My Bicycle, My Adventure

When I used to live in Boston, I would bike up to and hour and a half to get to and from work each day. Over pot-holes, and traffic-packed streets, my trajectory caused a lot of aggravations, seeing that there were NO BIKE LANES for cyclists in or near the city of Boston (not including the "recreation paths that led from nowhere-A to nowhere-B). The intense-physical exercise and big-time financial-savings were enough to keep me on the road, however.

Biking, in any case, had come to be a chore - that is, until I lived in France. Biking in and around Strasbourg was surprisingly one of the most pleasant, and positive activities I had experienced in a LONG TIME, let alone since my arrival in Europe. After my first couple of rides down the perfectly-paved bikelanes, I was HOOKED to exploring/visiting and "capturing" the region (with my camera, that is) on bike; subsequently I spent many hours each day, taking time looking at my surroundings, getting lost, finding things, going places, hitting upon unknown destinations...

New horizons were setting and I could feel my spirit being rejuvinated with a heightened sense of liberty and freedom! Ah! Fresh air! Nature! Exercise :-)

That is in biking, I was able to "move towards" an understanding that I ought to be more ACCEPTING/appreciative of every "un-knowable" trajectory in my life - and not ONLY my unknowable biking-paths if I REALLY wanted to enjoy my days in France as much as I did my biking-adventures.

Up until now, I had been looking at things the wrong way - seeing my endeavors in France thus far as a "challenge," -as something to "confront" - as something to "accomplish/achieve, which obviously begs for "failure," when REALLY, I should have just treated each day, (each moment rather) as an adventure...as something to experience/something also worth "capturing," something worth LIVING!

As a matter of fact, this "wisdom" was already there inside of me. I suppose that wisdom is present to all of us, especially given some awareness/reminder to "slow down" in this fast-paced society of ours in order to "appreciate the moment." Nevertheless, this had always been especially difficult for me, for one reason or another (trying to tackle one goal after the next) and for that very reason, I had been really touched by a passage (and reminded of it while cycling) that comes from one of my favorite novels, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig, wherein a young boy faulters and swears in defeat, as he makes his way hiking up a mountain with his Dad. In feeling short-changed, disadvantaged, "forced" to climb the "MOUNTAIN" before him by external cirumstances (most notably, his Dad) he has no control himself, or his experience. His Dad on the otherhand, (the narrator of the story, named Phaedrus, after Plato's Phaedrus) ENJOYED the climb because he had a wisdom of life beyond mere "words;" beyond the mere awareness that he "ought to slow down." He had already LIVED the alternative, which is exactly what I had been doing up to this point...

And yet more concretely, as many studies have confirmed, there are numerous side-benefits/advantages to bicyling, including physical-strengthening, endurance-training, respiratory-control, and emotional/mental training. Since I had run cross country and track for the majority of my young-adult life, I quickly-recognized, benefitted from, and appreciated the similar side-effects from cycling. Far beyond the "physical," though, the added bonuses to bicylcing in Alsace are countless!

The Alsacian wine-route takes long and winding turns in between two mountain ranges: the Vosges Mountains in France, and the Black Forest in Germany -two fairly LARGE mountain ranges, which long ago were ajoined and later separated by the RHINE river...

Bicycling north, south, and west of Strasbourg one will see, along with the view of the mountains, a collection of tiny picturesque "Alsacian" villages COVERED in flowers, unique architecture, and medieval to ancient castles, cathedrales, temples and forts.

The (paved) bike-routes along the Rhine river, and along its parallel canal (set apart from the WIDE-spreading river itself) are also SUPERBE rides. Of course, they ride all the way down to Switzerland, but if you wanted to remain just outside of Strasbourg, the paths allow for you to see vist the 12(?) dykes/ecluses, which have long been known the major-operational advantage in Alsace due to their efficiency/effectiveness in accepting and releasing boats for importing and exporting goods. (In fact, Strasbourg, thanks to its developed water-ways, is the 2nd richest city in France, after Paris - and the region of Alsace is known to provide the 2nd best quality of life!)

One day along this canal, I managed an 8 1/2 hour bike ride from Strasbourg, just to a village outside of Freiburg, Germany. It was one of the greatest bikerides of my life, although I suspect to be having many more this spring...

Yet, best of all, while biking along the canals on a hot and muggy summer's day - letting the wind blow through your hair as you pedal through the heat-waves eminating from pavement- one could only pray to stumble upon a swimming hole! After glancing at my regional map a couple of times (in order to align myself with the right path/a good direction), I was hoping to hit upon a beach one of those days...and indeed, I stumbled upon two!!

For starters, there was l'etang/"plan d'eau de la Ballastiere" about 40 mins north of Strasbourg, as well as BAGERSEE, just 25 mins south of the city (which is actually where I now live). Both routes are extremely bike-accessible, along one of the millions of provided "bike paths."

Each swimming hole not only provided me with a REFRESHING swim - a satisfying cool to my increasingly sun-tanned skin, and sweat-glistening limbs, but they also provded plenty of space for watching or participating in various group-activities and games (volley-ball nets, soccer fields, tree-lined walking areas, fitness-running paths and more.)

Yet, what I enjoyed best of all (beyond watching all the families and youngsters splash, play, and lay around, topless) were the savory ordors of grilling steaks, kebab and hamburg, smoking through the trees. The scent of barbeque made me feel right at home since grilling, camping, and hanging by the beach had always been my most favored summer activites with family and friends back at home!)

So, although I was alone, (and without a friend in the world!) I didn't feel "ALONE" on bicycle, or when stumbling upon such terrific finds...

HOWEVER, a funny story about these "swimming holes..."

La rentree, (or the first day of school) was now fast approaching, and I had yet 1 week left of summer before me. Since it was consistently somewhere in the high-80's, sunny, and without prediction of rain, I made my way over to the "beach" that week on bike, along with a bag-load of reading...

That is, though I was STILL unclear as to what my job would REALLY be like, I figured I should know a thing or two about religion before "teaching" it! hehe.)

Along with my ipod, I took root on a sandy spot near the water, stripping down to my bikini to catch the rays...Ahhhhh...I AM a summer sun-worshipper...:-) It felt great! Yet, before too long, someone planted root not too far beside me: a man seemingly in his mid-40s. I couldn't help but notice him staring.

When he said hello, I couldn't resist but to respond. I hadn't SPOKEN to anyone in nearly a month's time, ever since I had retreated to the balcony (and the open road) and sort of felt like talking. I figured I should give the guy the benefit of the doubt...(maybe he was just being FRIENDLY, I thought...no harm in that!) I said hello, and tried to get back to reading...

He moved his towel closer to mine, and asked me if I was from around here. (For some reason, this is one of the FIRST questions one gets asked in France, which is certainly a weird way to pick up chicks, but is too a way of starting "casual" conversation, which is apparently VERY VERY difficult between men & women in this country, since "seduction" seems to ALWAYS be on peoples' minds...)

We started talking about ourselves - where we were from, and what we did for a living, before he asked me to join in at the snack bar for a drink (of water!) The water bottle I had brought along with me had already warmed to body-temperature, so the mere IDEA of getting some cold water sounded good to me, so I went along.

The conversation continued, in a fairly normal fashion, until he started telling me how "beautiful" I was. BLECK. I so didn't want to hear it, but didn't know how to get out of the conversation by this point.

Trying my best, I said "well thank you, that's nice, but I would like to get back to reading now."

Silly me...of course he followed!

I put on my ipod, and tried to put him out of my mind, but then he came over to apologize. He had excused himself for being so direct...which I accepted. For some reason, I put so much pressure on myself to "be nice," but not MERELY for the sake of "acceptance." After all, moreso in France than in any other place back at home, I feel as though I must "represent" what it means to be a "good woman." In other words, I put pressure on myself not only to represent my own ideals, "PRINCIPLES" and 'VALUES' but also represent those of my country...so strange, I never thought myself to be so nationalistic! hahaha....

Anyways, to "apoligize" he invited me to join him for a swim. I went swimming, which too ended up being a mistake. He grabbed my foot at some point, which (despite the fact that it was just MY FOOT) I took as going too far.

Lucky for me, I'm a super-fast swimmer, and out-beat him to the shore. It was apparent he thought I was playing some sort of game (who the hell knows what sick games French women play?) but got the hint when I told him I was leaving.

"Wait wait!" He implored as I packed up my things..."May I ask you something before you go?"

(I thought he was going to ask for my cellphone number - which I didn't even have for that matter - thank goodness, so I wouldn't have to LIE!)

BUT he asked the unaskable...

"May I give you money?" he began to ask, handing me 20euros.

"UHHH NOOooooo....?" I responded confusedly, while pushing away the money. Although I didn't really want to know the answer, something within me compelled me to ask further...."FOR WHAAAT?" to which he said:

"Well, I wouldn't want you to DO anything, or even to LOOK...but...if I could pay you 20 euros JUST to SIT beside me while I "pleasure myself" I will be the happiest man alive."

"BAH!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" (I should have slapped him at this point, but decided not to, for a part of me felt BAD for the guy - I mean, I could tell he didn't even KNOW BETTER!) How disgustingly shallow...

Trying to stay clear-headed, I remained as direct and honest, informing him that:

"You CANNOT ask a lady to do such a thing. It is offensive, rude and disrespectful," and I hopped on my BICYCLE...my savior at this point...retreating back to MY BALCONY.

KEY WORDS: Cycling in France, Biking in Strasbourg, Bicylcing in Alsace, swimming in Strasbourg, beaches in Strasbourg, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, A Cup of Tea