Tea in the Trees (Coffeeneuring 2015 Finale)

The weather had finally got on board with the calendar, turning cold and wet like a dog’s nose. I had put off my last ride until I was faced with this, or nothing. It didn’t bother me too much though—I knew exactly where I would go.

While the Mrs. and I were in London we stopped into Fortnum & Mason, the self-described “most luxurious department store in the world”, a title I won’t contest. All sorts of fancy things to buy there, including a fairly generous selection of tea. Now, I’m pretty much a coffee guy, but I do like smoky teas from time to time, often as a substitute for scotch, when I still need to get things done. Browsing Fortnum’s selection, I saw they had a ‘Smoky Earl Grey’, so I picked up a box of it. It’s pretty good—not sure if it’s better than Lapsang, but I like it well enough. Anyway, that’s what I was brewing today.

A short ride on the Dahon, and an ever shorter walk into the woods, I arrived at the jumble of branches I‘ve adopted as a fortress of solitude. It isn’t much cover from the rain, especially this time of year when the leaves are on the wrong end of the trees, but it contributes to the effort of staying dry, and I can appreciate that. So there I sat on my log, heating water on the stove for the final drink to finish out coffeeneuring for 2015. I remember thinking last year about how I’d make this year bigger and better, but then I realized that’s not what matters. I’ve got a lot of years ahead to ride bicycles and drink coffee or tea, no need to up the ante so quickly. Besides, these small moments, waiting for your drink to cool and listening to the rain through the trees, are just as rewarding as anything.

- Bicyclist Abroad

 

 

Coffeeneur Quick Stats:

Destination:	The woods
Drink:	Smoky Earl Grey
Date:	Thursday, November 19th (Vacation Day Rule)
Distance:	4.6 km / 2.8 mi