In this case the city of Utrecht on a Sunday. Going downtown from the train station. All too familiar scenes. The only thing missing: me. I was on a bus.

Woman on a bicycle

Man on a bicycle

Dutch girl on a Swede

Checkered hypnotic yellow zebra.

Chatty Cycle

On a break during work I was able to observe and document mid-day traffic in Utrecht.

Also on this day and the next, same location, I witnessed the start of the new academic year: Introduction Week. Fraternities, student sports clubs and other establishments trying to woo these freshmen and women into joining. These kids (do I sound old now?) have to go from one part of town to other to not miss a thing…and you won’t see ‘m on anything else but two wheels. How else are you going to quickly and smoothly establish a connection with the opposite sex, right?

I packed my bike like a mule (that’s what it’s for), got three bottles of water out of the fridge (as it was too humid for comfort), smiled at the absence of wind and I set off at a slow pace (as I usually do), passing through Utrecht and then all the pittoresque towns bordering on and around the river.

Halfway the wind did pick up in a big way and there were some looming clouds, but I was lucky, it never amounted to anything…although at some point I actually wished for that cold shower :).

You understand that I had to stop many times to record bits and pieces for prosperity, not just for this blog, but my own appreciation of this beautiful part of the Netherlands. Sure, I know it well (historically) and I’ve been here before a few times in my life, but as it goes, you take it for granted until you actually go the extra mile…I mean kilometer, and take it all in. I sure did.

Even being a native Dutchie and having lived in Amsterdam for almost half my life, entering the city still was something special. One minute you are all alone in rural ecstacy, the next you find yourself in civilization…on two wheels, that is. Of course.

See all pictures of:

• 55 KM to Amsterdam
• Things That Prove You’ve Arrived In Amsterdam

First vacation sample.

And to finish, a notice: last Friday my summer vacation also officially started. Next Saturday (July 11) I will fly to Rome and later on explore Tuscany. I don’t know whether I’ll be doing any more posts the coming week (also dependent on whether my Nikon can be fixed in time), but be sure I will squeeze in some Italian Cycle Chic momentos ;).

With that said, hope you are all well and on two wheels and I wish you an awesome summer! Ciao!

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One thing that stands out (for me, at least) in Wilhelmina Park is that beautiful curvy bike lane, enabling people to cross the park, making it a popular short cut. Very popular.

When I stopped to try and catch the light of the emerging sun, I was hit. Hit by what I will now call Cycle Chic Trains. Hundreds and hundreds of people riding in line, at quite a pace, approaching from a busy roundabout (with bike lane) and crossing the street (right of way over approaching car traffic) and steering into the park. Or exiting. Either way, the combination of the frost, the sun and these people in motion was too tempting not to take time for.

Give or take a few isolated pics, I tried to capture that with depth and off-center focus. I think they came out well. I also think these people started their work day as well as I did.

My favorites sequence: