Author Archives: Bruce Ryan

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About Bruce Ryan

https://about.me/bruce.ryan

Bike of Theseus? Thanks to @EdinburghBikes

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In just over a week’s time, Elly and I continue our explorations of Euro-asphelt on Fidel and  Lev Davidovitch Bikestein. Lev and Fidel have both been feeling a bit cranky, so I put them in for servicing at the bike co-op whence they came.

The day after I put Lev in, the co-op phoned with some supposedly bad news: Lev’s frame had a small  but irreparable crack. They would replace the frame under warranty, but the new frame would be a slightly longer and grey, not black. They would re-use Lev’s original black front fork, so I’d have a piebald bike. I pondered – briefly –  renaming Lev to Jezzer Crusty Torvalds. Continue reading →

Family misfortunes

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Last Wednesday (5 July), my sister emailed

Hello Bruce.
The department  for work and Pensions Phoned me this afternoon to say that they will come to our house
on Thursday 13 of july at 9.15 and the test will last 1hour or 1.1/2 hours
The telephone number is 08081788114.
I will need to talk to my boss about changing my shift.
Cheers

This resulted from the DWP informing her in May that she would no longer receive Disability Living Allowance, and so had to claim PIP. After quite a lot of discussion about how to describe her special needs accurately and fully, we submitted a claim on 16 June. Continue reading →

19 May: Kunsthistorischesmuseum, Prater Riesenrad, walking about Vienna

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After returning my hire-bike, we went to an exhibition about ancient gold mines in the Kunsthistorischesmuseum. Photography wasn’t allowed in the exhibition. Then, making like total tourists, we went to the Prater park (via a walk to Wien Westbahhof) and rode the Riesenrad. Dinner was in a veggie/vegan restaurant in Meidling, followed by a walk back to the hotel along the Wienfluß. Continue reading →

18 May: Kahlenberg

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I hired a bike from pedalpower.at and cycled out to another of our traditional haunts, the Kahlenberg (a hill just north of Vienna, with fantastic views over the city). Elly was sensible and took the U-bahn and then a bus.

Meanwhile, I failed to get up the MTB path, so cycled on to Klosterneuberg and ascended via a shallower but longer route – and cooked my arms in the sun.

Several drinks, including a verlängte Brauner (look it up!), later, we walked down to Klosterneuberg. Elly took public transport back to our hotel, while I  went via the Donauinsel. Dinner was at another of our favourite haunts, the Dreivierteltakt. More Kartoffelsalat, Gurkensalat and Petersilkartoffeln. Austria does spuds! Continue reading →

17 May: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Donauinsel

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Elly fancied seeing the display of the Habsburgs’ book collection at the National Library. The state hall is full of books from mostly Empress Maria Theresa’s time (18th century). It’s absolutely amazing – I hope the photos do it some justice.

After a room full of books, none of which we could touch, let alone read, we headed for the Donauinsel for drinks, a shisha and (for the silliness addict) a dip in the Donaukanal. It’s rare that I’ve been so cold.

Dinner that night was at the Loving Hut – vegan Wienerschnitzel with mayonnaise-Kartoffelsalat. Totally yum! Continue reading →