Here I'm waiting for the elevator after arriving in the Amsterdam's Central Train Station from Paris. High speed rail is a very cool way to travel, rocketing through the countryside at 180 MPH is incredible, passing the vehicles on adjacent freeways like they were standing still.
To board the high speed train from Paris to Amsterdam I had to box the bike. Having to take your bike apart and put it in a box to take a train strikes me as the equivalent of having to take your car apart and putting it in a box to take a ferry.
This is a Dutch parking lot, with a multi level parking structure in the background near Amsterdam's Central Train Station.
Some canal barges in an Amsterdam canal.
When I arrived in Amsterdam my bike's chain was toast so for the first couple of days in town I rode the tram system until the bike was fixed. In flat Amsterdam a nine gear cassette is regarded as exotic racing equipment by many of Amsterdam's bike mechanics.
Amsterdam's ferry boats are designed to carry bikes not cars.
Even an Amsterdam busker with a string bass, amp & speaker travels by bike.
Later I saw him riding through a distant neighborhood near my hostel with all that gear.
More barges in Amsterdam.
A Hooka Bar
A Blue Hereon takes advantage of some bread left for the birds in an Amsterdam Park.
This must be the Golden Gate Bridge of bicycle bridges.
The center section of this Golden Gate Bridge's suspension span.
The bicycle expressway being built into Haveneiland West a suburb of Amsterdam viewed from the middle of this Golden Gate Bridge.
The brand new span in the foreground is the bicycle bridge over the Amsterdam Rijukan canal. Impressive!
The bike path along the Amsterdam Rijukan canal on a day trip I did to Utrecht.
Canal barge cafe seating in Leiden.
Canals in Leiden.
An old canal between Leiden and the Hague.
Arriving in the Hague.
The garden at my hostel in the Hague,
and yes guests can rent the VW bus for their room.
Being watched from a dutch door of a Dutch bar down the street from my hostel in the Hague.
My bike next to a more unusual bike in the Hague.
Old building in the Hague.
Seaside pier along the North Sea.
While riding around Brussels I came across this old Cathedral named Église du-Béguinage
It was full of the most fabulous wood carvings I've ever seen.
I had this church all to myself for about 40 minutes.
It was magical. One of the advantages of off season travel.
The unveiling of Brussel's Le Petit decked out in his latest costume. This time souped up with a supersoaker like attachment which he sprayed the crowd with.
A line of 25 taps, 23 of them each had a different Belgium beer!
I think I found beer drinkers Nirvana.
After traveling for 37 days in Europe I flew back to Seattle from Brussels.
Here's the link to the previous Photo Diary about the first part of the tour:
Photo Diary of my bicycle tour in southern France