Amstel Cycle

In the spirit of seeing and experiencing more of the area where we live, we decided to spend a weekend exploring in the most Dutch way possible- going for a cycle.  For quite some time we have been meaning to do a day cycling trip along the Amstel river, and finally we had a free, sunny weekend.  So, armed with a picnic lunch and a Lonely Planet Amsterdam guide, we cycled into the morning.

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From our house, we started with 3km cycle to the Amstelpark, where we cycled next to the river for about 7km until we reached the small town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.  There were many other cyclists, rowers and joggers out enjoying the sun. It was pretty incredible that just a few minutes cycle from the bustling city there was peace and quiet among kilometres of green farmland, and even more strange to see cows and sheep with tall skyscrapers in the background.

Just past the town we stopped off to rest our legs and for a quick snack on a small jetty over the river.  Despite the heat from the sun (one of the first really warm days of the entire year!) it was still quite windy- fortunately the wind was at our backs so cycling was easy.

By this time we were on the edge of the Rondehoep, a large polder (low-lying area of land surrounded by dykes) that covers all the way from Ouderkerk aan de Amstel down to the border of the Utrecht province.  We cycled around the whole polder, a distance of around 15km, with a quick stop for lunch half way around.  Cycling along the dyke, it was striking to see the water level on one side of the dyke being quite a bit higher than the land on the other side- just a foot or two rise of the water would result in the farmland, and in many places the front yards of family houses, being flooded.

At one point we crossed over the river on a small wooden hand operated bridge. As we were cycling away, a small boat was going past but was blocked by the bridge.  We watched as a guy climbed out of the boat onto the bank, unlatched some clips that were keeping the bridge secured and then pulled a rope which lifted the bridge enough for the boat to motor through.

As we cycled north towards home on the west side of the polder, the wind was now making it difficult for us.  We eventually made it back to Ouderkerk, where we stopped for a coffee and some cake at a little cafe right on the river with a nice view of the church from which the town gets its name.

The winter has been long, and it was a great relief to finally get some warm weather.  It's easy to forget that just a few months ago these same canals would have been frozen over, rather than reflecting sun from gentle ripples.

Commuting

Today I rode my bike to work for the first time.  I've practiced riding on the weekends and at night, but this is the first time in peak hour, and it's quite a different experience.  The bike paths chock full, but I feel safe enough amongst the pack as long as I stay straight and consistent.
I also got my personal OV-chipkaart today, a bright pink tram card with my face printed on it.  Now I feel more like a local when I swipe it on the tram, rather than using the blue anonymous ones that the tourists use.  WHat's even better is that work pays for any travel I do using the card within zones 1 & 2, so I can go anywhere between Zuid and Centraal for free- score!

Bikes!

We're getting more and more Dutch each day- this weekend we bought bikes! And being second hand, we don't stick out like the tourists who ride the brand new bright red or yellow rental bikes around town.  We bought them from a little bike shop around the corner from our house called Ciclo Rijwielhandel.  Given the massive market for bicycles in Amsterdam, one would think that prices might be low but they are in fact the opposite- we bought second hand ones on the cheaper end of the scale and paid 150 euro each (including sturdy new locks). You do get what you pay for with Dutch bikes though- they are ridiculously well made compared to the bikes I have owned in Australia.

My bike is like my first car- it's around 30 years old but was previously owned by an old lady who had it in the shed for years so it hasn't seen much use.  It's in very good nick, no rust or anything like that.

Our first ride in Amsterdam was a baptism of fire- we went to pay for the bikes and he only accepted cash, of which we didn't have enough, so he said we could ride to the ATM to get cash out.  So with no time to practice in a quiet area, it was straight out onto the main street to find a bank.  It was quite nerve racking, but probably a good thing that we didn't have time to be nervous about it before we started.
We went for a ride to the park to practice, and also to my work to figure out which way to go.  It's a quick and fun way to get around, and very easy given the complete lack of hills.  Hopefully over the coming months we'll get better and more confident on our new bikes.

Our bikes! Sam's on the left, mine on the right

Parking lot at the fron of our house

Serious bike lock