Spring

Had a couple of choices for what I would do today. Decided to postpone choosing till the morning. A long sleep, which preceded a rather large dinner where I refused an offer to pack food tipped the scales in favour of cycling. The hotel has a few Specialized bikes they provide on rent and I chose a hybrid whose geometry was much like my Cannondale. I had decided on my route (about 55 miles) today along the Sammamish and Burke-Gilman trails and it would have been great if I could a have had a road bike. The joys of exploring new trails on a bike are hard to articulate. I was familiar with the first 8 miles and then it was unknown territory. I wasn't planning to refer to my elaborate map while trying to negotiate the network.

I was joined by another rider and for a while we rode together wordlessly. Our speeds were in sync. It turned out to be a long stretch, where riding in tandem, we were faster than the others on the trail. It isn't ironic, that the limitation of language contributes towards my interest in it. Riding together, one establishes a kind of communication which can be quite powerful. So when you start talking, you are picking up from where you stopped. The rider turned out to be a professor at the Washington University, a keen adventurer and traveller.

When he left, I proceeded to the part of the trail which runs through the university. It was absolutely beautiful. There were paths lined by cherry blossoms, bright pink in sunlight... wide green lawns stretching out to the older, more beautiful buildings on campus...

Properties lining the shores of Lake Washington are very fancy. Most of them have boats or their own sea-planes, some of which took to the air today. But imagine waking up to vast views of the lake, the tree-lined hills and the Olympic mountains at a distance. Some of the neighbourhoods are exquisite. The light again was playful. It makes Spring Spring. In the silence you can hear birds calling, tulips, bluebells and a variety of other flowers blooming... the changing light keeps you on your toes with the metering and white balance, but it was a joy being out. I thought of the people who would have enjoyed these surroundings had they been here.

At the Gasworks park, the views of the city against the water had brought out many photographers. The park was rife with activity, frisbee throwers, picnickers, runners, cyclists, lovers, parents pushing strollers... Contrary to some warnings, there weren't many homeless people. The park is a rather good spot to watch the city from and spend some time. Here in the US, I love the outdoors and how with a mild deviation from the city you are so close to nature.

And to put it rather bluntly, my life is enriched because I cycle.