Leaping Gazelles

 

15 May:  Leaping Gazelles

 

 In four great leaps, the Double Trouble biking team crossed the 100 km Serengeti plain this week.  As a result, we achieved our Gazelle Award.

 Although the race statistics don’t show this, our team members were also proud to be donors to the TEMBO Charity, which transforms the lives of girls and women in northern Tanzania.

 In four days this week, we picked some of our favourite cycling destinations:  quiet country roads heading northeast from Perth; the lonely K&P Trail north of Sharbot Lake; the open farmland of the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail between Carleton Place and Almonte; and finally the more rugged Cataraqui Trail south of Portland.  The weather seemed appropriate to our challenge:  mostly cloudless and rising temperatures – and very few other fellow travelers. 

 The advantage of traversing the Canadian Serengeti is that there are often some very nice small bakeries or cafes along the way.  But perhaps commercial tourism has also changed the African Serengeti?  I hope not.

 And speaking of coffee and freshly baked snacks, make sure to add these four establishments to any visit to this part of Ontario:  The Bean Café, Perth; Baker Bob’s in Almonte; The Cardinal Café in Sharbot Lake; and the Forfar Cheese Factory – soon to be renamed Sunflower Bakery.  These places deserve a visit even if you are not on a major biking challenge!

 Kudos to TEMBO for your work, and for making fund-raising such an enjoyable pastime.

 

The Passionate Hiker (or Biker?)