Save It For a Rainy Day

Geneva, Switzerland in the summer is a stunningly beautiful lakeside city surrounded by the Alps. It's full of parks and interesting architecture, Swiss orderliness and a view of Mont Blanc.

Flying in and out of Europe thru Geneva was the best combination available of price, short layovers, minimal connecting flights, reasonable times and a reputable airline getting to and from my boat & bike tour in the Provence region of southern France. I added an extra week onto the trip to explore some of the gorgeous lake towns in the Alps as I made my way to Avignon to catch up with my tour and friends.

The first full day in Europe, I was excited to explore Geneva. Initially I took all the Lake Geneva ferries, then wandered thru a lush 20 mile lakeside park system stopping to admire public art and drink oddly small coffees. Much like St. Pete, Geneva has reserved its prime waterfront real estate for public parks. There are also hundreds of kilometers of bike trails and paths, many with multiple lanes, stop lights and all the ease of a city street for cars.

While wandering thru the parks, I noticed some people riding around on city bikes or share bikes. I hunted down the website, located a nearby rental location and rented a 'Donkey Bike'. The organization named Donkey Republic administers the share bikes in Geneva, hence the name Donkey Bike.

My bike maneuvered with all the grace of a donkey, too. Not only are the e-bikes exceptionally heavy, but attached to the front is a solid metal basket for your bags and items, large enough to carry about a weeks worth of groceries. When I first got on the bike (and I'm a 3-4 rides per week recreational bicyclist who has been riding consistently for 10 or so years) I didn't think I'd be able to steer the thing. I had to walk it to a downhill slope so I could actually get it started with its lack of gears and ridiculous weight.

But soon enough I had the bike under control and was having the time of my life! Riding the sophisticated bike trails thru the parks along Lake Geneva with the wind in my hair, the sun on my shoulders and a huge smile on my face; I remember wanting every day to feel so joyful. Waving and chatting with everyone like the American I am, I felt the absolutely freedom of a little kid learning to ride a 2 wheeler the first time. Epic!

And then I took a wrong turn, ended up in the financial district, and the front wheel of my donkey bike got caught in a tram track. Had I been on my bike at home, most likely I'd have been able to steer out of the track. But on the heavy donkey bike with so much weight on the front end, I couldn't.

Splat! Down in the middle of the street. Pavement smashed my hip and elbow and hand and knees, and that evil front metal basket kicked my abdomen. I was sprawled out like a chalk outline in the middle of the street, on top of a tram track, in the financial district of Geneva. In an instant, all the fears passed thru my head. 'Hope it isn't too bad', 'wonder if I'll be able to get up', 'no one knows me here, and no one knows where I am', 'hope a tram isn't coming', 'hope a car isn't coming'.

People all over the world are generally kind and helpful. 4 lovely strangers rushed right over, picked me up, picked the bike up and got me onto the sidewalk. I quickly verified I could walk, and that my elbow hurt worse than the knee; so I probably didn't break anything in the leg. 2 of the sweet strangers offered to take me to a doctor or stay with me. I tested all my motor skills, learned nothing was broken and told them I just needed some time to stabilize, and that I'd be fine. After they all left, I sat down on the marble steps of some giant bank and just cried. They weren't tears of physical pain, but tears of fear and shock and disbelief that something like this had actually happened.

I limped the donkey bike back to a share bike corral, then limped myself to the nearest restaurant for a pastry and prosecco, and some time to think. 'Would I be okay? How much pain would there be in my body? Could I ride a bike for 6 days on a bike tour starting 3 days from now? Should I go home?' I decided to go back to my apartment, clean my wounds, try some ice and delay making a plan for a few hours. Forcing myself to lay down and elevate all the hurt parts, breathe deeply (thank you 20+ year yoga practice) and drink a bunch of water; I started to settle.

(Immediately after the fall, before the worst of the swelling )

Reckoning I could still move all my body parts, and they were going to hurt the next few days no matter where I was or what I was doing; I decided to move forward with the trip. I hadn't come all this way, spent all the time, money and effort to get here just to cancel the trip. The next morning, I got up, limped to a bus, then to a train and went to the little French resort town of Aix-les-Bains to stay in an apartment on the lake for a few days. I had to cancel my spa day in the roman bath town, but the weather conspired by raining all day encouraging me to stay inside and rest. (luckily this was my view over Lac du Bourget)

Two days later, I was again on multiple trains southbound to Avignon where I met up with my friends and started the bike & boat tour. I rode a bike 5 out of 6 days, with the one day I missed due to business problems in the US, not due to injuries. The knee hurt 'like a MOFO' the first 3 days of riding. The palm of my hand couldn't rest on the handle bars while in France. 21 days later my abdomen is still bruised and tender, and my knee is still swollen and numb. But I'm okay. I'll spend the next month or two rehabbing my body, and plan to emerge stronger on the other side.

It's the gym, and the yoga, and the massages, and the acupuncture, and the breathing, and the meditation - each of those activities is like a deposit in a savings account. Just like those pennies socked away for a rainy day can soften the blow of a financial disaster; every trip to the gym, minute on a yoga mat, time on a massage table start to build the savings account of good health to draw on when physical disaster happens.

Since January, in addition to all my yoga and biking, I've been working out with weights at the gym 3 times a week. I'm convinced that extra strength plus the flexibility and agility from yoga, plus the ability to relax and release from massage, plus the tools of restorative breath, meditation and all the body knowledge built from those practices allowed me to continue the trip and have the time of my life riding a bike in the south of France.

I rode a bike to the Pont du Gard! I rode a bike to Chateauneuf du Pape! I rode a bike thru some of the most charming country towns in Provence along paths covered by trees planted by Napoleon to shade his troops. And I attribute my ability to do all that after a bad bike fall to my savings account of good health.

(Annecy, France. Probably the most beautiful place I've ever visited)

Suzanne Andrew, Thai Yoga Massage Therapist, Aquatic Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master (FLMA51338)