December’s ice paradise continued throughout the month. My enjoyment of it culminated with two magical days spanning Solstice. Head of the Bay 12.20.2025 Bright and early Alison, Erica and I drove east so we could start biking during sunrise. Conditions were perfect to drive down the switchbacks – a first for me. We fat bikedContinue reading “Solstice Skating”
Author Archives: catrionabikes
Wild Ice
December started warm and wet, melting most of the snow we had. Then it froze, hard. We are looking at days and days of temperatures in the teens, and single digits at night. Skiing is out of the question… So the Nordic Skates are going to get a lot of use. The skate season startedContinue reading “Wild Ice”
Overnight Train and the Final Day in Tashkent -UZ13
The romance of trains was prominent in my childhood, and the notion of a private sleeping car has long appealed to me. So, I finagled an overnight train ride from Bukhara to Tashkent into our trip. We boarded at 11pm and reached Tashkent shortly before 7am. Perhaps a longer trip would have been better, inContinue reading “Overnight Train and the Final Day in Tashkent -UZ13”
Nuratau Mountains — UZ12
Ostensibly a three day horse ride from village-to-village homestays, this ended up being so much more than that. We stopped mid-way on the drive from Bukhara to Asraf to scramble around to see some roadside petroglyphs. Approximately 4,000 years old! Ride One A 6.7 mile loop from Aslon’s Homestay in the tiny village of Asraf,Continue reading “Nuratau Mountains — UZ12”
Bukhara — UZ11
Bukhara is charming. ~ Heather We walked 9 miles and mostly randomly explored spaces on a whim. We also enjoyed some cribbage time at cafes. A city, in a day, in pictures. I’m feeling pretty satiated by museums, beautiful architecture, and associated sights and sounds… The final leg of the trip is a 3 dayContinue reading “Bukhara — UZ11”
Recipes for Broken Hearts — UZ10
Bukhara Biennial This biennial is not about broken hearts; it’s about the recipes to mend them. Cures, like recipes, are not static. Inspired by the wonder we knew as children that can spark the wildest sense of imagination, we might invent new recipes to heal one another. This is not an exhibition meant to beContinue reading “Recipes for Broken Hearts — UZ10”
Khiva — UZ9
This place is gorgeous. ~ Derek We stayed at the Islam Khodja Guest House which is inside the Itchan Kala, the old walled city, of Khiva. It’s run by a sweet family and there couldn’t be a better location to enjoy and explore Khiva. Check out the view from our room and while playing cribbageContinue reading “Khiva — UZ9”
Fortresses of Ancient Khorezm — UZ8
To travel from Nukus to Khiva we took a private tour through the Khorezm Desert with various stops along the way. The drive itself was a full experience with crazy fast driving and passing on rough roads. It included getting pulled over, which caused a lengthy loud argument between our driver and the police. ChilpykContinue reading “Fortresses of Ancient Khorezm — UZ8”
Nukus, Desert of Forbidden Art — UZ7
When starting researching Nukus I came across an article about a hidden gem of a museum in the middle of “nowhere”. In this case nowhere is a city of more than 360,000; but, other than the Savitsky Museum the only other touristy thing people travel to Nukus for is a disaster tourism jumping off pointContinue reading “Nukus, Desert of Forbidden Art — UZ7”
Dushanbe — UZ6
Dushanbe is considered a difficult post for US Embassy staff, so emphasis is given to providing comfortable home spaces. Heather’s house for her three years here is close to the US Embassy on the edge of the city. Behind the gated wall is a large paved area, a rose and magnolia garden, and a grapeContinue reading “Dushanbe — UZ6”
Quillpig 