more expensive. Seems only the college towns have decent bike lanes for those who choose to bike. We are blessed in that our house is bordered by Rails to Trails and a well worn foot path that connects two beautiful parks. Love you Tibby and John. Thanks for taking me along on your trip!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2018
    December 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2019 Elizabeth and John Sherrill.  All rights reserved.
Website by KLSutton Design. 
  • Home
  • Books
    • All Books
    • Audio Books
  • Photos
    • Five Elizabeths
    • Jordan 2010
    • Rhine River Spring 2009
    • New Zealand 2008
    • Hong Kong 2008
    • Thailand 2008
    • North Thailand 2008
    • Singapore/Japan 2008
  • Stage & Screen
    • Movies
    • Stage Adaptations
  • Articles & More
    • Twelve Companions: Strength for the Journey
    • Featured Article Archives
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Q & A
  • Recent News