I used to bike all over Seattle WA before coming to Walla Walla.  The hills were no problem when I was younger.  But one reason for coming to WW was that this is a great place to ride a bike.  No hills on the main streets and great Blue Mountains for those more intrepid bikers.

I love your comments on the politics of eastern and western Europe.  Most of use in this country think of Europe as one amorphous mass of people who talk funny.