The highlight of yesterday’s ride from Concord, NH to New London, NH was a flea market by the side of the road. We whizzed by, called out to each other, and turned right back around. This was not to be missed.
Inside, vendors sold everything from old t-shirts to beaded necklaces to postcards from the 1920’s. I talked to the guy who was selling the postcards. He told me that people like to collect postcards with pictures of their hometown in bygone days. As we chatted about Bike and Build and affordable housing, he mentioned that he now lives in a converted garage. In the summers he has running water, but not in the winters. It’s hard, he said, to carry water all winter.
Today we arrived in Lebanon, NH. It was a short, fast day- only 35 miles, and we rolled into our host’s parking lot by 11am. Half way through the ride we met a fierce storm that soaked us all. When we stopped for lunch, after half an hour in the pouring rain, we quickly started shivering as we huddled under the makeshift tarp. When we got back on our bikes, we pedaled like crazy up the next few hills just to get the blood moving again. Soon, the sun rain started to lighten up and the sun peaked through the clouds. By the time we arrived, after pedaling along the Connecticut River, past a Shaker village and beautiful old buildings, the sun shining and our wet shorts, squelching shoes and drenched heads were beginning to dry.
Donations today: 10 dollars, three bags of fruit and 30 day-old pastries.
Photos: One of the vendors at the flea market. He asked Quang which kind of Oriental he was. Quang graciously explained that he was born in Vietnam. And our first state!
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