A Ride Of March

Beware the ides of March...

We've all heard that warning.  You probably know that it came from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, even if you haven't seen or read it.  It was spoken by a soothsayer--a prophet or fortune-teller, depending on what you think--who foretold the emperor's assassination.

The transition from one season to another conjures up visions of other changes.  The middle of March, in particular, carries the weight of hope for new beginnings, which can be as fragile as new buds in this month's winds or a late cold snap.

Today it's a bit colder than normal for this time of year.  That, and gusts of 80KPH (about 50MPH) push reminders into our faces that winter isn't finished with us, not yet.

Two milennia after Caesar's murder, and four centuries after Shakespeare's play, the admonition is relevant.  I'm going to sneak in a ride, however brief--and beware the ides of March.

From Ride and Seek

Purification And Peripatetic Learning

Today I had an entirely insignificant achievement that had nothing at all to do with cycling, writing, teaching or any of the  other more-or-less respectable things I do.  Still, I feel a little bit of pride.

What is that momentous deed?  I went to Aristotle's Lyceum.  That means I visited all of the archaelogical sites covered by the 30 Euro inclusive pass.  

The Lyceum site, as it turns out, was on the way to the next part of my trip.  At least, it's along the Metro line I took.  According to Lonely Planet (the source of all of my scholarly information!), the site was excavated only in 2011.  So, for 2346 years, it lay buried beneath what is now a police station and down the street from the War Museum.

I have long known that, until fairly recently, most major cities are located on the banks of some significant body of water.  I have also noticed that many school catalogues show a body of water on their covers even if there isn't one within 100 kilometers of the campus.  

As it turns out, the Lyceum was built by a river that has long since been filled in or rerouted.  A chief reason is that, in keeping with the philosophy that the mind and body are one, the school had a gymnasium.  The river supplied water for the baths which not only cleaned sweaty bodies, but also served as a purifying ritual.  

Hmm...I always want to wash up after a bike ride.  But I usually feel that the ride itself was in some way purifying, or at least cleansing, of my mind and spirit.  

I imagine that it didn't take vigorous exercise for Aristotle's students to work up a sweat on a hot day.  They probably were glistening after the walks they took, during which they talked about ideas of one kind or another with the master.  Because of these walks, the Lyceum was also known as the Peripatetic (after perapos) School.

After visiting the Lyceum, I got back on the Metro for my next destination.  Here's a clue to it:

Yes, it has water around it.  I'll tell you more soon.