I have never ridden a donkey.
I have, however, cycled in places where people rode both mules and bicycles. The bikes, of course, were strictly utilitarian: You don’t see anything that would be pedaled in the Grand Tours on rural paths in Southern Italy or the Greek Islands.
And I don’t recall seeing anything like this:
Now this sounds like a “Rocky Mountain High”: a Denver bike ride on 19 April.
If that date sounds familiar, you either were reading my blog ten years ago (!) or, ahem, know more than the average person knows about the history of psychedelics.
On that date in 1943, Dr. Albert Hofmann took, literally and figuratively, the world’s first LSD trip—on his bicycle.
Accounts differ as to whether he intentionally partook of the drug after he first synthesized it. But the account he wrote of that, um, trek in Switzerland is entirely congruent with other stories about “acid trips.” (Don’t ask how I know!🤪)
Anyway, on the 19th of April, there will be a “Bicycle Day” (the date’s unofficial designation) ride followed by a party. I wonder whether anyone will try to re-create Dr. Hofmann’s experience or wait until the festivities for, shall we say, a heady time.
Denver is not the first city to hold a “Bicycle Day” ride. But where else can cyclists, uh, elevate their consciousness in, er, that clear Rocky Mountain air.
After last week’s detour, I’ve been riding a different route to work. Along the way, I pedal through one Harlem’s historic districts.
On West 138th Street, just across the bridge from the Bronx, I spotted this:
That plaque is affilxed to St. Mark the Evangelist church, which bills itself as the first Catholic parish in Harlem to welcome Black people. It would serve as the meeting place for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and other political, social, cultural and religious organizations.
Just a block away, I rode along what must be one of the most beautiful blocks, architecturally, in Manhattan. A few of the brownstones are in disrepair, but all are protected by the city’s historic landmark designation. This plaque adorns one of those houses:
I am sure Esther Crain, author of Ephemeral New York (one of my favorite blogs) will be interested. Turns out, the Nassau Bahamas Association, now known as the the Bahamian American Association in New York, is still going strong.
Nothing like a little Black History to spice up a commute, is there?
In case I haven’t delved enough into African American, Harlem and New York history for a post on a bicycle blog, I’ll leave you with this: On this date in 1965–exactly 60 years ago —Malcolm X was assassinated.
