An Unhealthy Obsession

So, I have mentioned bicycles in my last several posts, in part because it is what stuck in my mind from the descriptions my Dutch friends had given me and partially because none of what they told me about Holland's love of bicycles was an exaggeration.

It starts with a string of bicycles tied up along the streets lining the canals.
Then it was truckloads of them.

I snapped this shot while we were on the train, because I was surprised by the size of the bicycle parking lot. Jennifer assured me that this was a small one.

She was right. At the main station, there were bicycles as far as the eye could see...

... in both directions.

So, at this point, I bet you're thinking, "Isn't this a HEALTHY obsession?" Not when it involves the bar...

I understand drinking while you're cycling, but cycling while you're drinking? That's an obsession! (For those that are confused, the bar travels around, powered by the pedaling of the patrons.) I have to say that the Dutch always make me smile.

Amsterdam It!

Jennifer, Marije, and I spent a day in Amsterdam touring the sites. It was a little rainy and there was a lot of construction going on (something about foundations, sinking buildings, etc.), so I don't have a lot of pictures, just a lot of memories.

Classic old Dutch building.
And, of course, me at the canal.

The beautiful train station.

We took the canal boat tour to get out of the rain.

Not much more to show you or to say, because I was just having a great time with some great friends.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle...

According to my friends, there are 17 million people in the Netherlands and 34 million bicycles. I'm not sure how accurate this statistic is, but I am inclined to believe it based on what I have seen now. Since I had been told so much about the Dutch and their bicycles, it was imperative that we ride bicycles during my visit. We rented bikes at a national park and I have to say that these might be the nicest rental bikes on the planet.

Here are Marije (left) and Jennifer (right). Yes, I took that picture while riding. I like to refer to it as the "Dutch way" to photograph.
Here is the lovely countryside.

We stopped partway through for a break and lots of pictures.

Jennifer's self-portrait.

And Jennifer was kind enough to photograph my bicycle for me so I wouldn't forget it.

After our ride, we went for a walk through a town whose name I don't remember (sorry, girls, it didn't all sink in)...

... and dinner in the town square.

Typically Dutch

I went to visit my Dutch friends Marije, Jennifer, and Humphrey in Utrecht (see Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam entries). It was so great to see them and I was really looking forward to this visit because they had told me so much about the Netherlands and all things Dutch.

When Marije and Humphrey picked me up at the train station, which involved jumping out at me from behind a pole followed by lots of hugs, they wanted to know what I thought of their lovely country. I said I was disappointed because I hadn't seen a single pair of wooden shoes yet. My little joke prompted Marije to buy we a pair of miniature ones to hang on my backpack. How cute is that?

I stayed with Jennifer, who really wanted to make sure that I had a "Typically Dutch" experience. This involved seeing Dutch things (like "typically Dutch cows", canals, and lots of bicycles) and eating typically Dutch foods.

[typically Dutch houses along typically Dutch canals...]

[typically Dutch bridge over typically Dutch canal...]

[typically Dutch church tower...]

[typically Dutch gargoyle...]

[typically Dutch sand castle representation of typically Dutch church tower...]

[Yup, it's a pretty good model...]

[typically Dutch street, with cyclists, of course...]

[typically Dutch food, which apparently includes crepes with tons of syrup... (That's Marije on the right.)]

And most importantly, my typically Dutch friends, Marije, Jennifer, and Humphrey.

I feel so Dutch now.