Saturday, 30. August 2008.
I have to keep biking down south if I want to be on schedule. So I pack my things, get them on the bike, and leave Oakland in the late morning.
I promised Michelle we'd meet when I'm in the area so I check out with her where she works so I can drop by on my way out of San Francisco.
It must've been over 17 years that Michelle and I have known each other. In 1991 I booked the first Agent 86 European tour through Italy and Slovenia. The war was already showing its ugly face on the Balkans. In 1992, I booked another tour for them. Michelle was the bass player in that band. Then we lost touch for about 6 years. But when in 1999 my old band This Side Up toured the United States, we stayed with Michelle in Seattle and she came with us as the merch girl to the shows in Seattle, Bellingham, Corvallis and Roseburg. In 2005, when I was in the States again, I stayed with her in Fresno and so it was of no question to see an old friend even if it meant taking the Bart to San Francisco rather than biking along the Bay direction south.
When I get to the big organic festival she works at, a brief look at the queue in front of her company's stand make me understand she's under pressure. There must be at least 30-40 people queuing to get their food.
She uses the excuse of moving the bosses car to a proper parking spot, so we manage to chat a bit.
I can see the pressure so we make it brief and promise to update via internet. It's always good to see old friends, no matter how short.
I get to South Van Ness, turn right onto Mission and then stay on 82 (El Camino Real) that takes me all the way to San Jose.
The ride is pleasant and goes through a bunch of different towns (San Bruno, San Matteo, San Carlos, Redwood City,...) where it's hard to realize where one ends and the other starts.
In Redwood City I find an optician's shop bearing my family name!! I wonder if we're related.


Distant relatives perhaps?


A few miles down the road I stop in a record shop (where else?). The owner is convinced his shop is hot stuff and tells me people come from all over the world to visit it. My enthusiasm goes down drastically when I see that his 3 "Punk" boxes contain mainly Gary Numan 7" and some cheap 90's Punk compilations. Not to have the feeling I've wasted my time, I pick up 4 7"s, believing I'll probably be spending some 10 dollars total. The guy asks for $ 50! He tells me some of this stuff is hard to find, as if I don't know what we're talking about here. He probably thinks I'm some easily convinced idiot on a bicycle who doesn't even know Gary Numan is as Punk as Swiss chocolate. I thank him with a "No thanx." and get back on my bike.
Right before San Jose I stop at a nice Thai restaurant and get some energy for the rest of my biking trip today.
I bike an hour or so more and by the time I get to Los Gatos it's pretty dark already.
I've never really heard of Los Gatos, so when I get to the first motel and they ask me $ 100 for the night I think that's outrageously expensive. But only until I've crossed the street to the other Los Gatos motel. This one's 150 dollars!
But I don't seem to have many options because the next town in the direction of Santa Cruz is almost as far as Santa Cruz itself and that's a few hours ride.
The ladies working at the front desk are super nice and we chat a bit. They suggest me to try to get the AAA discount from the first motel and get in for cheaper. I go back to the first place and get the room for 89 dollars. And there's a breakfast in the morning. Well, that's been unheard of so far. The place is full of business people and everybody's hanging out. The place is fairly nice for a change and not some sketchy motel in a shady neighbourhood. I'm sure I'll sleep well.