Utrecht: Ice cream, rabbits and biking accidents caused by clumsy American tourists

schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
edited May 29, 2008 in Journeys
I had the great pleasure of visiting one of my very, very good friends in the Netherlands earlier this month on my way to the Scotland workshop. The calm before the storm, as we described it.

The Netherlands really exceeded my expectations. Admittedly, it is not a country I had ever considered vacationing to before, but the people, the architecture, the warm sun and the relaxed lifestyle really won me over.

We first biked to downtown Utrecht, which was an adventure in and of itself for me because I learned how to ride a bike specifically for this trip. You can't go to the Netherlands and not ride a bike! I only had a couple of accidents, and Ivar was very patient with me. :D

I finally took out my camera as we approached the big church tower. It dominates the city - in a good way. This was the only fisheye shot I got before I lent it to Ivar and, well, that was the end of the story! I remember this street smelled deliciously like the crispy cheese on a good thin pizza. The bookstore on the right was a lovely place to browse, too.

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Looking into the reflection of the street in the bookstore. Maybe a confusing view but I really enjoyed picking out the different layers as I stood there. We all know Rembrandt for showing us the meaning of great soft window light. I, too, always characterized Ivar's photography with good light. The Dutch just have amazing windows, I guess! Which makes sense if you're going to move all your furniture through them....

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The statue in front of the church, which I had seen many photos of before. Lots of people like to gather in this quiet little courtyard. Not without good reason - the trees whisper in the wind and the sun was so warm and bright:

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Inside, the courtyard is a shady haven for couples and friends alike:

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And the walkway around the perimeter reminds me of an old castle:

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As we wander the streets again, there are several exceptionally beautiful buildings. I loved the shutters on this one.

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Old and the new clustered together. Walk in the sky, fly free:

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Everywhere are inviting little restaurants with outdoor seating. I love how you just sit at one and get great service. No rush, no fuss, no muss. The thing that made my two days here so perfect was the amout of time we spent sitting at these cafes, people watching and talking and laughing and taking our time. I can do this forever:

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Across from our table where we had tea, this man looked right out of another century. Utrecht has all types: hip, unhip, traditional, cool, euro, and everything in-between.

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We tried Utrecht's only big Japanese restaurant for dinner. We both love sushi. I like this shot because the tree we were sitting under kept shedding in our food and I found it so funny. We watched so many people walk and bike by, and I can pretty much remember them all. Oh, perfection of a spring evening.

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By the time we had taken our sweet time eating and getting up again, all the shops were closed. It didn't stop us from taking photos of the streets and buildings, however.

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The streets are cleaner than most cities at home, but I found the irony of this scene irresistable:

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Stars and smiles:

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And finally, you can't visit Utrecht without seeing and hearing about Miffy the rabbit. As the sun sank below the horizon we speculated that with some research, you can probably use the Miffy statue as stonehenge.

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After a hilarious bike ride/struggle home (with only a few minor crashes and near-canal misses), my tired-from-smiling face was ready to hit the sack. It was Amsterdam tomorrow and I needed to adjust to the jet lag. More later...

Comments

  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2008
    clap.gif great series, Schmoo, can't wait to see more!
  • zentricksterzentrickster Registered Users Posts: 104 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2008
    Wow!

    I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, the pic or the commentary,

    thank you so much.
  • Moogle PepperMoogle Pepper Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2008
    headscratch.gif

    What I don't understand is.. where is the ice cream??:D


    Why I love traveling! Good stuff, Schmoooo!
    Food & Culture.
    www.tednghiem.com
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2008
    headscratch.gif

    What I don't understand is.. where is the ice cream??:D


    Why I love traveling! Good stuff, Schmoooo!

    True, true, I didn't post any of the photos of people eating ice cream. But I made mental notes about it - everyone enjoys ice cream young and old and it made me smile sitting there watching people of all ages walk away from the shops with ice cream cones. Such innocent happiness isn't really found around where I live, at least. It's one of the little details about the Dutch that will always stay with me.

    Thanks for the kind words! I love traveling too, and mostly when you have friends on the other side to see. thumb.gif
  • devbobodevbobo Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,339 SmugMug Employee
    edited May 25, 2008
    yay schmoo and ivar wings.gif
    David Parry
    SmugMug API Developer
    My Photos
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2008
    wow nice pics,
    Looks like a wonderful trip.
  • TangoTango Registered Users Posts: 4,592 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2008
    clap.gif too cool, and i loved the window shutters shot!
    Aaron Nelson
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2008
    schmoo wrote:
    300813544_aU5hY-L.jpg
    Love it !!! Only you would have seen that schmoo. Perfect conversion also.
  • W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2008
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited May 26, 2008
    which "other" century? ne_nau.gif

    check out the uber-futuristic hard-shell backpack sitting next to our fedora topped hero!
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    Great stuff schmoo, thanks for taking us! thumb.gif
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited May 26, 2008
    absolutely schmoolicious series!!!!

    the red shutters photo tops my list of faves thumb.gif
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2008
    Angelo wrote:
    absolutely schmoolicious series!!!!

    I never cease to rolleyes1.gif when you say that!

    Thanks guys, everyone. I went to hang with a friend and didn't expect to get any shots, but this trip proved that there's a shot in everything if you learn to be flexible in how you "see."
  • Moogle PepperMoogle Pepper Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2008
    ..Where's the ice cream!!? deal.gif

    mental notes, pfft! pictures!
    Food & Culture.
    www.tednghiem.com
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2008
    wOW WHAT A GREAT SERIES !!clap.gifthumbbowdown.gifclapthumb.gifbowdown.gifclapclap.gifthumbthumb.gifbowdown.gifbow
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited May 29, 2008
    Schmoo, I'm so happy you came to the NL and visited me for a bit. I had a great time. You really got some amazing shots as well; It's as if I am seeing Utrecht for the first time in some of them bowdown.gif
    gus wrote:
    schmoo wrote:
    300813544_aU5hY-S.jpg
    Love it !!! Only you would have seen that schmoo. Perfect conversion also.
    That, Gus, is more true than you know. I recognize the exact location, I was with Schmoo all the time there, and yet I have no recollection of that man or Schmoo taking the shot headscratch.gif

    Oh, and just for the record: No one in the making of this series got hurt or injured by the bicycle riding American, or otherwise lol3.gif Actually, I was quite impressed by how it went, seeing that riding bicycles here is a bit different from riding them in the US thumb.gif
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