It is now mid November, and the gloominess of late-autumn is setting in. After getting used to six months of blue sky, it was a shock to see the sky covered with dark clouds, which then turned into steady rain for days. But it is not all bad. The temperature is still mild, about 17C in the day, and flowers outside apartment balconies are still blooming. When the sun comes out, we take our bikes and go for long rides around the city. There are several main arteries that criss-cross the city with bicycle paths, much like subway lines. These are dedicated bike lanes, clearly marked, with their own traffic lights, and are very safe to use. One can pretty well go from one end of the city to the other within an hour. We would typically pick a destination, usually a restaurant or a signature building, and explore the neighborhoods along the way. Doing this by bike is at the perfect pace. Walking would take too long; subway works great but one would miss all the scenery.
The only down-side to the popularity of biking: bike theft. We lock our bikes with three locks.
