"Europeans are generally fitness freaks ..."
I send this text to a friend living in NYC who is now happily married and mother of one. She must be busy raising her only child who by now must be 2 years old. And here I was sending her pictures which i took of myself on a 40 mile cycling across the rhine river from Cologne to bonn and back.
"I saw so many people running and cycling even 60 plus year old women who must have biked for miles !" I continued while describing my sence or excitement after a day long cycling trip which took 5 hours. I was enjoying the soup which i needed the most.
I have been to cologne many times. It was the first place I travellved to when I started my career about 14 years back. I found the town to be so amazing and free and youthful. Free to express and free to drink !! Ah the Kolsh ... the German beer from Cologne. Then the Alt beer from near by Dusseldorf. How I used to loooove coming to these towns once every 3 years while working and would really induldge. One learns the tricks of the trade. Tiny beer galss at the bar cost minimum Euro 5 to 10 and at less than 4 times that at the supermarket. So if the plan is to drink and drink it make sense to start the night early with a 6 pack then go to the bars ... and if thats not enough you can always go to so many places to pickup bottles at kiosks. With so much drinking around I must say Germans have a good capacity to drink strong beer. And everyone drinks ... clubs, bar hopping with live music ...
Thats how I used to see these lovely towns. But then after sending this text to a friend I started to wonder how even my view of thisbtown and life has changed. My sober life which is only 841 days or 2.3 years is still at infancy as compared to that 35 year old man who used to drink everyday. But as an child I am still learing to live life and face life situations.
So coming back to Cologne all those bars are still there ... so are the restaurents where 14 years ago I have clicked selfie (before the word selfie was invented with an digital camera, which was new thing in those days) of myself with a glass of German beer with foam coming out with a sense or pride. That 'ol "American" Sports bar at Randolf Platz for example where I trip on beers. Strange how I used to notice , love and admire how EVERYONE was drinking and enjoying !! My view of these towns have always been like that.
But this time things felt different. So hired a bike and started cycling. Cycling in mormings then the work and then cyclied in evenings. Cologne is a dream place for cyclists. Suddenly my entire view was towards all these people who were living living in the same town walking around the same streets but were either walkng, running or cycling. Wow .. everyone woke up early for a run !! Yikes there are so many cyclists ... I had the idea over the week end to cycle to cologne which is like 3 hours by bike. I did it ... and I was not alone I was amazed to see well paved dedicated roads and trails for cyclists, lovely restaurents, cafes and bars for cyclists and runners and place with lots of people enjoying activity ! Few were rollar blading some running and many were on a long cycling trip thru the Europe. They have nice parking places for bikes. Many prefer to go on bikes to work as well. I guess one always have a choice in this town ... to thru the streets full of bar for drinking or go thru the same streets while cycling ! Just life life this city also presented me with choices and ai choose well ..
"European are generally fitness freaks" as i described by friend ... and I felt proud to be enjoying the same Cologne but with a better choice of cycling ...
I recall a moment whole riding to a remote place close to Rhigne river I came to a dead end ... with a nice bridge which took me rightover the lake ... It lowered my bike gear for a steep climb up the bridge. It was an amazing view. It was evening time and I could see the boats, nice summer breeze and then i saw him. I felt I saw myself. A guy with head phones on. Staring at the Sun enjoying the place just like me just finished his bottle of Bitbuger Pils Beer, quitely putting it back in his backpack taking another one out, opening with his teeth and sipping it. I could hear the tincking of several bottle in his bagpack. Me on bike and he with his bottle - what a contrast atleast for me. I could have been at the same place with a same back pack. Sobriety has been a such a wonderful gift. And I cannot thank myself and everyone of you enough for introducing myself and helping me commit to it. And while that guy was chasing his false hope of "high" with every sip; there was I climbing riding the bridge enjoying the HIGH which life brings from such realizations ...
Cheers to life ! and i go now back hope fill with new memories stronger ...
Check out few pictures I clicked while cycling ...
Cologne 216 by rahulthesweet | Photobucket
I send this text to a friend living in NYC who is now happily married and mother of one. She must be busy raising her only child who by now must be 2 years old. And here I was sending her pictures which i took of myself on a 40 mile cycling across the rhine river from Cologne to bonn and back.
"I saw so many people running and cycling even 60 plus year old women who must have biked for miles !" I continued while describing my sence or excitement after a day long cycling trip which took 5 hours. I was enjoying the soup which i needed the most.
I have been to cologne many times. It was the first place I travellved to when I started my career about 14 years back. I found the town to be so amazing and free and youthful. Free to express and free to drink !! Ah the Kolsh ... the German beer from Cologne. Then the Alt beer from near by Dusseldorf. How I used to loooove coming to these towns once every 3 years while working and would really induldge. One learns the tricks of the trade. Tiny beer galss at the bar cost minimum Euro 5 to 10 and at less than 4 times that at the supermarket. So if the plan is to drink and drink it make sense to start the night early with a 6 pack then go to the bars ... and if thats not enough you can always go to so many places to pickup bottles at kiosks. With so much drinking around I must say Germans have a good capacity to drink strong beer. And everyone drinks ... clubs, bar hopping with live music ...
Thats how I used to see these lovely towns. But then after sending this text to a friend I started to wonder how even my view of thisbtown and life has changed. My sober life which is only 841 days or 2.3 years is still at infancy as compared to that 35 year old man who used to drink everyday. But as an child I am still learing to live life and face life situations.
So coming back to Cologne all those bars are still there ... so are the restaurents where 14 years ago I have clicked selfie (before the word selfie was invented with an digital camera, which was new thing in those days) of myself with a glass of German beer with foam coming out with a sense or pride. That 'ol "American" Sports bar at Randolf Platz for example where I trip on beers. Strange how I used to notice , love and admire how EVERYONE was drinking and enjoying !! My view of these towns have always been like that.
But this time things felt different. So hired a bike and started cycling. Cycling in mormings then the work and then cyclied in evenings. Cologne is a dream place for cyclists. Suddenly my entire view was towards all these people who were living living in the same town walking around the same streets but were either walkng, running or cycling. Wow .. everyone woke up early for a run !! Yikes there are so many cyclists ... I had the idea over the week end to cycle to cologne which is like 3 hours by bike. I did it ... and I was not alone I was amazed to see well paved dedicated roads and trails for cyclists, lovely restaurents, cafes and bars for cyclists and runners and place with lots of people enjoying activity ! Few were rollar blading some running and many were on a long cycling trip thru the Europe. They have nice parking places for bikes. Many prefer to go on bikes to work as well. I guess one always have a choice in this town ... to thru the streets full of bar for drinking or go thru the same streets while cycling ! Just life life this city also presented me with choices and ai choose well ..
"European are generally fitness freaks" as i described by friend ... and I felt proud to be enjoying the same Cologne but with a better choice of cycling ...
I recall a moment whole riding to a remote place close to Rhigne river I came to a dead end ... with a nice bridge which took me rightover the lake ... It lowered my bike gear for a steep climb up the bridge. It was an amazing view. It was evening time and I could see the boats, nice summer breeze and then i saw him. I felt I saw myself. A guy with head phones on. Staring at the Sun enjoying the place just like me just finished his bottle of Bitbuger Pils Beer, quitely putting it back in his backpack taking another one out, opening with his teeth and sipping it. I could hear the tincking of several bottle in his bagpack. Me on bike and he with his bottle - what a contrast atleast for me. I could have been at the same place with a same back pack. Sobriety has been a such a wonderful gift. And I cannot thank myself and everyone of you enough for introducing myself and helping me commit to it. And while that guy was chasing his false hope of "high" with every sip; there was I climbing riding the bridge enjoying the HIGH which life brings from such realizations ...
Cheers to life ! and i go now back hope fill with new memories stronger ...
Check out few pictures I clicked while cycling ...
Cologne 216 by rahulthesweet | Photobucket
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