"Wow, I'm impressed. Nine hours cycling and dancing until 5:30 in the morning!"These were the words of Bianca just before we decided to call it a night and head back to Nordenham after some clubbing (if you can call it that here...) down in Oldenburg. I was impressed too! In fact, this last week-and-a-half since starting my trip back I've had more late nights after a full day's cycling than I ever would at home, hence why I've been too preoccupied to update everyone.
So I'll just quickly run through a couple of things while 
I've got a spare few minutes. The trip's been going pretty well cycling-wise so far. I'm happy with the bike and my legs seen to be coping well. After stretching for at least ten minutes and starting off, the first hour or so is always the toughest but after that you get into the rhythm of things and just enjoy the ride. With the clothes I'm wearing my bum hasn't been hurting at all (that's a relief!) and I've been feeling nice and cool even when the sun was shining strongly last week. However, that does mean I have the most horrendous tan line ever seen (seriously, it looks rediculous!) and my main past-time has now gone from reading and 
composing to pealing off my skin :) I'm not exactly sure how much distance I've covered but what with getting lots a couple of times (a mixture of signs and maps sometimes not matching up and there being no landmarks around to orientate yourself with) it's been longer than I was anticipating. I'd guess it must be around about 400 miles (just over 600km), but that's just a guess.
I've got a spare few minutes. The trip's been going pretty well cycling-wise so far. I'm happy with the bike and my legs seen to be coping well. After stretching for at least ten minutes and starting off, the first hour or so is always the toughest but after that you get into the rhythm of things and just enjoy the ride. With the clothes I'm wearing my bum hasn't been hurting at all (that's a relief!) and I've been feeling nice and cool even when the sun was shining strongly last week. However, that does mean I have the most horrendous tan line ever seen (seriously, it looks rediculous!) and my main past-time has now gone from reading and 
composing to pealing off my skin :) I'm not exactly sure how much distance I've covered but what with getting lots a couple of times (a mixture of signs and maps sometimes not matching up and there being no landmarks around to orientate yourself with) it's been longer than I was anticipating. I'd guess it must be around about 400 miles (just over 600km), but that's just a guess.Ostfriesland (East Fresia) was the area I was cycling around to begin with, which was much like I imagined Holland would be: flat as a pancake, 
lots of windmills, some towns and villages and lots of cows in the empty spaces. It's definitely dairy country, although disappointingly they don't have a local cheese... Then, when you get to the coast, things start to change. The dykes crop up and you finally see some sheep, as only they can handle the slopes. It makes a welcome change to see the sea rather than miles and miles of flat country, even if the strong crosswinds makes cycling much more difficult. I found Ostfrieslandians in general very friendly, greeting you with "Moin" when you cycle by or enter a shop. They're also quite obsessed with fish, their nickname apparently being fischköpfe (fish heads)! The Netherlands itself hasn't 
quite been what I'd imagined though. There's very little countryside here, just town after town, much fewer windmills and so far I haven't seen a single field full of tulips or a window with pretty wooden shutters and an outdoor windowsill full of flowers. Maybe this is just a cliche that doesn't really exist, but it would be nice to see them all the same.
lots of windmills, some towns and villages and lots of cows in the empty spaces. It's definitely dairy country, although disappointingly they don't have a local cheese... Then, when you get to the coast, things start to change. The dykes crop up and you finally see some sheep, as only they can handle the slopes. It makes a welcome change to see the sea rather than miles and miles of flat country, even if the strong crosswinds makes cycling much more difficult. I found Ostfrieslandians in general very friendly, greeting you with "Moin" when you cycle by or enter a shop. They're also quite obsessed with fish, their nickname apparently being fischköpfe (fish heads)! The Netherlands itself hasn't 
quite been what I'd imagined though. There's very little countryside here, just town after town, much fewer windmills and so far I haven't seen a single field full of tulips or a window with pretty wooden shutters and an outdoor windowsill full of flowers. Maybe this is just a cliche that doesn't really exist, but it would be nice to see them all the same.A few times so far I've found myself in the right place at the right time. On my way down to Bremen from Nordenham I stopped at a town festival where they were erecting some sort of flower-covered p
ole with flower-covered bells thingy with a band dressed up in their traditional costumes and then when I went to visit Bremen itself I found myself in the middle of the party celebrating Werder Bremen's victory in the German equivalent to the FA cup. Literally 70% or so of everyone in the city was dressed up in the green and white kit and we were all standing outside the radhaus (town hall) dancing to the music coming from the loudspeakers, singing the Werder Bremen songs and trying to grap a flag, scarf or football that the officials were handing out for free or throwing from the radhaus balc
ony. Then, after a couple of hours' wait, the team arrived in their coach, went up to the balcony and lifted the cup amit raptuous cheering. Not that I've ever seen them play a single match or anything, but I'd definitely call myself a Werder Bremen fan from now on! In Papenburg I again happened to arrive at the right time. They were celebrating the biggest day in their town's calendar so there were stalls and music stages all along either side of the canal running through the main street. And in Emmen I was looking around the main square and saw a poster for a fado concert in the church starting in an hour, which I of course went to!
ole with flower-covered bells thingy with a band dressed up in their traditional costumes and then when I went to visit Bremen itself I found myself in the middle of the party celebrating Werder Bremen's victory in the German equivalent to the FA cup. Literally 70% or so of everyone in the city was dressed up in the green and white kit and we were all standing outside the radhaus (town hall) dancing to the music coming from the loudspeakers, singing the Werder Bremen songs and trying to grap a flag, scarf or football that the officials were handing out for free or throwing from the radhaus balc
ony. Then, after a couple of hours' wait, the team arrived in their coach, went up to the balcony and lifted the cup amit raptuous cheering. Not that I've ever seen them play a single match or anything, but I'd definitely call myself a Werder Bremen fan from now on! In Papenburg I again happened to arrive at the right time. They were celebrating the biggest day in their town's calendar so there were stalls and music stages all along either side of the canal running through the main street. And in Emmen I was looking around the main square and saw a poster for a fado concert in the church starting in an hour, which I of course went to!
As always, it's been great to see and stay with ACers along the way and also to meet their friends and families. I arrived at Jacob's University in Bremen on Tariq's birthday, which was fun, although he'd more-or-less celebrated it the night before. Then in happenning Esens (!) I stayed with My and her family, eating authentic and delicious SE Asian food and watching Jane Austin films... One day I went for a trip to Langeoog, one of the Fresian Islands, which was pretty if rather touristy. I'm staying with Sam in Utrecht Un
iversity College at the moment, although after a late night in their power-cut-prone Sosh last night he's decided to stay in the college to sleep (or watch Gossip Girl?!) while I've come to Amsterdam for the day.
iversity College at the moment, although after a late night in their power-cut-prone Sosh last night he's decided to stay in the college to sleep (or watch Gossip Girl?!) while I've come to Amsterdam for the day. So far Couchsurfing has been a big success. The four people I've stayed with have all been very friendly and accommodating and we've had a lot of fun each night - clubbing in Oldenburg with Bianca and her friends, a late nights and a good breakfast with Johannes in Wilhelmshaven, clubbing in Papenburg with Yvonne and her friends and then (because I needed an early night after all this!) a good chat and a good film call 'Brick' with William in Zwolle. Their own Couchsurfing experiences have only ever been positive too. William said
that, actually, he considers it more safe than staying in a hostel because you only have one person to keep an eye on instead of everyone else in your dorm! Yvonne had the lovely idea of taking a poleroid picture of everyone she hosts and to have a guestbook for us to sign. I'll send everyone I've stayed with a postcard soon just to say thanks.
that, actually, he considers it more safe than staying in a hostel because you only have one person to keep an eye on instead of everyone else in your dorm! Yvonne had the lovely idea of taking a poleroid picture of everyone she hosts and to have a guestbook for us to sign. I'll send everyone I've stayed with a postcard soon just to say thanks.That's all for now folks. I'll leave it to some of the pictures to tell you more about what I've seen and been up to. Now I'm about to leave the amazing bibliotheek here in Amsterdam to have a taste of what its infamous nightlife has to offer ;) Tomorrow it's a daytrip to The Hague (really want to see the International Court of Justice there as I wanted to work there once upon a time!) then to stay with Dieteke in Amersfoort before heading south through the rest of this flat and waterlogged country.
1 comment:
Nice bike!
Bet Werder Bremen can't match Llanwddyn FC who started pre-season training last Thursday!
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