Coffeeneuring 2015-3 La Prima Espresso & Whale Sighting

10.11.2015 24m

Today was a magnificent fall day: bright, blue skies, no wind.

Started at the Bastille, rode past the start point of the 321 Ride which was just forming up. Seemed very well organized and there were signs all over the course.

Coming across the Ft.Duquesne bridge I picked up a piece of glass in my front tire. Heard it, pulled it out after a few rotations. I thought I'd dodged a bullet, but shortly thereafter I was flat. I need to get Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires for this new bike and stop with the nuisance flats.

Took a group of CMU grad students out on a tour. Riding through the SouthSide we took the designated detour around the new at-grade crossing at the Frank Bryan concrete plant



We used the official detour because the generally-used previous route has been blocked by somebody who seems to have a pent-up need to say, "nanny nanny boo-boo, follow the rules!"


It was a serendipitous pleasure was seeing a long-time colleague, TommyH, walking along McKean Street with his wife. It was a surprising place to see him, people generally just stroll through there. Thirty years ago when I reported to Pittsburgh, Tommy was one of the old-timers. He's still there! More than 50 years of government service. Among the older bunch his nickname was The Whale but I never knew why.

As we crossed the Smithfield Street bridge we picked up two lost transients who were trying to find Point State Park and told them: follow us. That worked well.

I think the high point was riding under the Convention Center (fortunately, the rainbow waterfalls were operating; I will miss that this winter).


Then we rode inbound on the Penn Ave bike lane, where I chanced to see Stu working an intersection for the 321 Ride, rocking a videocam on a chest harness. I dropped off the tour group and they seemed to have had a good time.


Rode to the Point again. It was so nice and sunny I hung out catching rays for a while. But #Coffeeneuring calls, so I got back on the bike and rode out to La Prima Espresso on 21st Street at Penn.

I had an Americano Doppio and a scone, and they were both excellent.


I sat outside at one of several tables. There was an interesting bunch of folks, including a few tables of older Italian men playing cards and making small-talk. You could probably get a leg broken by somebody they know; it might be your leg, it might be somebody else's leg, you'd have to find out.

There was a great two-person band playing on the steps of the closed bank next door to Enrico's Biscotti. Unfortunately, there was a road closure on Penn Avenue and several drivers needed to honk and yell at each other, which kind of confirmed riding the bike to get coffee. Quite a bit of agita.