The Netherlands is flat, and we are loving it. Arrived in Amsterdam after flying all night and rented a car and drove to our hotel. Balance of yesterday was spent getting acclimated to the 6 hour time difference and putting our bikes together. Managed a little sightseeing in Amsterdam last night before getting as much sleep as possible.
First day of biking was also our shortest this trip at 41 miles. Got rained on, at times pretty heavy, but a good beginning to this 3 country bike tour. Chris did an excellent job navigating using an app on his iPhone. We rode the entire distance on bike paths or dedicated bike lanes in Amsterdam and the two other cities we passed thru.
We are amazed at the amount of bike infrastructure, both in the cities and in the countryside. More than even Denmark. It seems everyone rides a bike to go shopping, commute to work and/or school, and just biking around.
Bikes have the right of way over cars and pedestrians. Intersection traffic lights have special green lights for bikes. I am loving this bike culture. Wish we had it in the US. Maybe someday if we keep pushing for it. It is no wonder we hardly see any obese people with so many people riding bikes. I have taken pictures of bike parking lots which are huge. I will try to figure out how to download to my blog later in the trip.
Longer day of riding tomorrow but it looks like we have to go thru Rotterdam, a large city. Tomorrow is supposed to be rain free, one of the few this trip. I will enjoy it and hope we dodge the rain drops on the days to come. Wishing Mark and Matt were with us. Already thinking about trips in future years. Ted, this morning our hotel had a devoted section to gluten free breakfast. I’ll keep looking for you.
Wish I was there with you guys,too. I will follow along everyday. Have fun.