https://www.warhol.org/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Banksy to Dali

It will surprise us all too how many of these artists we know.

And have embraced too on our travels.

The ubiquitousness of Bristol’s favourite son (we think) means wherever we go, near or far, we get to see the world through his eyes.

In truth, we can see these artists in most of our towns and cities.

My own native city long promoting Salvador Dali’s Christ on the Cross as the apex of its art collection.

Dress up your trees

Amsterdam and Paris (and Rome) have long been centres for art.

And, of course, we wouldn’t dream of visiting the canal city without going to the Rijksmuseum or the Vincent Gogh Museum.

While in this humble art-lover’s view you can keep your Mona Lisa we’re all about the Monet in Paris.

And Munch in Norway makes us Scream for joy.

Now if you’re into your alternative Christmases then the New World brings new interpretations in Pollock and Warhol.

Mais oui, the biggest bike museum is where? Well, Steeltown, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Not that you’d want to parler that around France where the biggest cycling competition, Le Tour, is currently raging.

But the sports-mad blue-collar East Coast American city might just have stolen a wheel on you here.

Especially Craig Morrow, who opened Bicycle Heaven in 2011, and has filled it with more than 3,000 bikes.

All of which I ferreted out from a nugget of knowledge from the Visit Pittsburgh team.

And showcased their route from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, the Great Allegheny Passage.

Tour de Pittsburgh

The 333.3-mile week-long track that adjoins C&O Canal Towpath… or maybe 45- to 60-mile bicycling days.

All of which requires the back-up of a Tour de France support team… or in the absence of that then Craig Morrow.

The thing is that you probably know about Cycling Heaven without realising it.

From Russell Crowe movies (A Beautiful Mind) or Viola Davies (Fences) to The Monkees and The Beatles.

To tread through Cycling Heaven is a ride through cycling history.

From the early wooden bikes, with the oldest in the shop, built in 1863, termed the ‘boneshaker’.

To the carbon-based frames of today.

With the novelty contraptions such as the ‘Hercules’ where you bounce on the seat to get going.

And I reckon I’d be a natural having pedalled my own Margaritas in San Antonio in Texas.

Now if you’ve got a spare $18,000 to $50,000 then you could leave with a 1940s fibreglass Bowden Spacelander.

That it’s Pittsburgh that boasts the biggest cycling museum in the world shouldn’t really surprise us.

Because the Penn city combines its industrial heritage and the eclectic vision of its favourite son Andy Warhol to draw the world.

And Aer Lingus will fly you there through Ireland with pre-clearance and JetBlue get you back.

So that if, as is my case, that means starting in Edinburgh, until my Scary One relents and allows us to return full time to Wicklow.

For now though I’ve dug out my own return flight Edinburgh to Pittsburgh knowing your departure point may be different.