Hello, I’m Cestaine
The sky is not completely dark at night. Were the sky absolutely dark, one would not be able to see the silhouette of an object against the sky.
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It’s going to be a great ride.
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
— Maya Angelou.This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
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Iceland – Full of Experiences
In honor of the significant snow hitting the East coast I thought I would give you a peak into my trip to Iceland. The plan was to see friends living in Norway. It was the end of June so no weather issues but I immediately asked myself if there was some place close that I could also visit. Iceland was too close to pass up but how much extra would that cost? Surprise to me and you may not know that Icelandair, and some other airlines, have a great option which allows a stop over for several nights, as part of one ticket. The ticket allowed me to stay up to three nights in Iceland on my way to Norway on the same ticket.
As I said, it was the end of June, so I saw no snow. The weather in fact was warm-ish. Think about it. It’s Iceland, 50 degrees was warm!
Gulfoss Waterfall in Blaskogabyggo I did the Golden Circle tour which included a stop at Thingvellir National Park to see where the Eurasian Plate meets the North American plate.
Next stop was Kerid Crater. You can actually walk around the top of the crater. There is also a path where you can walk pretty far down into the crater. One of my favorite pictures from the trip!
So you know food is important to me. Correction, good food is important to me. I found the usual fish and chips along with excellent soups as part of a food tour in Reykjavik. As strange as it sounds, whale tastes like beef, which makes sense, given that whales are mammals. The shark was rubbery, no bueno.
The soup was a traditional Icelandic soup and on the right are whale and shark. Because it was a thing to do I went to the Blue Lagoon, but I will say I don’t get it. So prior to my trip I was told that it was definitely something to do. What I expected was a natural hot spring but the lagoon was actually formed from wastewater from a power plant. While the lagoon is said to contain no harmful chemicals, the natural minerals are supposed to be great for the skin. You will need a swimsuit and flip flops and will need to shower before entering and upon leaving the Lagoon. The water is very smooth and 102 degrees. There is little kiosk in the water where you can get mud scrubs for your face and another where you can get wine and soft drinks. My skin felt the same after, nothing special for me. A highlight of the visit to the Blue Lagoon is the restaurant on property. The food was amazing and you will need reservations far in advance. The view from the restaurant is of the lagoon and it is beautiful.
While it was a quick trip I am so glad I was able to go. The people were kind and very helpful to tourists. I would love to go see the Northern Lights in the winter despite temperatures plunging into the 40s. Oh did I tell you that there are 23 hours of sunlight In June and July? The winters alternatively have between 5 to 8 hours of daylight.
11:00pm in Iceland
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Review: The Legacy Trail- Sarasota to Venice, Florida
If you peeped my IG story on Christmas Day you saw me in front of a bridge that appeared to go on forever. The bridge is one of two on The Legacy Trail in Sarasota, Florida.
The trail currently runs 19.6 miles, from Bahia Vista Street, on the north, to Shamrock Park in the south, with a proposal to extend the trail further north in 2022. I first rode the trail prior to the extension to Bahia Vista Street, when it started just past Central Sarasota Parkway. The extension from Central Sarasota Parkway to Bahia Vista , completed in October 2021, is about 7 miles and is a different ride from the Southern part of the trail.
End of Trail at Bahia Vista Street The new section encounters several cross streets so that you have to stop at major streets, like Clark which is four lanes. There are cross walk buttons which alert traffic to stop, which you means that you have to stop. Unlike the southern part of the trail where there are bridges that take riders over traffic you will have to stop more often on the northern extension. Still a nice ride, but recognize that getting up to a cruising pace for me at about 16mph is short because the cross streets are often less than two miles apart. The plan is to add overpasses at a later date.
Once you get to the original part of the trail at Central Sarasota Parkway, heading south, the trail becomes more suitable for endurance riding. As is usual in Sarasota, you will sometimes get the Sarasota wind on the trail which can sometimes feel like a pretty strong headwind. My hamstrings reminded me the next day how much work I had to put in!
The bridge pictured above is one of two bridges that allow for a continuous ride unlike the northern part of the trail. If it looks steep it is. Elevation gain, courtesy of my Apple watch shows a gain of 88FT. The bridge also has an interesting incline wherein the bridge ascends then goes flat at intervals all the way to the top and down the other side as well. The up hill is therefore a little strange because the flat spots cause the pedals to slip some.
If you are feeling adventurous, the Legacy Trail runs across Oscar Scherer State Park which provides some cool sights. The only issue for me was that my road bike tires did not like the sand! So if you have a wider tire you can really take some time and tour the park.
After Bay Street, there is only one cross street until you reach the Venice rail station.
The bridge at Dona Bay is only a slight incline from the trail itself and has great views. A little surprise at the Venice rail station are some of the cars from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Little know fact is that Sarasota was the winter home to the circus beginning in 1927, fostering the growth of Sarasota as a major tourist attraction.
From the Venice rail station to Shamrock Park, the ride is along a canal and the path can be bumpy, but beautiful still.
Me and hubs @ Shamrock Park, end of the trail. Remember this is Florida so there is wildlife on the trail. Locals report a bobcat that appears from time to time, no sighting by me. The trail also crosses an alligator habitat and there are protected species Gopher Tortoise areas. No need to be afraid, but be aware of your surroundings. Overall, a great ride with lots to look at along the way. Let me know if you get down to Sarasota and ride the trail. Would love to hear from you!
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Can this Road Cyclist love a Peloton?
As promised, I have to address the elephant in the room. Yes I have a Peloton. Like many people I was in search of something for exercise during the pandemic. For me it was May 2020 and there was no sign of my beloved Orangetheory Fitness reopening. A friend posted on FaceBook that she had a Peloton but I was not sold. Peloton was offering free 30days on the Peloton app and I jumped in. Like many people I used the Peloton App while riding our Keiser stationary bike and it was okay. So if you are not familiar, using the Peloton app lets you take a class but you are not able to compete on the leaderboard and more importantly for this road cyclist, you are not able to see your metrics.
Fast forward to a conversation with a fellow road cyclist who said “Get the Peloton.” I asked why since I had my Keiser bike and she said, “I know you and I know that you want the metrics. You want to be able to see where you are compared to others. You want the whole experience.” I’m here to say that my friend was right.”
This bike that goes nowhere gave me a community during the pandemic and continues to do so. Some call it a cult, but it’s not a cult. It is a strong community that rolls hard for our Peloton family. Just look at what the Peloton family did for Cody Rigsby during Dancing with the Stars. We voted for our boo thang and even when folks counted him out, he was consistently saved by our Peloton community. So what is it you ask? I’m not really sure but I can tell you that it starts with instructors like Robin Arzon who make you fell like you are a part of something. I recall a “Together We Ride” ride that Robin did during the pandemic. She spoke of the resilience of each person on that ride, what we could accomplish together and the fact that no one was riding alone. Even while each of the riders were locked in their respective homes, we could high five people on the leaderboard and get one back, which meant that we were not alone. There really is no way to articulate the feeling of community that I felt, riding on a stationary bike, in my own home. Oh and if I remember correctly, there were 10,000 members on the ride.
Add in the Peloton Facebook groups that keep you tied in and supported. I found my first group in Black Girl Magic-The Peloton Edition (BGM). Over five thousand women of color discussing rides, tips for newcomers, and yeah sis, what to do with your hair? The conversations provided something daily. Even now with life somewhat back to normal for many, I still check in with BGM to make sure that I didn’t miss anything!
I said my first group was BGM, well my second group was BGM Power Zone Riders. This group of women are my girls! We ride daily @ 6:00am pushing ourselves in Power Zone to be better riders. Power Zone is the brainchild of Peloton instructor Matt Wilpers, who is a road cyclist. He developed a test based on his road cycling experience, wherein each rider takes a test, the Functional Threshold Performance (FTP) test, which gives you a chart of zones that are personal to each rider. What this means is that every rider that takes the FTP test, gets a numerical breakdown of their own performance. The beauty of that horrid 20 minute test (it is the worst 20 minutes of your life) is that a rider can take the test again and see statistically if they have improved. Game changer! Matt Wilpers describes the FTP test as a performance factor that is teachable. Factors such as genetics can not be changed, but an individual’s FTP can change with the increased skill of the rider.
Consistent Power Zone riding has improved my road skills in ways that I had not imagined. Some Power Zone classes, which are the intermediate classes, Power Zone classes, challenge you to ride over and under your endurance pace which elevates your endurance pace. Endurance rides are called Power Zone Endurance rides. Power Zone max rides are rides where you ride above the VO2 max. As I tend to ride for long distances, the performance change is welcome. Now when I am on the road, I can feel when I am pushing and when I need to back down to my endurance pace. Previously, I was the one in the group that just went fast, all of the time. But getting better at endurance has improved my riding experience. Oh and just so you know, some classes teach you how to attack on a ride and blow past other riders. Priceless.
So is a Peloton for you? It depends on you. It just works for me. That’s really the only consideration when ur deciding what exercise works for you. Choose the one that you will do consistently. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried this bike that goes nowhere and I love it.
Will I see you on the leaderboard? I’m #sistahwithabike.
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South Africa in December
December 2018 was magical! See I have great friends. Sitting at a meeting in the summer of 2018 and I overhear a conversation between friends about a trip to South Africa. Me being me, I asked if the trip was open to anyone. This dear friend said of course you are welcome to come, it’s my birthday trip. It was her birthday, but I got the best gift of all. Walking through the airport in Cape Town, a gentleman said, “Welcome home.”
Cape Town International Airport I never could have imagined that I would get to visit a place that would mean so much to me. And I have traveled a lot. But this place. This place of Mandela, that was so recent to its birth, reminds you of its youth constantly. The people of Cape Town display a gratitude and exuberance for life that I have never seen. To be clear, it’s not just on Robben island where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for opposing apartheid. From the hotel staff to the artists at the local markets, the people are proud and grateful. Black South Africans fixed a broken system that looked to destroy them and ignore their existence. And now all of the people of South Africa are seeing their way through. They will tell you that it is not always easy, but they are steadfast in working towards a united South Africa.
Oh yeah and I biked.
I stayed at the luxurious One and Only Cape Town one&onlyresorts which is a perfect location to experience the waterfront shops at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. I took a city cultural bike tour with AWOL Tours located at the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre. Bikes were in good condition and the staff does a good job of fitting you to the bike. The tour itself is easy, except for that hill that comes up quick at the start. The tour takes you to the cultural district where the buildings are painted in bright colors. My guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the neighborhoods. Like many other South African people he spoke about the changes happening in the country as new nation. He spoke of the disconnect that black South Africans continue to feel, given years of apartheid rule restricting travel of black South Africans. Again, despite the growth in South Africa the vestiges of apartheid affect daily life, including the lack of travel both within and outside of South Africa by residents. If all of this sounds like South Africa might not be such a fun place, it is an incredible place with an incredibly warm people.
The tour then takes you to the Cape Town Stadium, home of the 2010 FIFA world Cup. The ride past the Stadium next takes you to the waterfront. The waterfront area at the Victoria & Albert shopping center is such a great location. Table Mountain in the background is always a beautiful sight.
Waterfront at Victoria & Albert – Table Mountain in the distance (There is a tram that will take you to the top of Table Mountain). While I did not get to cycle in the South African wine country, I had to include this picture. The wine country is a beautiful area.
There are a lot of cycling options in South Africa so do not feel limited. More often we are capable of more than we accept so do not be shy about biking in South Africa. While not all of us are ready for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, the biggest timed bicycle race in the world, which takes you down a mountain, there are a lot of leisure pace tours to give you a good feel of South Africa.
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Norway in June
When I tell people that I cycled in Norway, the first question that most people ask is “Norway, Is it cold?.” The answer is no. I traveled to Norway in June. Norway actually has a summer, and it is beautiful. On this trip I started in Iceland and although not as warm as Norway, it was not cold. Temps were in the 50s. During the day in Iceland, the temperature feels like a Fall Day in the Northeast. The interesting part of traveling to Norway and Iceland in June is that the area experiences very long days. Like 23 hours of daylight in Iceland and close to the same in Norway. My sleep was jacked!
I did a cycling tour, arranged through my travel agent, Allons Voyage, with Shore Excursion, Oslo Off the Beaten Path bike tour. The bikes were decent, just decent. Good gearing and comfy seats. I wore cycling shorts because the ride was about three hours. We started in the downtown area. Cycling in Norway is on the streets, not trails. Many people cycle to work so the cars there are very patient with cyclists. Travelled around the magnificent Opera House which is on the water, but not exactly anchored. When there are a lot of people on the concourse you can feel it moving.
You then travel to the Fjords where apartments have been constructed close to the city. There are manmade pools there that ae supposed to give the feel of being at a beach. The ride was flat EXCEPT when we approached the artists area. When a hill before me looks like a wall because there is no slant to the hill, that’s a problem for me.
Our tour guide told us that we had to dismount and walk the bike up the hill. No options. You had to walk the bike up the hill. Fortunately at the top we went to an area with the most beautiful waterfall! Okay, so it was worth the up hill walk with the bike.
If you get the opportunity to travel to Norway, do the ride. The bike tour takes you downtown where you can see the Fjords.
The food was amazing and pastries were exquisite!
A do not miss stop in Norway is the Royal Palace. I walked from my hotel Downtown to see the changing of the guard.
Enjoy Norway!
I am a Travel Advisor who Travels!
My goal in every trip that I plan is for my clients to have the best possible experience. My hope is that my clients have the opportunity to see the world through a new lense, acknowledging that the world is truly a small place.
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