Biking!

Inspired by yesterday's triathlon (more on that later), we all rented bikes today.  We intended to tool around town, which has loads of dedicated bike paths.  So I rented a a simple city bike --  the kind that usually has a daisy basket on the front.  And off we went, me in a skirt and flip flops.  It was  fun, and being flat,  easy.   

The last time I rode a bike was . . . a decade ago?  After we moved to Portland, Ulys bought a used mountain bike for me.   I went into the basement to take it out for a ride.  It was gone!  I asked him where it was and he said that he'd sold it.

"What?!  Ulys!  How can you sell MY bike?"

"Narda, you never use it."

"That's not true!"

"Narda, I sold it TWO years ago."

Clearly, though I loved biking in High School, it's not been of recent interest.  But today it was so much fun that, when Ulys, Z and T turned off to go to a beach,  I kept going.  The countryside is magnificent here -- sharp, rugged, Alpine mountains that plunge into a Lake Annecy -- a remarkably beautiful lake (the cleanest in Europe since strict environmental controls were placed on it's use in the 1960s), that is 8 miles long and 1 mile wide.   Though not a fan of chalet architecture (except in a National-Geographic-look-how-the-natives-live way), the countryside is beautiful, with fields, canals, flowers, orchards, horses, stables, villages, gardens, campgrounds . . . so beautiful that before I knew it I'd biked over 10 miles (18 km)!   Turned around and biked the return 10 to everyone at the beach.  My sit-bones are not happy!   I also wish that I'd taken something to drink.  But what bothered me the most was that about 5 miles in, I became convinced that I very closely resembled the mean biking woman at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz, so for the next 15+ miles I had the "ta da de ta de da da"  tune on continuous play in my head.  (Reminder video below)

Maybe I'll start biking again . . .

RE:  fourth of July:  Happy 4th Everyone!  The kids had hot dogs and fries for lunch and are in search of a red, white and blue dessert.

FYI:  I have SO MANY photos to share!   Will put up some albums.  Also a few more stories, but they'll have to wait.  I'm a little tired and am busy studying French  (i.e. watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" dubbed).