I usually ride in the streets that run along the inner west train line because they are quiet tree lined streets and the hills are pretty easy. The streets were wet and the air smelled fresh and clean. I had no idea what I was heading into.
I always enjoy Gladstone St because it's a popular area for Artists, hardly a day goes by that I don't spot some new piece of Artwork. Not today though, today it was a disaster area. A truck had snagged the power lines and brought them down all along the street. I rode through nice and slow making sure not to touch the ground.
The media were there filming the chaos. Nobody I knew though. Anyway I threaded my way through the debris and continued on. Whipped through Newtown Square and down the bike path on Wilson St then onto Shepherd which dumps me out on Broadway. Here there was another surprise waiting for me. Mountain St was roped off and crawling with cops and fireys. The whole street was littered with broken glass and twisted metal. I found out when I got to work that a Nandos chicken shop had exploded. The blast was so big it knocked over the fence on the other side of the road. Over 1,000 people were evacuated from the area.
The ride home in the evening wasn't so eventful, not at first anyway. I noticed some big new paintings in Bedford St. Gotta love an "Alice in Wonderland" theme...
As I headed through Petersham I saw big black clouds and heat lightning rolling along the horizon ahead of me. As I rode through Yeo Park my fancy new German lights decided it was dark enough to switch themselves on. Then the storm hit, within seconds I was pretty much soaked to the skin except where my spray jacket covered me. Luckily I had a plastic bag to stuff my bag into so it stayed dry too.
I made it home and poured about two cups of water out of each boot. The girls had already switched on the sauna for me so I hopped straight into the warmth while daughter number one considerately dried Minerva. She is new after all...
No comments:
Post a Comment