Two-Wheel Deal: Yes, We've Done It Again

We may not have a place to live, but we do have a new bike. In a moment of bike-sale induced insanity, brought on partly by rare pre-spring blue skies and brilliant sunshine, we bought a tandem from our pal and newly sanguine bike shop owner Bernie, who has marked all his machines at half-price as he clears out inventory to begin again with new stock. A half-off sale on bicycles, particularly in Switzerland, is a deal far too good to pass up. We caved quickly, after a brief spin around the block, and left it parked at the shop until we secure permanent lodgings in the world's tightest housing market. Who needs lodging, though, when you've got a new bike?
We left there to drive up the winding road to Etzel, where there is a sort of fake winter in play, with plenty of snow in a smooth rolling blanket over the hillsides. It's too warm, though, for that sort of scenery, and we sat in the sunshine to eat bread and cheese beside an old church and talk about how the spring flowers and well-groomed Swiss cows will be out soon.

Winter tries again next week, according to the forecast, but it looks to be an empty threat, with rain and snow in the forecast before the sun comes back for the weekend. We'll go see Bernie when it calms down, and take the new bike around the lake, or maybe over to the horse farm, or the roller coaster, or one of the dozens of other routes we haven't been back to yet. But we know they're waiting. And so are we.