The Danube flows less than a mile from our house. Once, on a hot day, I peddled to it, took off my shirt, and jumped in. The current was strong. Off I went Eastward towards Vienna. I made it back home in time for dinner. A few weeks later we drove to a bigger body of water. The Adriatic. Venice. Home of St. Mark’s corpse, Peggy Gegenheim’s dog cemetery, tagliatelle, and gondoliers.

The word “Fahrrad” reminds me of King Fahd, of Saudi Arabia. But no. It’s not about that. Ein Fahrrad just means “a bicycle.” And this long overdue blog post is about my bicycle, and what it’s like to use it around town. Woah. Calm down. You’re too excited. Last fall I bought a used bicycle for €170 from B7 Cycling Center, which hires former inmates and trains ‘em as mechanics. The brand name, printed on my frame, says “Heavy Tool.

Snow is falling in Linz today. This makes the kids very happy. I put on some ski gear and rode my bike to work along with dozens of other folks. Snow fits the scenery. Linz is all in for Christmas. Lights are strung above the streets. Clear lights, globes, stars, and multi-colored spirals. Linz has three different Christmas markets within a half mile radius. Main square’s market has tasty Glühwein.