Canal and Cooperstown

Every year 500 odd cyclists voluntarily choose to cycle aong the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany. This year, 2008, the canalside found itself ahving to cope with 501 odd cyclists.
Yours truly chose to set off along the canal at precisely the same time as the Erie cyclists. This wasn't planned.
As far as the trip goes, it was exceedingly good timing on my part. Not only were there plenty of conversational companions bu the rest stops were more than happy to keep this insane Englishman, sans name tag, fed and watered. "Just feed him and he'll go." they whispered.
Cycling along the canal presents a bit of a dilemma. It's flat, fast and traffic free. You'd like to do nothing else but cycle along it all year. Unfortunately, these very conditions result in you flying along it and, before you know it, you're 100 miles in and comingto the end of part of the towpath. Some considerable portions of ithe towpath are not there anymore and a combination of State, Town and County authorities are currently battling to get it completed. Don't hold your breath, I suspect money is involved and it could take decades. However, when the towpath is there, it's an absolute joy.
Never forget, however, that you are on a canal. A waterway designed for the safe and secure transport of goods. This means that there are no hills. Waterfalls can play hell with your perishable goods. New York is not a flat State. Upon leaving the canal to head to Cooperstown, the home, allegedly, of Baseball you will find a great deal of hills of humidity. The statistics show that on a 60 mile day, I rose and fell more times than all bar one previous days. Yes, I know. Without getting ahead of myself. The Cooperstown leg became the third highest rise and fall the very next day.
Cooperstown is the home of Baseball's Hall of Fame. This is where Baseball's greats go when they've hung up there helmets. It is a masterpiece of sporting nostalgia. The names of the men honoured here will be recognised in kitchens the length and breadth of this country and their deeds fondly remembered whenever and wherever their names are mentioned. Personally surprised at the presence of Wade Boggs - close readers will remember that name from a past post - it occurred to me that Mr Boggs was the only player I could name from my first visit to a ball game.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is full of that calibre Baseball player, you may not know it at the time but every so often something special comes along and you remember. For example, every follower of English Cricket will remember who Shane Warne first English Test victim was.
Cooperstown itself is suffering from a bit of complacency. With the Hall of Fame there, it's not really surprising. Of course, unless someone blows the whistle on the slightly eccentric method by which Abner Doubleday came to be known as the founder of baseball. Should that happen, and this is one of the great things about America, the Hall of Fame could easily be moved brick by brick to the Elysian Fields, New Jersey and Cooperstown will find itself alone and unassisted.
No offence Cooperstown, and this goes out to the shopkeeps, motel owners and gas station attendants, no tears will be shed here.