I want to ride my bicycle.

After a few weeks away from throwing two euro cents into the blog, I am back.  Not only am I back, but I am back with a bicycle, a first week of teaching finished, and a story.

Story:  I was almost run over by a bus.

Of course, this happens all the time for anyone who rides a bicycle, especially on roads with no bike lanes.  Quick note:  it is legal to ride on the road, and illegal to ride on the sidewalk.  Road bike.  Side walk.  Quick note: busses don’t care because you are small and they are massive and their brakes are like sharp objects down old blackboards that seem to be saying ooooouuucccchhhhhh.  air brake.

The elementary school where I teach is roughly 15 minutes away by bicycle.  The ride is pleasant and I don’t get honked at as much as in the U.S.  The road to the school is a mix of downhill sprints and awkward intersections.  In the mornings, I pass moms and dads, nannies and grandparents, taking little kids to school, hand in hand.  Sometimes they wave, I think, because I look awesome.

My bike is used and filthy, but is solid.  Soon, when it stops raining and the sun decides to lift the city’s depression, I am going to clean it.  I think, if it were shiny, I will be less likely to be destroyed.

Now, with the first week of classes over and my route from school to home mapped out, I’m excited to add a few posts about the French elementary schools, the teacher’s lounge, and the Disney cards children hoard like canned goods in a famine.  

Here's a look at our bikes from Atelier Dynamo, a really fun group of guys helping the town fix their bikes. For more bike pictures, look at the flickr photostream.