It’s been a beautiful springtime thus far. The grass in knee-high and kelly green. The tulips are in full bloom and turn their bright yellow petals toward the sun. The cows are out to pasture. I’m sneezing my head off. Yup, it’s spring.

There is a lot of down time in the Peace Corps. I’m not going to lie, some days when I don’t have class I’m bored out of my ever loving mind. So, in light of my weekend boredom, I decided to try to fix up my broken bike. After 20 minutes or so of investigation, I realized how idiotically easy it was to repair my busted up bike. Thirty seconds and a wrench was all it took.

So, I started a new weekend tradition, something to look forward to; Sunday Morning Bike Rides. Last Sunday was my first one. I loaded up the basket of my bike with water, a wrench, and my camera and took to the countryside. Last weekend I headed toward Vaideeni and then later in the day to Maldaresti. It was glorious. The weather was warm and the hot sun tanned my winter-pale skin. I took pictures of the sights along the way: the Horezu sign, interesting farmhouses, the mountains, cows, flowers, and people. I got lost along the way and ended up having to ride home on theNational Road, which provides stunning views of Horezu but also has death-defyingly steep hills to navigate. I stopped along what I now refer to as “thrill hill” to get some pictures of the valley and the town. I now fully understand why Romanian bikes come equipped with two brakes. Gravity, oh gravity. At times how I loathe thee. Not to worry, I didn’t wipe out.

This Sunday, I woke up early to go out for a ride. Although there was one problem, I had a flat tire. I asked Vica where the air pump was, but it was in the garage so I couldn’t get to it. Blast! Today I opted to use my roller skates. Now, there are advantages and disadvantages to skates. Plus: It’s easier to stop and take pictures. Negative: Harder to escape rogue animals that are trying to eat your face and it’s much easier to wipe out. Long story short, I ended up wiping out twice…once because I was being chased by a dog.

I went back to Maldaresti today, partially because the road is pretty flat to get there and the pavement is smooth. Most of the roads around here are much too hilly or rough for skates. I took my lunch with me and enjoyed a nice cheese sandwich in the park before returning to Horezu. As luck would have it, I passed the house of one of my students on my way home. We sat outside with her two brothers and chatted while eating what I believe to be crabapples. It was a wonderful day all in all.

The afternoon rains came. It’s close to summer; the thunderstorms are coming. They roll down the mountain sides and blow their chilly winds and sweet smelling rains into the valley that I call home. I’ll be missing my Sunday Bike Ride next week as I will be in Beius preparing to build a house with Habitat for Humanity Romania and fellow volunteers. But I will surely look forward to when I return to my home and my bike to spend my Sunday mornings exploring the lovely area that I call home.