That's a Wrap

Hope springs eternal, right? That's all well and good, but I live in the here and now, so on a much more tangible level: SPRING springs in Europe and that is a very good thing. No sooner was I out the door today when I shed the arm warmers (leg warmers were never even considered) and basked in my solar absorption of vitamin D.The frigid winter wrath across Europe is finally beginning to subside after the coldest European late winter and early spring that I can remember. And admittedly I've only been to Europe since I dabbled in 2005 and on the reg' beginning in 2009, but still this spring has been freakin' weird. And unequivocally cold! Let's all remember that Gent-Wevelgem was the coldest day on record in the entire Flander'ish region since the late 1800s. That's brisk baby.It's amazing how much of a difference this makes in my overall well-being. I previously thought that seasonal affective disorder was hocus-pocus or else just a complaint among people who had exceptionally thin skin in combination with their extreme warm-bloodedness. Heck, I love winter. With maple syrup running through my veins, it's probably the New England in me having grown up on ice skates and skis that says I love cold temperatures. But just as the belting hot sun melts away the snow, there is some magical combination of a cloudless sky, warm temperatures, birds chirping, and flowers budding that makes my smile morph to an even bigger smile and then I'm in a very good mood. In so many words: finally, it's nice out. (...for now)There's no rest for the weary, however. As soon as I arrived home to Girona just yesterday -- after a mighty successful Spring Classics campaign I might add -- to take in my Catalonian spring, I've already packed up shop and am off to greener pastures. Or, hopefully at least as green since as you can see in the above photo, Girona is gorgeous right now. First, this evening I head to Tuscany to help with a fun little (read: big) media project for our dear friends at Cannondale. That takes me through the middle of next week as I noodle all about Chianti. And then directly I'll be off to Los Estados Unidos for a typically action packed few days at home complete with seeing the fam and recharge the batteries (plus hopefully a Bruin's game, a belated birthday celebration with my bro complete with a well traveled Westvleteren 12, a celebratory dinner or two, plus requisite New England bike slaying adventures) before I storm the high altitude of Colorado and then onto the Tour of California. Phew, makes me tired just thinking about it.In lieu of rest for the weary, there's only coffee. Plus jet lag supplemented by napping and more coffee. Ready...? Go.