Autumn Wheels

Close up of bike wheel in leaves



Rock-proof baby carrier



Ah, this is my bicycle. If you go to the center of Utrecht around 5:00, you can buy flowers when the flower stalls are closing-up for the night. You get more flowers for less. This night I wanted a few sunflowers. Eager to get rid of their stash and replenish it in the morning, the flower sellar gave me about twenty-five sunflowers. The bundle was too unwieldy to bike with under my arm (what most Dutchies do) so I had to tether them to the back of my seat with my orange scarf.



Jewish bike. I found it sort of funny that someone left their yarmulke (the most commonly recognized piece of jewish garb) beside the bike on the railing overlooking the canal. One puff of wind and...it might have gone sailing



Yellow and blue contrast with bikes



Heineken is manufactured in Holland. I have not been to the headquarters, but they are located in Amsterdam. Heineken is the prefered beer here. Though I prefer wine, most young people opt for beer. Their parents drink wine with most meals. Wine is far cheaper here and it can be bought in greater variety than in most American grocery stores. There is plenty of wine that can be bought for two euros a bottle. (Don't worry Rotary, I drink in moderation. ) :)



Autumnal bike



Bike prank: One often sees bikes, still locked to the railings, that have been turned on their wheel or are hanging off into the canal. Each year they have to dredge the canals for bikes. I am told they pull up hundreds...



Fall-hued bike



Action bike!



I guess bikes are not permitted here...


Graffiti is fairly common in the Netherlands. It seems to be more artfully crafted than the graffiti I have observed in the United States. Most often, the graffiti appears on construction sites (the wood planks and scaffolding surrounding buildings) and not on the buildings themselves.