I'm glad we went for a ride last night

The weather forecast for the next few days look dismal and it's getting colder, as it is supposed to be anyway.


The bike path isn't as crowded as it usually is on a bright, warm, summer's day. Lots of fallen leaves cover portions of the bike path, a reminder that soon they will be covered with a blanket of snow themselves.


empty benches

It's time to take out our cold weather riding gear, long sleeves jersey, the full length tights, over booties, windbreaker jackets, full length riding gloves, ear muffs, etc.


We're glad to have discovered this Tim Horton's coffee shop a couple of blocks above De La Commune St. A great place to stop, rest, warm up, and just simply hang out for a bit before turning back. Early morning rides- breakfast, mid-day rides- soup, evening rides- coffee, hot chocolate, maybe a bowl of soup on a cold night.

Check out the rest of the photos on my Facebook album.

Later dudes!!

Bike Ride, September 9,2007

Bike Ride, September 9,2007, our threesome of Uncle Pilo, Uncle Marv, and myself. Departure time, early Sunday morning, 7:30am, round trip arrival time was 9:45am. Destination, St. Anne De Bellevue, via Senneville Rd, return via Chemin St. Marie, to Kirkland, DDO, and finally Pierrefonds

[Picasa Album Link for the rest of the photos]

Happy riding!!

Tito Lits

From Myra's Facebook Album

Paul, Mom, Dad (Tito Lits), Lalaine


Paul, Dad, and Lalaine


Lalaine sampling the sweet and fruit table


Paul and Dad- sweeeet ;-)

Two Ferries Ride - 2007

For the first time, this year (we rode it twice last year) , we rode the Two Ferries Tour, a total of 75 kms, round trip.

Our group was composed of our trio of Paul, Pilo and myself.

Departure time was around 9:00am. Arrival time was around noontime, possibly around 1pm.

Why 'Two Ferries'? Ferry # 1, from Ile Bizard to Laval side, across Riviere des Prairie and Ferry #2, from Oka to the Hudson side, across Lake of Two Mountains.

Municipalities that we passed along the way: Pierrefonds, St. Genevieve, Ile Bizard, Laval, Deux Montagnes, Oka, Hudson, Vaudreuil, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, Ile Perrot, St.Anne de Bellevue, Senneville, back to St. Genevieve and finally back to Pierrefonds. Wheeewww!!

It's a beautiful route, beautiful scenery along the way, always bring your camera, and also the route offers a few thrills along the way- two hills to climb in Oka (and of course, when you go up you must come down, and come down super fast) and let's not forget the #12 grade hill of Senneville.

A couple years ago, between Two Mountains and Oka, along the Route Verte, we had to slow down to a stop to allow a good size turtle to cross over to the other side of the swamp.

Today, we narrowly missed running over a snake trying to clear the bike path, crawling so fast for its life ;-)

We've got more photos to share and some videos too. Check back later, will you?

Thanks!

Tito Litsto

[ Photos at Picasa Photo Album Site ]

Sunday Morning Bike Ride To Hogs Back

Just slightly confused I think, but wasn't there a movie, a novel, made, written, about the Hogs Back of Ottawa? ;-)

While the rest of the household were asleep and the Manotick Inn was moving and swaying to the beat of the household guests' snoring, Uncle Marvin, Uncle Pilo and I snuck out for a bike ride.

Other than the fact that we love and enjoy riding, we also wanted to escape the chores associated with breakfast preparation for 20 or more people. ;-)

The route of this morning's ride was decided just as we mounted our bikes - ride to Hogs Back Rd. or Ave. or St. via Prince of Wales.

Undulating roads (TDF inspired word) of Manotick and some wind made the ride even more interesting to our knees. Oh, let's not forget the flat tire Uncle Marv had, but thanks to our speedy roadie, Speedy Felino, a spare tube was put back in place of the punctured one, air pumped into it, in no time flat ;-)

It was a beautiful sunny and warm morning perfect for a bike ride for the tres amigos bisiklistas.

From Hogs Back we rode through the 'Experimental Farm'; we're still not sure what kind of experiments they do over there. On one stretch of the bike path I noticed this sorry looking creature up ahead which I thought was a dog, all alone by itself, no one walking along side it- it turned out to be a cat. Then there's this person on a bike who we could not figure out whether it was male or female, LOL ;-) I just hope that we did not breath too much of the air around the farm, hehehehe.

On the way back we stopped by a Timothy coffee shop for some caffeine transfusion, some sugar as well through a single raspberry muffin the three of us shared. We also stopped by a Filipino owned and operated store on the way back to the Manotick Inn where, among other things, advertised on the store window, was "cow foot'. The heat and the undulating roads were starting to zap our energy so we decided to go inside and pick up a couple of pop soft drinks and we were pleasantly surprise to find out they had Sarsi (root beer like drink from the Philippines) in their cooler. So that was a treat in itself. We were burping as we rode back home ;-), must be highly carbonated that Sarsi, but it was goooood.

In all, we rode for 45 kilometers and some on this beautiful Sunday morning.

We did escape preparing, cooking breakfast but breakfast almost escaped from us, there were a few pieces of breakfast sausages, scrambled eggs, and rice left for the weary bisiklistas, but, lots of coffee, it wasn't so bad after all.


by the restrooms at Hogs Back park, my hair soaking wet from sweat


Uncle Mrvin showing off his new cycling jersey and knicker 'capri' bib ;-)


Kodak (kodakan) moments


caffeine and sugar transfusion stop at Timothy's Coffee Shop along Woodroffe Rd.


Tito Lits


bright sunshine reflecting off the coffee shop's chair

and finally


loyal cycling fans that we took on a shopping spree at the Bayshore Mall's 'Dollar Store" ;-)

Facebook

Been busy on Facebook lately.

Can't help but noticed that my last blog update was on June 14. That's a week ago.

Have been busy lately with juggling a few tasks or multi-tasking is a more 'intelligent sounding' word: working from home, stuff for the church, and painting the kitchen and bathroom.

Btw, my Facebook profile URL is at: http://www.facebook.com/p/Lito_Espinosa/500934655

A sample of what you'll find on my page if you went today....

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Today

Lito is WFH. 10:45am

Lito and Barb Smith are now friends. 9:34am

Yesterday

Lito is back. 10:08pm

Lito wrote on Felino Espinosa's wall. 10:08pm

Lito is off to dinner with the Graceland Ministry Team. 6:54pm

Lito wrote on Felino Espinosa's wall. 6:49pm

Lito is going to dinner with the Graceland Ministry Team. 6:32pm

Lito is back. 5:58pm

Lito is off to church to cut checks & pay bills ;). 3:56pm

Lito commented on his own photo. 3:50pm

Hi Tess! It's one of our favorites in the West Island. Food's great, reasonably priced, and you could go for a stroll by the boardwalk after eating.

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Lunch at Elixor in Laval

Tita Nil with her plate of Sunday Pasta (ask for the lunch portion)


My plate- yummy, delicious.

I planned to go downtown, take Tita Nil along with me, go to Place Victoria, where the office for the business registration / renewal is located, and head to Chinatown for lunch right after completing the transaction. We were going to drive to the closest Metro, park the car at a nearby park and ride spot, and take the Metro downtown.

It was a few minutes past noon when I called Trish to check the commuter train schedule because we've decided that it would be much better just to take the train, which had a station not far from where we were. According to Trish there was one coming at 12:10pm, I glanced at my watch and it was 12:03pm, so we gave it a shot. Drove home to borrow a couple of train tickets from Trish. After picking it up we drove to the station which was just close by, and hopefully find a parking spot and be able to board that 12:10pm train. But, it wasn't meant to be, we weren't able to make it on time.

Tita Nil suggested that we'll just go downtown the following day, Friday (today). Considering that we did not have to rush back to the West Island for the "Walk Away the Pounds" workout we do at the church on Thursdays and Mondays, I concurred.

That's how we ended up in Laval, having lunch at Elixor (love their Pasta). I suggested that we just go for a lunch date at Elixor, for we both love and miss their "Sunday Pasta" dish anyway.

Business has been very good and no complains, I had to run out of the restaurant at least a couple of times to take calls from prospective customers (the acoustic inside isn't very good), actually took an order (which didn't take very long, I think), afterwards headed back inside the restaurant to join Tita Nil, once more, and finally, we finished our delicious meal of "Sunday Pasta".

Sunday Pasta (as described on their website)

Spaghettini tossed with virgin olive oil, roasted with whole garlic, Japanese eggplant, calamata olives, broccoli, herbs, oven roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, goat cheese, and roasted pine nuts

Bon apetit!!

Tito Lits

Today's Bike Ride to St. Anne de Bellevue

Pierrefonds to St. Anne de Bellevue and back - followed the route along Gouin Blvd - through St. Genevieve, Senneville, and finally, St. Anne de Bellevue. Good news- once upon a time, there was this pot hole infested stretch of road running through Senneville, particularly in the area where these new large houses were under construction, have been repaved with asphalt, smoooooth!



Have a great day!!

Tito Lits

Early Saturday Morning Ride in Manotick

In front of Mike and Gillis' Manotick mansion


Meanwhile, waiting for the "Wonder Woman"


"Wonder Woman" checks-in


"Wonder Woman" takes a sip of water


A tender moment between Tito Lits and his beloved nephew Tim aka "king of the mountain", aka "king of KFC"


Uncle Pilo adds his creative touch- beautiful shot

Someone forgot to bring a digital camera. It was most fortunate that Tito Lits brought his Palm Treo 700wx. Yeah baby!!!

Related to cycling

The post previous to this one was one more on the spiritual side of things, and so I caution the righteous, religious few who may check this post out and find it offensive, to please, show some grace to this blogger.:-)

It's an article related to cycling, in some ways, nonetheless, interesting and cycling related.

First the photo below, and let me quote the caption from Yahoo! News.




Reuters - Thu May 3, 10:00 AM ET

Photo caption: Naked cyclists take part in a march through central Madrid in this June 10, 2006 file photo.

Addendum to the article is this intriguing story, also somehow cycling related :-).

A gang stripped a South African man before 'supergluing' him to an exercise bicycle while they ransacked his house, according to a report Thursday. (Susana Vera/Reuters)

Now, there, have a good cycling day! :-))

Garmin date from today's ride

Data collected by Uncle Pilo's new toy, gadget, instrument, tool, device, etc., etc. - the Garmin Edge 305.

First Ride This Season, 2007 - Old Port of Montreal

Uncle Pilo and I got together and rode to the Old Port of Montreal and back - Lachine, 55th Ave for me. I logged 36 kms for this ride.

It felt so good to ride once again.

I could not find my over booties. I was concerned that my pair of wool socks won't hold the cold weather from freezing my feet, but, nevertheless, did pretty good sans le booties.

Mild tail wind heading towards the Old Port, averaging 30 kph, but headwinds on the way back, felt much colder, we manage to average 20 something kph. What wind?! This will only make us stronger when we get to the hills and inclines, right Uncle Pilo?!


Stopped for coffee and to de-ice our feet, Montreal Science Centre Cafe at the Old Port. Lots of people lining up to catch an Imax movie.


As you can see, there is still ice and snow here in Montreal.


Care for a snowball fight? :-)


Corner of St. Patrick and Lasalle Blvd, by the entrance to Rene Levesque Park.


Corner of St. Patrick and Lasalle Blvd, by the entrance to Rene Levesque Park. We appreciated the cold weather and the overcast skies which most likely kept the bike path practically empty; just die hard cyclists like Uncle Pilo and myself. :-))


Loading up the bike on to the bike rack.


odometer reading


bike gear all set up and ready in the trunk of Tito Lito's car :-)

More Basketball Photos

Bringing the ball down, ready for a fast break


Defensive position


Hobbling back to the other side of the court after an unfortunate bad sprain, coming down from a rebound.


Fast break