“This is what bike riding is all about,” he said.
We had been riding together for several blocks, two abreast and chatting casually in a bike lane on 13th Street in New York City. We met at the corner of 3rd or so when he, in his three-piece suit on a fancy Brompton folding bike, noticed my hand-painted bike on my cheap (but not to me) Zizzo over his shoulder and waxed poetic about how that was exactly the look he wanted for his bike.
He offered to commission me to paint it– would I be a famous artist if I still lived in New York City? He agreed to be in a TikTok about it. His name is Bernard and, for so many obvious reasons, he quickly became my New Best Friend.
And that was before I even knew he was a pastry chef 🙂
Round America with a Duck 