Denmark, Spring 2009. Walking through a tunnel on my way home from the central bus station in Aalborg, I discover a demolished basket positioned artfully just a meter before the exit. The sun rays illumine the exit of the tunnel, and make the basket appear in a good mood – though the obvious destruction experienced. On close-up I discover a shiny bottle of Chardonnay in the basket. A French white wine in a demolished bicycle basket in an underground tunnel in Aalborg. How does this go together?
Let’s imagine. A couple in love rides home from a dinner of smoked salmon with spinach a la crème at the local Restaurant Provence in Aalborg. She is sitting on the bicycle bar in front of her lover, holding tight on the half full bottle of Chardonnay. Being a bit tipsy already, they are riding in loops downhill into the tunnel. Being blind for love they forget about the visual sign at the tunnel’s entrance, reminding that riding is forbidden underground. Rather looking at each other instead of straight ahead, they recognize the metal barrier too late, hitting straight into it, falling over, and observing the bicycle crush behind them with full force onto the ground. The bicyle survives the crash unscattered. The basket though separated, being deformed and unlikely to be attached again to their bike. The couple is so tipsy that they laugh at the incident, toasting to the basket while emptying the rest of the Chardonnay. They put the Chardonnay bottle inside the basket, saying this way “Thank You for serving us so well!” before they depart forever.
Or was it simply a drunk who had found basket and bottle, spending his nighttime in the warmer tunnel area drinking alone down the bitterness of his life?
Can you reveal the secret behind the Chardonnay basket?