La Bicyclette

A woman rode by me this morning on her bicycle and as she did so a wave of nostalgia hit me.

I haven't ridden a bike since the Summer of 2002. Not since my parents and I traveled to Quebec (oh, the joys of being young and unemployed). We rented a beautiful apartment with a balcony and a view of a church spire which serenaded us at twilight. Only five minutes away was the Parc des Champs de Bataille. Or as we called it "The Plains of Abraham." When we arrived in town, we knew no one. We had a name and phone number for a friend of a friend. We called it. Through a series of inexplicable events and chance encounters which I could never hope to repeat, we met a lovely woman named Joann and her son Eric. Thank God for Eric. If it hadn't been for him, I would have wandered the city alone all summer in search of entertainment.

It just so happened that Eric and his mother had bikes. And free time. She was a college professor. He had just finished his second degree in physics. Eric and I (and sometimes his mother) would meet up and ride through the countryside, through town, cross country, or along the St. Lawrence River. Can you imagine anything better than spending your days biking through beautiful country on a relatively cool Summer day with people you actually enjoy spending time with? I don't think I've ever enjoyed biking quite as much.

Which is why it makes me sad to think about buying a bike here in Cleveland and riding all around in pursuit of solitary amusement. It just couldn't possibly be as much fun.

Eric might have spoiled me for biking alone. I don't know.

Really, Eric, when are you coming to visit? Bring Joann. And the bikes. : )

[UPDATE: Eric wrote me to say that he is now all reminiscent since he too hasn't ridden a bike since that summer (which is kinda stupid actually since he has a bike and all) and he is now looking for a child attachment in which he can haul his dog around. with. (confused by my own sentence structure here.) He is slightly saddened by this move on his part which will result in him becoming "one of those people." He also adds that as a true angloquebecer he must point out that it is "La Bicyclette" so of course I changed it. Thanks, Eric. He also asked me to call him tonight for six minutes (which is all the time I have left on my calling card. Darned Canadians and their other-country-ness!) And then he said he had to write a two page review of a four page essay of two hundred page book. Good times. I bet you are all glad I told you that.]