Memoirous

My last full day in Switzerland I mostly sat and chatted. There were logistics to deliberate. Like how the bike and were getting to the airport. One of the reasons I went back to Untervasser was because I left there my bike box. But how was I alone to manage this--on a bus and 2 trains? It was decided, I would buy a bike box at the airport. Then I had to cut up into little pieces the cardboard box my friend had saved. I felt a bit stupid because it took an hour and then it cost to deposit into the town trash receptacle. At one point when nearly done destroying the box, Monica asked if I was okay doing this. Before I could answer (because it was way to late to change my mind) she clarified: Continuing to tear up while she fixed dinner? We also looked into my ticket to get to the airport. I would either have to put the box or tix on my CC as I was running out of Franc. Anyway, I couldn't buy the ticket at the office, something wasn't working. They said to get it on the bus. My jo...

new work out at Teach. Write Journal called Tim Tintera’s Thesaurus, you can read online  https://teachwritejournal.com/current-issue/ I wrote Tim Tintera’s Thesaurus after seeing the battered copy sitting around on my shelf. After nearly 40 years, I still felt guilty for stealing Tim Tintera’s Thesaurus, but I knew he didn’t need it as much as he did–as I was going to be a writer. Tim Tintera wherever you are, I'm sorry.

  new work out in a women's literary journal go to: https://adannajournal.blogspot.com/ the piece is called Keep Moving:  She knew about being faithful, she knew about loyalty. She was a Hennenbacher for crying out loud. Stand by your man was the family motto. Margery credited it to her Christian upbringing. No one in her family had ever gotten divorced. They either died or went crazy first. Perhaps it was the Hennenbacher in her, a name so long and unusual no wonder she and her siblings closed ranks. Whenever she projected herself into the future, she could only imagine her and Joe as empty-nesters, one day retiring, visiting grandchildren, taking that planned trip to the Holy Land. Outside of her marriage and family, she didn’t really have a life. Margery was an assistant to the administrator at a non-profit where she was in charge of scheduling and general office paperwork. Also, unofficially, she served as the resident chaplain, a listening ear, someone who handed out the ...

Depending upon which country you're in, the spelling for the river changes. Sometimes it is Rhine, Rhein, or Rhin. No mattet, it has been quite the journey. Like most trips I've done, I'm going in the wrong direction. Most people start in the Alps, at the source of the rivet and make their way DOWN, to the Hook of Holland. Also most people go in the summer, though, to my thinking, this is the perfect time. Not too hot. Only just now has the weather turned and there's a nip in the morning air. Also no crowds. Mostly in mornings and evening fast-track commuters. I've seen very few cycle tourists. Occasionally I see a rider with one or two small bags ostensibly going hotel-to-hotel for one or two nights on an eBike. Bot hardly any fully loaded tourists, and none going my direction. Last night I was exhausted. I was tired of getting lost, being at hyper alert for signs, and all the language/communication difficulties. Also my legs were sore from the climbing recently in...

Last night Tobias offered to ride me into Basel. We left around 8 a.m. with all the other commuters. It really didn't take long, but that's the point: anything I do takes twice as long as I have to check my phone and map to make sure I haven't messed up. In Switzerland I follow the red signs. After Tobias left me I followed my paper map to turn away from the Rhine toward Muttenz. I then saw the signs and followed them, ending up in Liesel, where I had to course correct to Prattein. Everything looks a bit industrial. It takes a while to leave the outskirts. I head to Augusta Raurica where there are Roman ruins.  At Rhinefelden I have a choice of how to get across to Mumpf and Stein. My paper directions have me staying close to the river while the other looks like it crosses the interior. I opted for Rhine thinking it might be less hilly. There have been some gut-wrenching steep inclines. A lot of up and down. Straight away I began a climb into a forest. The trail was gravel....

I arrived in Freiburg on Friday and spent Saturday off the bike. Good thing, as it was stormy. There's been a shift in the weather, more autumn like. I spent a large part of Saturday just relaxing and playing games with a four year old whose ability to speak 2 languages was one greater than mine.  Back in Strasbourg my host had suggested that I stay on the German side of the Rhine; there was no reason, aside from my paper instructions, to come back to France. He said the signage was better on the German side. So that was a change in plans. I quickly checked a map and saw the town Weil am Rhine and thought I should try for that town.  I mentioned this to my friend Maren whom I was staying with in Freiburg. She said my brother lives in Weil and, in fact, I can ride with you and then take the train back. I was beyond thrilled. Yes! So we left this a.m  at 9 under cloudy skies. The streets were wet from a recent shower and the forecast called for off and on showers all day. T...

I forgot to mention that souffle my host made, she used no recipe; all from routine. Also, and I thought about this this morning, how lucky I am. It was purely an accident of circumstances I was in Eguisheim. If Veronique hadn't accepted me, then I wouldn't have gone there. But, because she did, I fell into a fairy tale.  In fact, this whole trip has felt like a story. Even when lost or frustrated with directions, there comes along something good.  Today was a low-mileage day, with some effort. 1) I needed turn-by-turn directions as I was off the paper map and also the signage by the path was a bit different. In other words, I'm not following the Rhine or Eurovelo 15. And, 2) there were hills. So I left early before 8 following my phone to Neuf Brisach, the city with fortified walls, where I had a cafe stop. It's ridiculous a coffee and giant Nutella croissant come to E4.10. It was only 9:30 a.m. and I only had 23 km to go. But, the next bit introduced some climbs, whic...

I left at 8:20 a m. super excited because it was supposed to be a low mileage day. My host gave me good tips on getting out of the city, so it was relatively easy. He also managed to turn on roaming so I was able to get turn-by-turn directions. It really helps. I think by 9 I was following the Canal de Rhin under an arbor of trees. Maybe it's autumn in the air, but I thought I was smelling hazelnut coffee. Vanilla, maybe. At times leaves covered the path, and I saw swaths of red and gold. It's been quite warm with late afternoon temps in the low 80s, though I hear a change is coming.  Because the trail ran parallel to the canal, there were hardly any turns and it was perfectly flat. A stress-free day as far as directions and not getting lost  I had a bakery stop in Sundhausen. I'm awful with French, no concept of the language. People have been very sweet though and help me give them the right change at the shops. I try to smile a lot and say merci.  At noon I saw a little...