Bruges
Amsterdam's Central Station at night
In front of the Bruges Belfy
"Der ees much devil in religion" - Danish Street Preacher
"There are two things I hate in this world: people who are intolerant of other people, and the Dutch" - Michael Caine
"This must be why it's called Ho-Land" - American guy in Amsterdam's Red Light District
These quotes generally fail to capture anything about our odyssey so far, but they do provide a decent starting point, so here goes...
The People
- The Danish street preacher makes an interesting first entry, because he is the only person so far who has wanted anything from us (namely my soul (for salvation purposes only)). With everyone else we have met, we have done the asking, whether it be for directions, food, lodging etc and thus it was strange to have anything to offer. Mats rescued me from having to make any cosmic decisions by coming out of the grocery store, but the incident was noteworthy nonetheless, even if only for its priceless broken English.
Speaking of English, I'm glad I took so many classes. So far (in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium) almost everyone we've encountered speaks some English. While I feel bad always using English where it is not the native language, it has been remarkably easy. That is not to say that we haven't picked up some of the local vocabulary. In Germany, for example, I quickly learned such key phrases as: left, right, bridge, traffic circle, "this is the autobahn, you idiots, you cannot ride here" and "excuse me, but these are my pants." So, we've done our best to not be arrogant anglophones, but it's nice to be getting close to a place where we'll be able to speak the language and the natives will pretend not to understand us.
One of my favorite things about the people here is their relationship with bicycles. There have been bike paths connecting almost every town so far and they are well-used by the local populations. One of my favorite sights so far was a pack of Dutch women (probably in their 70's) zipping down a bike path in a little town in tight formation, presumably headed to the hairdressers or a bridge party or wherever old women go in their spare time. You would never see that in the US. I have a lot more to say, but this internet cafe is closing down so i'm out for now...
In front of the Bruges Belfy
"Der ees much devil in religion" - Danish Street Preacher
"There are two things I hate in this world: people who are intolerant of other people, and the Dutch" - Michael Caine
"This must be why it's called Ho-Land" - American guy in Amsterdam's Red Light District
These quotes generally fail to capture anything about our odyssey so far, but they do provide a decent starting point, so here goes...
The People
- The Danish street preacher makes an interesting first entry, because he is the only person so far who has wanted anything from us (namely my soul (for salvation purposes only)). With everyone else we have met, we have done the asking, whether it be for directions, food, lodging etc and thus it was strange to have anything to offer. Mats rescued me from having to make any cosmic decisions by coming out of the grocery store, but the incident was noteworthy nonetheless, even if only for its priceless broken English.
Speaking of English, I'm glad I took so many classes. So far (in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium) almost everyone we've encountered speaks some English. While I feel bad always using English where it is not the native language, it has been remarkably easy. That is not to say that we haven't picked up some of the local vocabulary. In Germany, for example, I quickly learned such key phrases as: left, right, bridge, traffic circle, "this is the autobahn, you idiots, you cannot ride here" and "excuse me, but these are my pants." So, we've done our best to not be arrogant anglophones, but it's nice to be getting close to a place where we'll be able to speak the language and the natives will pretend not to understand us.
One of my favorite things about the people here is their relationship with bicycles. There have been bike paths connecting almost every town so far and they are well-used by the local populations. One of my favorite sights so far was a pack of Dutch women (probably in their 70's) zipping down a bike path in a little town in tight formation, presumably headed to the hairdressers or a bridge party or wherever old women go in their spare time. You would never see that in the US. I have a lot more to say, but this internet cafe is closing down so i'm out for now...
posted by Tom & Mats | 9:13 AM
3 Comments:
Now I have some real hope for when I reach my 70's. Maybe I can start a new club called the Lady RearEnders. Loved reading today's news and I hope that y'all get to Steve's. Stay safe and strong. Hugs to you both, NY Mom
I absolutely love the culture of riding everywhere in the netherlands! The "double dutch" style is my particular favourite, and kelly and I had a blast in amsterdam exploring the city on her Golden Betty!! Safe travels and tailwinds :) Tom- let me know if you want some great citrus mouthwash sent your way -- are any maildrops set up?? :)
Enjoy the ride you guys! I just finished tuning my trek1000 for one last odyssey out west in a week or so with Allie Moravec! Seattle/Vancouver here we come!
xRowan
Dear Mats, we're so pleased to be able to follow your adventure. AND we would like to invite you and Tom to come visit us: we are in Graz, Austria where Scot is on sabbatical. It is a great city (UNESCO World Heritage designation and 2003 European Cultural Capital) and must be reasonably close to your itinerary between Italy and Greece. Let us know at patricia.higgins@valley.net Happy trails, Patricia and Scot
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