Type 2 Diabetic. Cyclist Flâneur.   Coffeeneur.    Errandoneur
A bike / map geek with a gadget obsession and a high-viz fetish.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Visualizing Six Million Dead; Locksmiths, Murals, Trees

11/25/2013 209# 33F 23m
First, a month before Christmas. You're welcome.

It's not that today was great weather to ride; it was a bit chilly, but the next two days are forecast to be fugly, so there was a bit of an imperative. Met S at the Bastille. The first mile was kind of key, because I started at 4999 miles for the year, so the first mile put me at 5,000 for the year, so there's that. (Last year was 7000 miles, not going to see that this year).

Riding the Jail Trail past the CourtHouse, saw a podium being set up for some sort of a press event, asked and was told that the Governor was giving a press conference. Definitely not the weather for an outdoor press conference. Later read that it was all about infrastructure and the Liberty Bridge. Silly boys, ignoring the trail-as-infrastructure.


Swinburne Street trailhead, Second Avenue, and for something new we climbed Greenfield Ave to Beechwood Blvd into Squirrel Hill and Forward Street. Ended up at the Community Day School and the just-dedicated Keeping Tabs Holocaust Sculpture.

In order to demonstrate what six million (the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust) looks like, the school had collected six million pull-tabs from soda/pop cans. The tabs were then placed into glass block, and the blocks built into walls forming a Star of David that people can walk through. It's a very impressive, poignant presentation; well worth traveling to see.





There's no photography yet showing an overhead view of the Star of David, I'm counting on the next Google Earth update to show that.




Encountered this unusual bit of car rooftop decoration, from the Squirrel Hill Locksmith:



Startled to stumble across another mural at Beacon and Murray Streets:


Stopped at 61C Cafe for hot drinks (espresso and tea) to warm up. Departed via Forbes and Schenley Park, Junction Hollow and the Jail Trail. Crossing the Hot Metal Bridge, we saw an opposite direction cyclist with a Menorah on his helmet, I think that must have been my friend Ben.

Got to see the tree at Point State Park.


A very nice ride on a somewhat chilly day. 23 miles, and over 5000 for 2013.

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