Summer Time...and the livin' is easy. Especially when you have a European Market Basket attached to your cool Trek mountain bike. There's no better way to travel when you're taking your kids to camp, or looking for a way to carry the New York Times back from the General Store.

Last night at L.L. Bean we picked up a number of treasures. One was Cynthia's Twigs basket. As I share this story, I've got Van Morrison's Poetic Champion playing in the background. Here is Cynthia's story:

In early 1991, my husband and I accepted his transfer to Europe. Our two kids and I quickly learned that leaving the car at home and using our bicycles made our adventures more fun. What facilitated this dramatic transformation were our European Market Baskets.

We became quite comfortable pedaling our way over the narrow cobblestone streets and bike paths of our little Dutch village to the open-air markets full of wonderful cheeses, crusty European breads, beautiful flowers and other delights. Often times, the wonderful aromas would draw us to the many enchanting sidewalk cafes for a "kockje" and hot chocolate.

On weekends, my husband and I would fill our baskets with picnic supplies, and the four of us would pedal through the forested dunes along the coast of the North Sea until we found a spot that suited our fancy. Springtime was my favorite, and I can still envision the fields of crocuses, daffodils and tulips that marked our way to the beach.

We returned to the U.S. and settled in The Woodlands, Texas in 1993. We - along with our new beagle, Freckles - continued to bicycle to our various activities. On almost every outing someone asked us where we got our terrific bicycyle baskets. After a thorough search, I concluded a European Market Basket was not available in the U.S.

I decided to have one made so that we could bring a little of Europe here to share with you. I hope you enjoy your European Market Basket as much as we have. Fill it with your heart's delights!

To buy your own bike basket, go to: http://www.cynthiastwigs.com

Cynthia's basket is the perfect addition to our adventures in Maine. We're off to our first day of camp, the General Store, and then into town to work out the details of getting a new passport in less than a week!

-Jennifer

P.S. Did you know that the "L.L." in L.L. Bean stands for Leon Leonwood?