When you are biking for four to five hours a day, you create space to think. Thoughts tend to bounce around in your head and they get amplified when you start to pedal uphill. On a couple occasions, I thought about the Beatitudes and how they might adapt to a bicycle tourist. Andrew and I tried to do just that.
Blessed are those who are sore in the arse,
for they shall know the shape of the land.
Blessed are those who are pedaling uphill,
for they shall soon coast down.
Blessed are those who are dirty and sweaty,
for they shall relish a simple shower.
Blessed are those who are hungry from a day of biking,
for they shall truly enjoy their meal.
Blessed are those who toss and turn on the hard ground,
for they shall sink deep in a soft bed.
Blessed are the frugal,
for they shall find free treasures everywhere.
Blessed are the homesick,
for they shall value ordinary life.
Blessed are those who travel by their own strength,
for at the end of the day they will be satisfied.