Μαρίκα Κοτοπούλη (Marika Kotopouli) was born in 1887 in Athens to actor parents Dimitrios and Eleni Kotopoulis, and Marika also became an actress. Her first stage appearance was in her parent's play "The Coachman of the Alps," and her official debut in the Royal Theatre in 1903, before going to Paris in 1906 for theatrical studies. By 1908, she had her own troupe, and theatre, the "Kotopouli Theatre." Marika developed an intense artistic rivalry with another young actress, Cybele. During the Greek National Schism, the rivalry turned political, with Cybele favored by the Venizelists, Kotopouli became a symbol of the royalist camp. Marika's romantic partner, a prominent opponent of the Venizelists, was eventually assassinated. Marika married in 1923 and later toured the U.S. The Rex theatre was built for her troupe in Athens and still stands as the Rex/Kotopouli, a branch of the National Theater of Greece. Her final appearance was in Syros in March 1953. Kotopouli died on this date in 1954. (Some sources say September 11.) She received a state funeral. Credits: https://w.wiki/UAaJ Photo: https://pandektis.ekt.gr/pandektis/handle/10442/58390 (Possibly copyrighted, fair use asserted.) Today's ride was my first real gravel ride on the Straggler! I've ridden a lot of smooth crushed stone trails and some dirt this year. But today's ride in Calero County Park was mostly very challenging trails, with stones, big bumps, holes, and tight turns, much of it single track. The hardest 23 miles I've ever done. I kept the 35mm tires on the Straggler, to have the experience of riding them on gravel, so I can compare them with the stock 41mm tires on the next gravel ride. Everyone tells me the bigger tires will be much better for rough trails, and that I'm running way too much pressure. I let some air out of the tires today, but it was still very hard to climb with the rough surface. Descending wasn't much of a problem. I looked well ahead for bumps and dips, and I was out of the saddle much of the time, letting the Straggler move violently under me. With its steel frame, it handled everything fine. I was consistently the slowest climber in the group, but they did lots of regroups. I was very tired for the last five miles or so. But I'm glad for the experience!