Sorry, none of the former (this is a family show, right?) but after spending a week in Amsterdam, i gotta share!
pix to follow (hey, im tired)
My first morning after being delivered to my abode or the week, we went for a walk which took for ever simply bcos i kept stopping and staring in amazement!
Nobody uses their horn! (i heard one 4 times in 6 days!!!)
Bikes and pedestrians somehow get priority. this aint in writing. its just a social more
There are more bikes than cars. by a factor of about 3!
Not that they really need bike lanes (never thought those words would pass my lips!) but every second street is a dedicated thru-rd for ped's and bikes.
More than half of the commercial deliveries are made on bikes. yes even huge stuff! They have funky custombuilt lugging bikes. I saw a removal Co that had a 4 person bike carrying a dining table!!! (no pix!@^#%!!! couldnt get the camera out in time...).
Fixed and SS make up about 80% as its too likley to get stolen and all bike asre parked outside in ANY conditions. Oh, and it IS Holland. the only 'hill' is the bump up over the canals
50,000 bikes get stolen annually in Amsterdam. 10,000 end up in the canals and they have a dedicated council cruising with a 'bike'arm' on the barge to pick out the bike out of the water.
Of these 50,000 bikes the majority get 'recycled' at the 'bike-bridge'.
This isa bridge near the Uni where junkies cruise past on appropriated bikes and instead of offering you 'charlie' ask if you want to buy a bike!
This seems to be an accepted practice by all Amsterdammers and most will simply buy a bike for the ride home if stranded near here, rahter than walk to their destination.
The going rate was 5euro. I ended up doing this on a few occasions but wierdly when i parked the bike oustide my loft it would still be there the next day.
Their yearly bike-toll is averaging lower than Australia's!
I love this place!!!
Oh yeah, the pancakes aint bad either...
pix to follow (hey, im tired)
My first morning after being delivered to my abode or the week, we went for a walk which took for ever simply bcos i kept stopping and staring in amazement!
Nobody uses their horn! (i heard one 4 times in 6 days!!!)
Bikes and pedestrians somehow get priority. this aint in writing. its just a social more
There are more bikes than cars. by a factor of about 3!
Not that they really need bike lanes (never thought those words would pass my lips!) but every second street is a dedicated thru-rd for ped's and bikes.
More than half of the commercial deliveries are made on bikes. yes even huge stuff! They have funky custombuilt lugging bikes. I saw a removal Co that had a 4 person bike carrying a dining table!!! (no pix!@^#%!!! couldnt get the camera out in time...).
Fixed and SS make up about 80% as its too likley to get stolen and all bike asre parked outside in ANY conditions. Oh, and it IS Holland. the only 'hill' is the bump up over the canals
50,000 bikes get stolen annually in Amsterdam. 10,000 end up in the canals and they have a dedicated council cruising with a 'bike'arm' on the barge to pick out the bike out of the water.
Of these 50,000 bikes the majority get 'recycled' at the 'bike-bridge'.
This isa bridge near the Uni where junkies cruise past on appropriated bikes and instead of offering you 'charlie' ask if you want to buy a bike!
This seems to be an accepted practice by all Amsterdammers and most will simply buy a bike for the ride home if stranded near here, rahter than walk to their destination.
The going rate was 5euro. I ended up doing this on a few occasions but wierdly when i parked the bike oustide my loft it would still be there the next day.
Their yearly bike-toll is averaging lower than Australia's!
I love this place!!!
Oh yeah, the pancakes aint bad either...
