You may have noticed that Sid sometimes gives a Car Of The Day award. One of the benefits of being a two-person Epic Journey is that we can have random Bonkers conversations.
We’ve already talked about National No Smiling Day, which was a longish festival in Hungary butt fortunately seems to have few supporters in Serbia.
Instead, today was National Carrying Square Things On A Bicycle Day. We were first alerted to this when a small boy cycled towards us carrying a pallet, and then a woman was carrying what I can only think was a reasonably large, framed, window. Finally the award was won by a chap with a sofa, although I will say that he had it on a trailer rather than on the bike itself.
We have also remarked on the number of people carrying strimmers on their bicycles, on their way to a busy day of verge-mowing (sorry #germainegreer). Yesterday was actually National Verge Annihilation day which could be done using any tool available, so we have made up a commemorative song which we sing as we cycle along:
Mow, mow, mow,
How I love to mow
Payment by the hours
To get rid of all the flowers
Strim, strim, strim
How I love to strim
Grasses once so tall
Now not there at all
Scythe, scythe, scythe
How I love to scythe
Birdies are the best
Crunching on their nests
Oh yes, and 6pm in Serbia is National Ice Cream Eating Time. Queues form at suddenly-open shops, and people of all ages tuck in determinedly. In particular, middle aged men sit their with their allocated 250g (at least) in a cornet, just looking like it is another task to be got through by the end of the day.
More awards tomorrow.
Yes people are strange…happy knocking down grass and indifferent to ice cream. As to the sofa on the trailer, I once helped two fellas move an entire apartment on the NYC subway. Many of us volunteered to rapidly sling the pile of furniture (including a bed) and boxes aboard the train before the door closed, and then sling it all off a few stops later. None of us offered to carry it up to street-level. Maybe if they offered ice cream?
please give us more of your songs. I lie down crying/loughing. We also had songs, seems to be a bicycle virus.
Hugs
Romi🤗
I too have enjoyed your little ditty. I have been wondering to which tune it was sung. I have tried "Bike" by Pink Floyd but have not been able to recreate the motion which I feel is inherent in your verse. Perhaps you were inspired by something more Wagnerian, say "The Ride of the Valkeries"?
Ha ha yes indeed it is a song with a deep driving beat. Actually I think it is some sort of mashup from pre-school TV programmes of our past, think extremely jolly people wearing primary-coloured dungarees (or in Sid's case, bright shades of black and white) strumming a guitar. We have recorded us singing it and if Doris can ever get Mr Google to cooperate with Mr Apple then we will append it to the post under the lyrics…