A Tale of Two J's

Amsterdam was indeed all everyone claims it to be, as Josh said. What a city. The plethora of bikes is really quite something. It's quite similar in that respect here in the smaller city of Delft, where I've been for two days. There are separate bike lanes on most roads, where separate street lights signal green/yellow/red in the shape of bikes. Commuters return home with their briefcases strapped onto the backs of their bikes. Groups of teenagers roll past from school, biking next to each other and chatting. I had the pleasure of being part of that today while Leon, Cate, and I toured the Delft countryside and then the city. The countryside was dominated by fields, sheep and cows, marshes, and canals. There are also many concrete paths, reserved for pedestrians and bikers, that traverse it. Take a close look at the picture and you'll notice my bike's wheels are quite small. This is Leon's amazing gizmo that folds at several joints into a manageable package so you can carry it on trains and the like. Cate got one as well. They work pretty well, too.

Delft has this tunnel where grafitti is tolerated, and therefore rather encouraged. Some of this art is amazing! I would love to see someone in the process of designing a piece, just with cans of spraypaint. Do they use other tools? The detail and crisp lines tell me they do, but I'd love to know the actual truth.

Yesterday we visited the Dutch beach. It's quite close - maybe a 45 minute tram ride, passing through The Hague on the way. We were so lucky to enjoy a warm, sunny day on the ocean. . .in November no less! I was barefoot and lightly clothed the whole time, dipping my feet into the water, which wasn't all that cold. We spent the whole afternoon along the water and in the dunes, and watched a beautiful sunset before heading back to The Hague for a nice Turkish dinner.

Josh and I meet up tomorrow for two more days in Belgium and France before returning to the U.S. It's been a great month travelling around western Europe. So many good times, so many good visits. I'm pooped, in a good way.