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a decade ago there was a Mediterranean bakery run by a Lebanese couple that would frequently have a booth at the New London farmers market inside Fiddlehead’s coop. being mostly vegetarian based, the food was just what my mom and I were looking for, so one fall afternoon in 2010, we visited their storefront in the strange out of the way and out of place, place in Yantic CT, along the Yantic river. it was an old school kinda place, Lazizah Bakery, but now that I look it up its a pretty modern website. the food was great, but it was so far from anywhere we hang out that we never went back.

I like making routes that have a nice food destination as the halfway point, and in clicking around on maps a few months ago, this tiny bakery came to mind. I’d wondered it it was still there as it was barely there 13 years ago … did is survive covid?? well, it looked open enough, so I figured we’d take a gamble and route a 90 miler with Lazizah as the destination. to get there would be a lot of new roads for me, even in my home state! yesterday (the day I am writing about) was an 80 degree sunny forecast, so it did not take much convincing to have Josh and Joe come along with me. well a little convincing … but not much.

I awoke Saturday morning as excited as I get — beckoning weather, good company, new roads, new adventures, and good food await! we pedaled away from Clark Hill rd at 9 and snaked our ways through the local splendor we are accustomed to — wheels pointed towards unknown splendor afar! there are so many roads in southern Connecticut. many of them are just tiny trafficless tree lined ribbons … no shortage of new roads even for a life long resident.

the roads just snaked along as the day grew sweeter and sweatier. by an hour in we were on new pavement and making our way ever eastward as the scenery become more and more farmy rural. where we live it is rural, but not like this!

a little bit of dirt thrown in to the mix just to give Joe and upper hand with his 2.2″ Cavas. I knew we had a rather large dirt section after lunch, but we weren’t focused on that yet. it was still before noon, and we were several 10s of mg of THC into our endeavors … not to mention the intoxication of full sunshine on bare skin in late October. euphoric!

we ate hummus, falafel, spinach pies, baklava, and drank pomegranate sodas on a very Mediterranean stone patio overlooking the Yantic river.

an hour and a half for lunch chatting with the 80 year old proprietor about how he has studied every religion known to man and decided that they were all bullshit. “I have no gods no masters” he states proudly … “now enjoy this day and your freedom!” — thanks, and we will.

we got kinda stuck in Yantic since all the bridges were blown out. there was an all nude dance club at the end of a dead end inside a log cabin called club Juicy. bet it was quite the happening place before the bridges fell. Juicy even.

we then hit an extended stretch of trail, jeep road, and hiking along the Shetucket river towards Willimantic. this 10 miles took some time, but was absolutely lovely!

the trail ended in a gravel pit. gravel birthplace. hereth born grav’l. praise him/her/them!

then we reached the eastern side of the airline trail and it was empty— totally empty and downward trending. what a treat! we made quick work of that 14 mile sector as the sun dipped and the crickets began chatting — and the full moon rise! what a night to be out pedaling with pals.

and the last hour and a half was spent in the moonlight on familiar dirt roads leading back to Hadlyme. the three of us shared sugar free sodas on the porch and reminisced about a day that had not yet passed. what else can I ask for?

hope you had a good ride this weekend too.

XO RR