Week Thirty Two
New stamps in the passport.
Hello everyone,
Sorry I’m a few days late. This week was a long one, and I didn’t have much time to write this for y’all. I wrote the below intro plus Monday through Thursday on my flight back to Madrid yesterday, and I just polished off the rest. I hope you enjoy!
I’m back with part two of the Cole Ruiz spring break adventure, and this time I’ve gone international. The week begins in Brussels, Belgium, before continuing on to Waregem in East Flanders, London, and finally to Bath in southwestern England.
Our story will traverse bike races, local beers named after famous climbs from said bike races, fancy London shopping, fancy London dining, authentic British rugby spectating experiences, making friends with Bath’s locals, and some local sightseeing. I am writing this for you all on my flight back to Madrid, and I hope my narrative will not be as turbulent as my flight.
Lunes (3/30)
This was largely a travel day, and there are much more exciting moments to come, so I won’t bore you by oversharing the details of my Barcelona to Brussels transit. As the final of many acts of hospitality from the fellas in Barcelona, Nick’s roommate Matheus drove me to the airport. From there, it was easy breezy until touchdown in Brussels. I hopped on the train from the airport to the city center, thus completing the planes, trains, and automobiles three piece set for the day. Minutes later, CVR Jr. and CVR III were reunited.
We ate dinner at a nice brassiere, and as we were eating, Otmar Szafnar sat down to eat a table away from us. He used to be the team principal of Alpine F1 team, so those of you who watched Drive to Survive will know exactly who I’m talking about. Pretty wild coincidence.
Martes (3/31)
After breakfast at a cafe named after one of my future children (comment down below if you think I should name one of my future sons Lloyd), the old man and I headed to cycling’s holy land: Flanders. That statement of high praise for the Dutch speaking region of Belgium requires a bit of context.
Flanders is the beating heart at the center of European cycling. Belgium as a country is cycling mad, and Flanders is where it all goes down. The narrow, crisscrossing farm roads and steep, cobbled hills are the site of nearly all of Europe’s premier one day races. Without Flanders, cycling would simply be incomplete. The purpose of my dad and I’s pilgrimage to the center of the spring cycling season’s universe was to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen. The race, whose name means “Through Flanders”, is the final warm up race before De Ronde van Vlaanderen or the Tour of Flanders. De Ronde is the biggest Belgian sporting event of the year and the pinnacle of the Flandrien racing season.
Dwars door Vlaanderen finished in a small city called Waregem, but we were asleep at the wheel and went one stop too far on the train. We got off in Harlebeke and waited forty minutes for the next train to take us back to Waregem. Harlebeke is also the finishing city of another big Belgian race that happened the weekend before we arrived. We passed the time in the waiting room which smelled like cigarettes despite the “No Smoking” signs. Their toilet was clogged by burn toilet paper. I don’t want to know what was going on in that bathroom before we got there.
Once we were in the correct Flandrien city, we stopped at a local bar for some lunch and a Belgian beer. I asked what local brews they had, and the bartender told me they had “Kwaremont”. I couldn’t believe it. The Kwaremont is the most important cobbled hill in De Ronde, and we were drinking its beer! The glass even had a cyclist on the stem and cobblestones on its base. As we sipped our Kwaremonts, we knew we were where we were supposed to be.
With full bellies and excited souls, we headed to our hotel, the St. Jansoft. It was further than expected. So far in fact that there were no more sidewalks. We walked along the side of the road, finally arrived, checked in, and then there was a person in our room. We got a new room; my dad took a shower and a nap, and then he decided our remote destination was not going to work. He found another hotel in the center of town, booked the last room available, and we Ubered to our final destination.
As we stepped out of the car, we immediately noticed the UAE Team Emirates bus in the parking lot. UAE is the best cycling team in the world, and they were staying in the same hotel! As we were checking in, I saw one of their big new signings, Benoit Cosnesfroy, get in the elevator. If the Kwaremont beer wasn’t the confirmation that we were in the right place, this was. We were in the middle of it all, baby! Flanders! Cycling! Riders! Beers! It’s all a Cole Ruiz can ask for.
I had to peel myself away from the hotel room window because I was watching all the team staff members bustle to and fro, preparing for the looming appointment. After a dinner in the hotel restaurant, we went to check out the finish line. It was a four minute walk from the hotel, so we wanted to scope out how we could do our best spectating the next day.
Miércoles (4/1)
After a breakfast of coffee and a broodje (a Belgian bocadillo), we headed to the Waregem hippodrome to watch the race pass by for the first time. The cavalcade of police motorbikes and race vehicles meant the peloton was approaching, and in no time, the race was on us. As you can see below, they weren’t hanging around. It was my dad’s first time seeing a European peloton in action, so he was hyped!
Here they come:
The women’s race was getting set up to start in a few hours, so we wandered past their team buses and admired their very fast bikes. After that, we walked to the town square, got another broodje for lunch, and then headed back to the race to watch the women start their race. The ladies rolled out, and then we watched the race on the big screen and soaked up the local atmosphere. Applause broke out every time Wout van Aert, the Belgian star rider, attacked. The race let the local kids do short laps around the same stretch through which the race passed. No wonder so many stud cyclists come out of Belgium; these animals are racing from the day they can pedal a bike!
Belgium’s future cycling stars:
We made a pee stop in a local bar, and of course, all the local old men were watching the race on the TV and sipping pints. Our next spectating position was in front of the local library so we could see the race pass and then hustle to catch them at the finish line. We had a delightfully local bunch cheering with us. The nearby old folk’s home was lined up on the side of the road in their wheelchairs, and they were just as into the race as we were. Only in Flanders.
Wout van Aert was in a breakaway with one other rider, trying to stave off the group chasing him down. They zipped past, and then we zipped to the finishing straight to find out if he would make it to the line solo or not.
Wout and his breakaway companion trying to make it:
We crammed between a hedgerow and the finishing straight’s barrier about 75 meters before the finish line. I pulled up the livestream of the race to see what was happening. Wout was slowly being reeled in by the group, and then one of professional cycling’s biggest engines, Filippo Ganna, attacked from the group to try and catch the Belgian hero. (You may remember Ganna from winning the time trial I went to watch in Valladolid in Week Three’s edition) Much to the dismay of the local crowd, their local man was dying, and Ganna was charging. On the stream, they were just rounding the corner onto the final straight (700m to go) when…
WHOOSH
Right in front of us on the road, Ganna flew past Van Aert, throwing him arms in the air to celebrate his victory and crushing the hopes and dreams of the local Flemish fans. The chasing group barreled past us, sprinting for the final place on the podium. Just like that, the race was over.
Ganna breaking Flemish (and our) hearts:
We walked to the podium to watch Ganna, Van Aert, and a towering Norwegian named Soren Warenskjold pop champagne and celebrate the day’s efforts. The applause for Van Aert’s second place was WAY louder than Ganna’s win. Because the race passes Waregem’s hippodrome, they gave Ganna a stuffed horse as well as a trophy. Seeing a six foot three inch Italian sit on a child’s stuffed toy to celebrate his victory was pretty funny. Between the two of them, there was a lot of horsepower present.
This champagne smelled bad! It must have been some cheap stuff:
After the podium ceremony, I got a photo with Joshua Tarling. He is England’s best time trial rider, and does some of the biggest power numbers in the whole professional peloton. The guy is an absolute truck, so it was a treat to get a photo with him.
With our souls satisfied by a day spent spectating a glorious day of Flemish racing, we took the train back to Brussels, and this time we got off at the right stop. We got a hearty dinner of Liege style meatballs and mussels, and called it a successful day.
Was it ever. It was a ten out of ten. We saw our cycling heroes in person, the big favorites were throwing haymakers at each other all race long, and the finishing blow of the dramatic conclusion happened right in front of us. We couldn’t have asked for more. Mission accomplished. Pilgrimage complete.
Jueves (4/2)
The first half of Thursday was spent crossing the English Channel via the Eurostar train. Because of Brexit, we had to go through customs, so I got a new stamp in my passport. The guy in the customs booth thought I was a minor and asked me my age, then apologized when I told him I was twenty-three. I guess I’m just a baby faced killer. Then he asked my dad if he was a professional fighter when he saw his cauliflower ear.
We hopped in a black cab to get from the train station to our hotel, and I recreated a photo from the last time I was in a black cab. The last time I was in London was 1 April, 2013, so look below for two photos of Cole sitting reverse in a black cab in London, thirteen years and one day apart.
That afternoon, we went to Selfriges to see what was good at one of the world’s premier high end shopping destinations. We made it all of five steps into the massive mall when my dad’s eye was caught by the Golden Goose shop-in-shop concept. His job has been running retail companies for the past few years, so he was like a kid in a candy shop checking out their store concept. Two very nice ladies answered all the questions he peppered them with, and then he picked out a shoe to get custom painted as a gift for my mom.
After our foray at Golden Goose, we got some takeaway Indian food and then went to watch Project Hail Mary. We had both read the book (highly recommend), and Ryan Gosling is the man, so we figured it was worth the watch. It was! Funny, touching, awesome space sequences, and more. If you liked The Martian, this will scratch that itch.
Viernes (4/3)
Our hotel had breakfast with a view of Hyde Park, so we sipped Flat Whites, ate English breakfasts, and started the morning like the gentlemen we are. With bellies full of beans, tomatoes, sausages, and other such English breakfast staples, we continued the retail market research.
Our first stop on Friday was the Fanatics Collectibles store in Picadilly Circus. I cannot imagine spending a single dollar on trading cards ever, but apparently that opinion is not shared by the general London public because this place was poppin’!
From there, we walked down Jermyn Street and ogled at fancy shoes in the Piccadilly Arcade. We made a quick stop at the Moncler store to see what was up, and I tried on a few pairs of sunglasses. I am afraid to know how much they cost. You know its expensive when there’s no price tag. One day I’ll have money for Monclizzy. I’ve got a long way to go, though.
We picked up my mom’s finished shoes and then stumbled into perhaps the best meal I’ve ever eaten. My dad randomly picked an Indian restaurant named Bibi because I’d mentioned wanting Indian food while we were in London. They told us it was a set menu, and that was the first sign that we were in for a treat.
Our minds preceded to be blown and taste buds overwhelmed by each consecutive dish. Cups of beef broth, poppadoms, fried paneer, lahori chicken, and rhubarb ice cream were just a few of the highlights. By the end of the meal, my dad and I were just blinking at each other in mutual speechless admiration of the meal we’d just eaten. My dad asked one of the waiters if they knew they were the best in town, and he knowingly chuckled, humbly refusing to acknowledge it directly. That humility said all it needed to. The next time any of you are in London, you have to go!!
We stumbled back to the hotel and both immediately napped. Bibi had us in the food /happy brain chemicals of satisfaction coma of our lives. After emerging from our hibernation, my dad did some work calls and I called my one real non-cross country team NYU friend I made in four years at the university. We capped off the day with some fish and chips, mushy peas, and a Guinness.
Sábado (4/4)
The day began with another gentlemanly breakfast overlooking Hyde Park’s Kensington Gardens. Turns out it was where J.M. Barrie was inspired to write Peter Pan. After that, we headed to the train station to meet my mom and go to Bath. By 1pm, the original three Ruiz family members were reunited and in the ancient Roman city together.
I knew nothing about Bath before showing up. It is a pretty cool place! It has a natural mineral spring, so even in pre-Roman times it was a place associated with its water. However, the Romans established it as the city it is today and constructed large public baths, hence its name. The whole city is built from local golden limestone, so it has a uniquely uniform aesthetic.
Bath has been a spa destination for hundreds of years, and during the 1700s it was really popping because there are many rather fancy apartments constructed in the second half of the eighteenth century. They are so fancy that Netflix’s dramatic romance series Bridgerton was filmed there. More on that later.
The reason we were in Bath in the first place was because Ollie was on a UK rugby tour with his high school, and Bath was the site of their first game. My mom, dad, and I were originally scheduled to be in London until Sunday, but we decided to go to Bath a day early to see a professional rugby game that afternoon. Unfortunately, those who had promised us tickets did not deliver on that promise, so we settled for the warmth of a local bar to watch the game with other Spalding parents who’d been left out to dry like we had.
All the locals were kitted out in their Bath Rugby gear; everyone was sipping a pint, and everyone was very invested in the game. Although we were not in the stadium, it was still an authentic way to experience to local love of rugby.
Applause after Bath rugby scored a try:
That night, my dad and I were wandering the town, and I went up to a guy to ask where he’d purchased his Bath rugby polo because I wanted one for myself. We got to talking, and my dad started talking with his parents. All of them had been drinking for hours, and they were holding it together, but just barely.
One of the jolly companions from their company said he would show us where the Roman baths were and then take us to the restaurant where Ollie was eating with his team. We indulged him, and off we went on our local tour. The guy’s name was Alex, and he was incredibly friendly. He even bought be a beer at the restaurant. He would have stayed and chatted with us all night, but my dad’s social battery was running low, and bad things happen when it gets to zero. I socially engineered a smooth exit, but not before getting a photo with our new local friend.
Domingo (4/5)
Happy Easter! Feliz Pascua!
The item of the day was Ollie’s first rugby game against the Marlborough Rugby Club U18 team, and the Spalding boys were nervous to see how they’d stack up against a proper English rugby team. It was a big appointment for Ollie because he’s a serious rugby player, so he wanted to confirm he could hang with the players from the sport’s mother country.
Before heading to the game, the four of us got breakfast at a local cafe. We drank coffees and ate sausage rolls, and as we walked to drop Ollie off with his teammates to go to the game, the church bells were clanging their Easter song.
Easter ambience:
The pitch was nestled between idyllic green fields cordoned off by hedgerows. It was a delightfully English pastoral setting for some Easter rugby. The Spalding boys only lost by one try (rugby’s touchdown equivalent), and Ollie was man of the match! Big dog stacked up pretty damn well. Confirmation confirmed!
Rugby is a very fraternal sport, and it is tradition that the hosting team serves a meal to the visiting team. That meant that the Marlborough-ers had us Americans into their clubhouse for food and drink and to mingle. It was a cute scene.
Sunday ended with a family dinner at yet another Indian restaurant, although it was not nearly as good as Bibi. Still very good though!!
Lunes (4/6)
Monday morning, my mom and I left my dad in solitary peace while we walked a lap of Bath to see the sights and soak in the local charm. We walked through their botanical gardens and then went to the Royal Crescent, a semi circle of fancy apartments from the late 1700s. Then the Circus, a complete circle of fancy apartments from the early 1700s. We walked past Jane Austen’s house. She lived in Bath for five years. Our lap finished at the Holburne Museum which some of you may recognize as Lady Danbury’s house from Bridgerton.
My mom and I reunited with my dad and Ollie, and we sat down for lunch in a little plaza. We proceeded to be carpet bombed by seagull poop. First my hand was hit, then Ollie’s leg, shoulder, and unfortunately his poke bowl. Operation Rolling Thunder concluded by splashing my dad’s lap and leaving an impressive streak down the back of his jacket. I’ll give it to the seagull; it had impressive aim. He got us good. Real good.
With that, I was out of time. The pitufies of San Agustín were calling. They needed me, and their hero answers the call. I gave hugs, said goodbye, and hopped on the bus to Bristol airport to begin my journey home. The Bristol airport was very unimpressive. I won’t spend too long bemoaning it. Suffice it to say it does not receive my endorsement.
I did walk on the tarmac and board the plane on foot, sans jet bridge for the first time in my life. That was kind of cool. I also flew over San Agustín! It was cool to see all the roads and trails I ride and run from above. I was finally back in my bedroom at 11pm last night, and I ate ice cream for dinner because I had no food in my fridge. Ice cream for dinner sounds cool as a kid. When it’s your only available sustenance at twenty-three, it’s less sexy.
Martes (4/7)
My alarm felt like it went off the moment I hit the pillow, and I drearily rolled out of bed. I was on autopilot until I arrived at Infanta Leonor and the yelps of the children jolted me back to consciousness. Thankfully, it was a chill day in which we mostly recapped our vacations and didn’t do much education.
Since then, I’ve been to the grocery store to ensure I don’t eat ice cream for dinner two days in a row and then napped pretty much the whole afternoon.
I hope y’all enjoyed reading about my spring break. I certainly enjoyed living it. And the action won’t stop this week. Remember the trail race I did on my birthday in Week Six? It’s back this Sunday. I guess they did it in October as a reschedule last year, and it’s normally in April. It’s the same course, and I got fourth place last time without a half marathon training block in me. That only means one thing: I’m going for the win. Stay tuned for next week’s edition in which the local boy tries to win his local race. It’s coming home!!!
Until then, chao.
Holy moly!!! What a week!!! A few observations from this peanut gallery: At first I was wondering why your mom didn’t meet you in Belgium. Then I realized why. :)
Second, I think Lloyd might be a solid middle name? Might? And third, not sure if I appreciate your observation of ice cream for dinner as an adult, or the custom agent’s observations of you and your dad. Ha! Anyways, here’s to you living life and sharing with all of us.
BELGIUM!!! I remember talking to you about Belgian bike culture and yay you made it there!!! Awesome awesome stuff