Utrecht – pretty and gritty

We left the quiet, small villages to come to this bustling city of buses, bikes & over a half a million people.
So, we packed up this morning and walked to the train station where we hopped a train to Utrecht. Got to our hotel around 11 am and our room won’t be ready until around 3. We find the bike rental and obtain some pretty crappy bikes. Very tall, very heavy and no gears. But hey, they have hand brakes! My lovely partner has a saying “it’s always cooler on your bike” – he has said it for years. While riding along on this 90° day, sure enough – it feels like it could be 89°

I have to admit we did see some cool things – like these White Storks
And these pretty rooftops
And this picturesque windmill

And some thought provoking graffiti. So all in all a very good day! ☺️

Nuthin’ but Netherlands

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

Pretty as a picture.
If you live on a canal, you pretty much have to have a boat!
Even the smallest of homes.
Delivering fruits & veggies in the neighborhood.
I would be helplessly lost without this guy (figuratively & literally). Every night he maps out our route for the next day.
This was such a beautiful path – except when bikers were coming toward us – then it felt like a game of chicken. I wanted to close my eyes when they got close but thought better of that!
GOATS!!! (It’s a private joke, you know who you are) 😊
For all of my fellow yogis – I miss y’all 🙏🏻

Quintessential Holland

After arriving in Weesp we biked along the canal.
Windmills everywhere – and we never get tired of seeing them.
While biking through the countryside we spotted these two little girls grooming horses. They’d brought a small plastic case with them, which contained various brushes. Quite focused on the job at hand and VERY cute!
Typical bike path
After all the biking, dipping our feet in the lake felt great,
and a gelato didn’t hurt either!
Riding through town I spotted this laid back kitty.
Back “home” and on our way to dinner.

From prison cell #233

Just to satisfy everyone’s curiosity:

Our room is approximately 21’ x 21’ – so pretty luxurious.
We think we’re in a wing where the guards resided(?). Where the cells were, every other door has a room number. So we’re guessing each hotel room is comprised of 2 cells. The building was a prison from 1884 to 2012 and the hotel opened in 2021 so they took several years to renovate.

Biking the countryside

“Traveling beyond your vicinity is crucial to gain the exposure to the world at large” – Oscar Ntuli

While biking through the country side we realized our bike tires were a bit low. As we pulled into a town, I spotted this giant cabbage.
While I was taking the pic a local came up to me and said, “You both should be in the photo!”
He then asked if we’d been in the museum and began to explain the “unique facade”. Turns out that hundreds of years ago this entire area was comprised of 15,000 islands and each island was a small vegetable farm. On market day people came by boat to bargain for their food. The facade is an aerial representation of this area prior to the channels being filled in.
We exchanged pleasantries and asked Johann where we might find a bike shop. He started to tell us where to go and then he said “Or, I live just over there. Follow me and I’ll use my pump.” We talked about parenthood and politics and then said our good byes.
As we headed out of town we spotted this field of cabbage, bordered by beautiful wildflowers!

A quick word of advise from my fellow photographer, Murph – “It’s way better to view these photos on a computer or tablet rather than your phone!”

A bit about Alkmaar

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” – Henry Miller

The Fallon Alkmaar – our home for the next four days.
Pretty – right?
But on further investigation,
we discovered that it was a prison until 2012 !!!

We never would have guessed that!

I don’t suppose this is the way the mess hall looked or how the prisoners ate.

The Netherlands

A bit of a slow start – Detroit > Amsterdam > Alkmaar

I watched the sunrise as we landed in Amsterdam.
At Schipol (pronounced Skip ul) Airport I noticed this clever method of monitoring the rest rooms.
We got to Alkmaar at around 8 am and check in was at 3:00 – so, we had PLENTY of time to explore the town. We took the scenic route through these large old beech trees.
Many “flowers” like these are strewn across the streets, giving the town a festive vibe.
Could not resist taking this pic – such a perfect entrance!
Speaking of irresistible – I just can not pass up a grebe❣️

Practice round

Hi everyone! It’s been 3 long years since we’ve traveled and in a few weeks we’ll be heading out on a new adventure. I hope you’ll follow us along the way and comment frequently so we know you’re out there.

It doesn’t matter where you are going, it’s who you have beside you.

Good Morning, Rochester!

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers” – L.M. Montgomery

“If a year was tucked inside a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.” – Victoria Erickson

“Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.” – Shira Tamir

“Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.” – Unknown

“Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love – that makes life and nature harmonize.” – George Eliot

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.” – J K Rowling

“I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves. ” – Ann Drake

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” – Stanley Horowitz

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” – Jim Bishop