Rainer’s first Olympic distance triathlon was the highlight of the weekend. We spent Saturday at the Gutenburg Museum in Mainz. An excellent museum – the displays were excellent, there were wonderful demonstrations, and hands-on activities for the kids. One of the better museums I’ve been to.
We went to a little Italian restaraunt and I ordered Salat mit Meeresfruchte. I was happy to think that I wasn’t just playing it safe with the salad with turkey slices. The rings of octopus were a little startling, since I was thinking more along the lines of shrimp and clams and scallops, but when I looked and saw the dozen or so thimble-sized baby squid with their tentacles festively sproinging up into the air, I realized I had been more adventurous than I thought. Deep breaths, make sure there’s something green and crispy on the fork as well, and bravo! Adventure is the word of the year, after all.
Sleeping at a hotel (Hotel Austria strangely enough) meant that it was time for another “sketch all the places we sleep” entry in the sketchbook.
The next morning, after a 30 min run along the Rhine and a wonderful continental breakfast the likes of which are hardly imagined in the phrase when used in North America, it was time to go be excellent spectators.
First we watched him loaded onto a ferry and trotted along behind the boat to get pictures of the dramatic race beginning.
There were no wetsuits as the water was over 25 degrees.
Then time to look around and sketch a lovely bridge while he was on the bike.
Then we pressed through the crowds and to see him finish in 2:31 and place in the top half. Excellent.
He’s always so happy after triathlons. Especially when they hand out (alcohol-free) beer and German kuchen as post race refreshments. It’s enough to make a gal consider entering the multi-sport lifestyle.
In a few years.
Handmade Homeschool 
German breakfasts are quite amazing. And set you up well for the day. I’m thinking the descriptor “continental” is the problem because they vary even between say Germany and France.
Great sketches.
What a great way to start a race – coming off a ferry boat! My weirdest triathlon was an Olympic distance that had us swim around a small lake three times. To determine if we had done it three times, we had to climb out of the lake at the end of each length and run around a tree! Sounded fun when I signed up, but was a pain during the race. Never got in a groove.
Oh and if he loves beer after a race, he needs to come to Wisconsin! Plenty of triathlons and bike races end with free beer. Personally, all I wanted was a Coke!
BTW, I love your sketches. I need to find my own style for sketching, but it is so difficult. Probably would help if I sketched more….
Great job Rainer!
Excellent! He does look rather happy!