“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for,” the wise American Author John A. Shedd once said. Keeping that sentence in mind, I took my ship – well in my case a bike, cause yeah that’s what they do there in the Netherlands –jumped inside the car and...
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An old city, founded by the Romans and with a city center which dates back from medieval times, it would be easy to choose a favorite place in Utrecht near the Oudegracht or somewhere around the Dom Church. However, there is one place that makes me feel more at home in this city than...
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Travelling from one country to another, one always has expectations, especially if it is a place you have heard of, or longed to be. Your first impression of the place will either make you love or hate it. In addition, questions arise like: Do I want to come back here? Yes, I would love to. No,...
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A tall, slim, twenty-something blonde softly leans against the handle bars of her utility bicycle, and takes a swig from a cigarette. An Aztec eternity scarf is draped around her porcelain neck, her blonde hair perched on the top of her head in a loose bun. As she crosses one leg over the other,...
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When arriving in a country for the first time, I usually head for the supermarket. Not just to ease my jet-lag with a snack or some ice tea, but to learn. Just as the local media will tell you a lot about its readers, the grocers’ is a great place for getting to know...
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With the exception of the spicy offerings on the menu, going to one of the coffeshops of Utrecht is very similar to having a ‘fika’ in Gothenburg. It is a place for casually dressed people who meet up to enjoy the good life while its raining cats and dogs. I knew there would not...
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Even though Annica has only been living in her small student room for two days she looks well settled. Sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, she tells me the change in moving to Utrecht from Helsinki was not that big of a change. Home is though a somewhat wedged feeling for her....
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I got my first impression of The Netherlands, and of Utrecht itself, in the train on the way from Amsterdam to Utrecht. Seeing the city from the outside, one of the things that attracted my attention is that those low typical Dutch houses shaping the city are surrounded by some huge buildings, probably belonging...
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When I was on my way to the Netherlands I already knew, that I was going to have a bike right away. Because everybody rides a bike just like in Denmark. But the similarity ends right there. You are allowed to sit on the back of the bike, there are no handbrakes on the...
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The Dutch might have a Queen. They might think that Beatrix is head of state. They might think that she rules the Netherlands. But she actually does not. The true head of state is a cute metallic vehicle: de fiets. The bike. I am sure about this after three days here in Utrecht. Well,...
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You hear it from afar. The thrilling sound of a cycle bell makes you jump. You get out of the way, even if you haven’t identified the distant threat yet. Seconds later you do. Several bikes fly by, leaving you stunned by their speed and the multitasking-abilities of their riders.
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