It all started with an innocent text.
Are we still on for that bike ride after work?
What is up with all those rhetorical questions of obvious answers? Because I'm not a quitter. But when I was met with a candid smile and his casual “It's a 800m climb”, a part of me kinda wished I were.
Oh look at the time. Oh, my legs hurt because of the 70 k I did yesterday. I think it will rain soon. I forgot to feed my hamster.
Instead, I nodded and went with it. Needless to say I couldn't really accurately appreciate what 800m actually looked like.
Half an hour later, we were dodging disseminated goat crap on the road just like playing bike Minecraft. It was not easy to focus on anything other than the 2m right ahead of us, my heaving breathing and my heart pumping like a Drum and Bass beat.
Racing heart and legs on fire, I was semi-oblivious to how the most gorgeous Schwarzwald landscape was slowly (as in 6 km/h slowly) but surely unfolding in front of us.
After a (very steep) wrong turn, two peanut protein bars and half a bottle of water we finally made it to the parking lot on top of Geiersnest.
Oh. My. Word.
Wide eyes. Jaw drop. Beaming smiles. Just as bright as the breathtaking sunset taking place right before our eyes ―behind luscious pine trees, golden hills, puffy clouds, a wide horizon to France and beyond.
It's always good to bring someone here for the first time and see their reaction.
Absolute bliss. Monday feeling instantly replaced by weekend ―no, holiday feeling.
Like stepping into a fantasy world, escaping reality, entering a dream where dim light, nature sounds and warm, scented summer breeze envelope everything.
And the way back down left nothing to be desired.
Speed. Alternating currents of cool and warm air against my skin. Crossing paths with the last brave cyclist still fighting against the mountains as we had been an hour before.
Freiburg greeted us back with the first artificial lights against a purple sky right after Blue Hour.
It wasn't my legs hurting this time. But my face from smiling.
A good friend, my favorite bike and a gorgeous landscape.
Perfect recipe to start feeling like myself again.
And goat poo stuck to my tires to prove it.
