A Blog in the fog of jetlag.

Our European journey started at a decent time in Saskatoon with the added excitement of a closed University Bridge.  We had decided to set the tone for transportation on our journey by taking the bus to the airport.  This was surprisingly easy and inexpensive.  We left lots of time but experienced no problems due to construction. 

Cathy arriving at Saskatoon Airport

A flight to Calgary, time for lunch and onto the KLM flight to Amsterdam added badly to our carbon footprint.  The eight hour flight was uneventful as one hopes all air travel will be.  Arriving at Schiphol airport and entering into the Netherlands involved a long walk to customs, a brief stop to show our passports, no forms to fill out, no dumping of our apples and presto we are here.  With the aid of a few transportation kiosks, some friendly attendants and a few Euros we were on a train to Centraal Station. A slick transfer onto a tram car, a couple of questions to locals, a short walk and suddenly we are at our B&B and it is 9:30 am local time. Coen and Fleur are delightful hosts, give us much needed, fantastic coffee, free museum passes, bicycles, a map and suggested places to visit.

At our B&B in Amsterdam.

Our bikes for the next four days.

We spend the next few hours exploring.  

One of the ubiquitous canals in Amsterdam.

We are still in time for some famous Dutch Tulips

It appears that Herons have learned to scavenge in the city as well as pigeons.

A sudden wind blew my hat into a local window well.  I can't say what I saw in the window when retrieving my hat.

Just as we approached this group of bikes they reared up in unison, threw their riders on the ground and were ready to take off like horses in a race.

A visit to the resistance museum is sobering, enlightening and tiring, especially with a somewhat sleep deprived brain.  A restaurant located next to the museum affords a wonderful break for lunch and a fortuitous respite from a sudden pounding rainstorm.

It will surprise some readers to learn that Cathy was overcome by the cycling culture here in Amsterdam. Some early impressions include :

Bicycles and cycling infrastructure are everywhere.

Cycling takes concentration as the paths are shared with motorized scooters, pedestrians are close by on separated paths and cars are present as well.  The system works well with traffic lights for bikes, cars and pedestrians.

Children are carried everywhere on seats attached in many clever ways and in purpose built cargo bikes big enough for small play areas.

Nobody wears a helmet.