Those Swiss are everywhere (25 May)

Today's tour led through the picturesque "town" of Madrid (pronounced MADrid), a famous stop for Harley Davidson riders. This was especially true after the movie "Wild Hogs" with John Travolta was filmed there. The town consists of colorful shops and even more colorful people with the main drag only about an eighth of a mile long. During the day there are literally hundreds of Harley riders stopping in to have a drink, something to eat and to buy souveniers. Michael, pictured above, is the guide to a group of Europeans AND comes originally from the same town we do!
I had planned to go hiking again today, but traversing the countryside, I really felt more like cycling. When I got to the park and didn't have enough money for the fee (and thinking of all the warnings to look out for rattlesnakes) I changed clothes, took out my beautiful Sirrus and rode the four miles back up the road to Madrid.

As I was arriving, the first riders came through town ... but no Emil. It turned out that he had two flat tires on the way in. He arrived together with "his" group, Mark and Pete, who had patiently waited for him, and we all enjoyed a welcome lunch.

Tired and thirsty and ready for lunch.

My Sirrus, a jewel of a bicycle

In Sante Fe, our home for two days, I had just finished setting up our room when Emil appeared with the bad news that he had lost his saddle bag with all the tools and spare innertubes. We decided to drive out a way and see if we could find it by the road. However, on the way out he suddenly remembered that he had taken it off the bicycle at lunch to put more innertubes in. So, we drove the 22 miles back to Madrid and hardly had we appeared at the restaurant when the waitress came running out to us with the bag in her hand, visibly thrilled that we had returned! We stayed for dinner and it is really a shame that we couldn't take pictures, because most of the tourists had gone and the people of Madrid had come out in force to enjoy the cool evening, the beer and music and dancing in the tavern. For the first time we really had the feeling we were in the real West! We felt a little strange with Emil still in his cycling clothes, but many asked if he was really cycling to Boston, having seen the group in the afternoon ... and they all wished a safe journey.

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