A long overdue and lengthy leftover from my travels this summer. Biking Berlin with Lauren & Teresa on our orange Fat Tire rental bikes.

Suffice to say, Berlin was cool. Well, we did enjoy nice warm weather, but the city’s kool factor is hard to describe without seeing it for yourself. Pictures will go only so far.

The last time I was there was during the World Cup in 2006 and as far as I could tell it has only gained more charm. Charm meaning: still and perhaps even more so that time-warp feeling of the 80’s and 90’s, both the urban vibe on the streets and the people. Non-conformists, making up their own fabric.

I think there’s not a city that so vividly and fittingly embraces street art as Berlin does. Graffiti is all around, truly amazing stuff and every neighborhood has at least a few hubs where artists have setup shop. You’d be blind to miss it.

Something I recognize, it reminds me of the more anarchistic and everything-goes Amsterdam of yester years. The good people of Berlin should know better, this characteristic of the city is essential, we can all see what impact massive gentrification can have.

One thing that did change since I was last there, there’s notably more cycling going on. Great diversity, young and old, hipsters (lots of fixies) and ‘commuters’ (for lack of better word), it’s happenin’. You can tell people enjoy it, no matter the still high volume of car traffic.

This increase of cycling and the way people move about on bikes also showed me that Berliners/Germans have so much in common with the Dutch. Uncomplicated, laissez-faire, utilitarian, practical, but with flair and lots of personality. A joy to be a witness of while walking and riding around.

Go there. You’ll love it.

That’s all I got. What was I thinking…these pictures wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of Álvaro who lend me his camera for this trip, as my Nikon is in repairs. Heel veel dank, man!

See the photo sets ‘Ich Bin Ein Berliner‘ & ‘Spaß In Berlin‘ for many more impressions.

Oh, hello! How are you?

A week has passed since my return from Italy and as summer vacations go…well, I’ve gone with the flow and I’m sticking with it. The blogging ratio is still low, but the cycling continues, as it continues to be the most important form of transportation for me, all year round. And being able to mix it up with train travel seals the deal.

With those modes, it doesn’t matter where you need to go in the Netherlands. Well over 17.000 kilometers of nearly flawless bicycle paths/lanes and routes will get you anywhere, from big and dense cities to the rural outskirts. My friends Helen and Les from Ottawa can tell you all about it.

Too far? A train station will always be close. It not only costs very little, you also meet people. In the summer the bar for that is always set low. Whether it’s when you help other people getting their bikes on the train and/or negotiating the compartment parking, giving tips to foreign visitors or just the bike itself, a conversation is inevitable. Before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination. And that’s just one of the perks :).

So, in that sense, Mr Freight and I had a ‘busy’ week. Riding on the streets of Amsterdam, for the flimsiest of excuses and the more designated ones.

Riding to a party with a friend & observing while waiting for the light to go green.

Visiting a friend in Arnhem, where the daily cycle routines seem to be predictably a-ok.

Strengthening the family ties by going for a ride with my niece & nephew and sister-in-law.

But what about the title of this post, you ask? Simple, I will be traveling again at the end of this week, this time to beautiful Berlin. Whether there will be any cycling involved remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine there won’t be.