Victoria BC naked cyclists' day 2010: can you say sunburn?

Despite overheating while and having two people putting ice all over my body (not really as fun as you might hope), I determined a few hours later I NEEDED, I must go to the James Bay Market to see the pottery. I know, Pottery? But this fabulous pottery maker who lives nearby uses geodes and other wonderful and sparkling natural things in her pottery, but wouldn’t do any while she was pregnant, particularly not any blue. Now the baby was here and I wanted to see the new line.

As you can see with this example, there is a dark, dark blue as almost black with a blue sparkle as you turn in the sun, the top is green and white with embedded geodes in there. She has a nice right up on all the different geological elements she uses. Here is an example of her table, but the fun stuff starts at $25 and goes up from there. Alas, good pottery is not cheap. Why, why can’t the best of the best slave over hot kilns so I can have really cool stuff for a tenner? Hmmm, odd that.

I stopped to talk to a gentleman who paints airplanes and birds pictures, things that fly, mostly British planes. We talked about the history of some of the different ones he painted. He was surprised I would know by name the different planes and history of them. I am an uber-geek, and oddly knowledgeable about all sorts of things. Even camera's and the tripods and camera he used to make his cards.

It was one of those days which makes your city look nice. Too nice. For example, here in old town, we parked so I could pick up some gifts and maple candy and this is where the ‘rich’ stores used to be, those who could not afford stone, like government buildings but could afford the bricks imported and brought from afar (Bricks were SO expensive and a sign of wealth, since we are an island where you have to travel either from Australia or up from San Francisco to get to us that the ‘Great Cathedral’ on the hill has the ceiling lined not with gold, or murals, but with bricks, to show how wealthy they are). Without the cars it could be 150 years ago. Looks too nice!

As this was going to be my 40 minutes outside (20 at the market and 20 here), I was taking pictures of everything I saw. And I saw some drummers across the street, on different rose Xylophone and drums so I wheeled over. As I took the picture, naked cyclists, with the dangly bits or the full monty or bare breasts and all started to ride by. Well, now I wasn't sure if the drummers or the full monty was the story so I kept taking pictures until one of the drummers was reduced to hysterical laughter (I guess this isn’t what is ‘supposed’ to happen across from Munroe’s Books, Murchie’s Tea House and Rodger’s Chocolates).

Linda went and got a picture as the group gathered at the parliament (BUTT CRACK ATTACK WARNING!). The naked cyclist day is an annual event. But usually it occurs earlier in the year, I am guessing the rain delayed it until now. I am not sure WHY there is a naked cyclist event but it happens every year, as I don’t think it encourages people to cycle to work (though some have signs saying, ‘Full lane use!’) but it is just a Victoria thing. Sadly after Luminaria being rained out last time, it is unlikely that night lights festival will run again, so we take the festivals we get.

This is but a fraction of the hundreds of cyclists, who included kubuki cabs (cyclists hauling two passengers) and lots of mothers with baby carriers attached or even kids on the back of the bicycle. I had never been so close when they started the parade (about 2 feet away) and had the, um, experience of seeing many, many, many male sexual organs, a whole gigantic locker room full (doesn’t that hurt to bike that way?). A few teens going commando looked at me with a panic expression of 'Oh God!, why are all the women taking pictures?' (why to put your 'package' up where it can be seen internationally of course!) With the blazing sun and these pasty white naked people (notice not a lot of ethnic diversity), the word that comes to mind first: SUNBURN! The second is a whole: “Why?” to the hetero thing. I mean, I can get the ‘nice guy’, and the kissing, and then the shirt comes off and ‘oh my hairy…..wow, I mean is that genetic in your family?” And finally, getting intimate and, well, there it is (and I had to spend SO, SO much time with willies filling my computer screen as I pixelated them so I REALLY have seen a lot). I don’t get it, but apparently 9 out of 10 women think that is a-okay and do not hold their eyes and go, “The burning, the burning, get the images OUT” as Linda found me.

I did not naked cycle with a hand cycle (though that would have been awesome, admit it!), as I don’t have one right now. But I just wanted to show this woman (pixelated naked breasts) to ask so many questions like 'what is the thinking?': “Okay, hey, lets go starkers, totally naked with breasts waving back and forth and meet up with a few hundred naked men and women. Oh, you know what would be great, I could bring my child with me so they could meet many of the other children there with their naked parents.”(notice the 6 or 7 year old in an earlier pic) Do you think this could be like a huge dating event, where people who like to get naked meet up and get to know each other annually, sort of speed dating on a 15 speed? I dunno but the annual Naked Bicycling Day Victoria 2010 is over (the sign on the back of the woman at the parliament read: 'more bikes, less offshore oil' – because riding naked is going to get everyone to stare long and hard at no, not your breasts, but at your SIGN…….right) for this year.

I am so glad that if I only get to go out less than an hour a week, the really odd and interesting things happen to me while I am out!