The enchanting wheels

Austria's countryside reconnected me with the simple joys of life.

I am in Austria, staying in a quiet suburb called Silberwald with my uncle and his family. Nearly an hour away by train from the elegant capital, Vienna—it captivated me the moment I stepped on Silberwald’s platform. After all, I was in the heart of the countryside. Its calmness, fresh air, and the green views, dotted with windmills, were perfect for a long walk.

But I had to rest first and reached my uncle’s home, which interestingly sits along the station. When I woke up after many hours, the sun was about to set, and my uncle suggested I go cycling, showing me the scenic path that I could take through the large window of my room.

As a nature lover and a cycling enthusiast, how could I not have got excited for it? Within minutes I was on my way, little knowing that cycling would become a part of my daily routine here. 

My uncle may have pointed me to just one path, but by now I have figured out many more, which comb through large wheat fields, orchards, and even small forests. Often, I cycle at a high speed, but at times, the beauty of wildflowers with butterflies fluttering on them along these paths slows me down, and I end up contemplating nature’s creativity. When the field of sunflowers arrives, I feel their happiness around. 

Like these smiling flowers, I also come across many locals who are eager to connect. Some are cycling like me, some also walking with their dogs or children. When I tell them I am a visitor, they never forget to suggest to me their favourite routes. But it’s meeting the old couples that inspires me the most, not only for their beautiful insights on life but also for how physically fit they are, even in their 80s or early 90s. Talking to them, I always realise that there’s joy even in everyday
life, in the little things, from watching the sunrise to finding oneself alive every morning.

I also encounter many residents of the wild, especially rabbits, and, occasionally, deer too! Rabbits look at me curiously. Maybe they also wonder, ‘He’s back again.’ When they pose, I try scaring them, though I shouldn’t, but it has become a little game for me. But revenge is instantly taken by the many windmills around, especially when I am right under them, as their grand structures with large moving wings intimidate me.

The sound of the winds makes it more dramatic, and I prefer rushing away to catch them from a distance, imitating the rabbits.

I also spotted a young artist by a wheat field once busy creating a landscape painting. She suggested that I follow the path along the rail track, from where it is so enticing to catch the passing red-coloured trains.

But in a few days, I will have to bid adieu to these cycling sessions. I will surely miss them for the many simple pleasures they indulged me in, from connecting with locals including the rabbits to the fearful windmills and the happy flowers.