Ouderkerk aan de Amstel

Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is a small village between Amstelveen & Amsterdam. It is one of our favourite places to bike to during the summer with charming outdoor patios and superb restaurants. It has a tiny winding road that takes you back in time.

Above is the bridge of Ouderkerk - a very hectic intersection, especially when a boat comes along and blocks traffic. Along the left side are some of our fave beer drinking places on a HOT summer day.

On the right hand side of the bridge (above & below) are houses, that we often like to imagine or dream to be our future home. Imagine living in such a pristine place.

To be surrounded by pure simplicity and live on nature's door step with swans & ducks & more ... isn't she just gorgeous - I assume it is a she because of her beauty? Below photo is Arnie's with his new Canon 350D :) - the other's are mine taken with my little IXUS 50.

We were awestruck by the elegance of the swans in the Amstel and took numerous photos (but uploaded only a few to avoid boring you to tears). Below is my photo of a young swan - you can see he/she still has some brown feathers.

Below he/she (duuuh - don't know) is putting on a show with their wings.

Since we did not have any more bread for them, they quickly lost interest in us ... and turned their backs to swim away. Some long-term friendships just can't be bought.

Now for a photo along the Amstel - love this one because I captured the wind which I think illustrates how cold we felt. And just in case it DOESN'T, let me tell you ... it was -4 freeken degrees during our 4 hour "photo-taking" tour. Plus add the wind and it was MUCH colder. Yep ... I hear you folks in the snowbelt just-a-weepin' for my pain - NOT!

Have you gotten a taste of why we enjoy this tiny village so much. Now for the last photo ... of the countryside. Above was my viewpoint of the area and below was Arnie's - 2 totally different pictures, with different cameras, both in the same area.

No. 1 Transportantion in Amsterdam: BIKES

Cycling is the most convenient method of transportation in Amsterdam, with over half a million bicycles. There is a very well developed web of bike roads complete with special street signs and stoplights, and everything within the canal belt is within 10 minutes by bike (often it is faster by bike than by car). The bikes in Amsterdam come in all shapes, sizes, types and colours. Below are just a few that we found during our sunny Saturday afternoon in Amsterdam.

You can conveniently park & lock your bike anywhere and ... hopefully it will still be waiting when you return.

See what I mean ... virtually anywhere such as the below pileup!

These seem to be quite popular to transport kids and dogs.

Or crates of beer ...


We love this photo & requires some explanation!!! At Central Station, there is a huge parking space and I mean HUGE for thousands and thousands of bikes. Don't believe me ... we took the below photo and zoomed in.

Below is a close up so you can see how many bikes are actually there. In case you STILL don't believe me (because I might not believe me either), click on it to get an enlarged version. This just amazes the HELL out of me.

Honden Poep (Dog Poop): Part II

We simply could not help ourselves when we saw these signs. We thought these were perfect to further explain how much effort is made here to keep the ground "shit-free". These signs are found in various places, posted on special garbage containers.

In translation: CLEANUP BAGS, for the dog (or whomever has made the mess). Prevent aggravation and cleanup (not kidding). Baggies in garbage after use (duuuuuuh).

Below the I LOVE MY DOG - it explains it in many languages followed by helpful pictures that smartly outline how it works ..... Then it says "Take your bag here".

Second sign takes the time to politely thank those who have been considerate enough to pick up their dogs precious brownies.

Dutch Sunsets, Clouds & Skies

I was inspired by Paul to upload the above photo after viewing the Manhattan version. Nature's glory is always free of charge & for everyone's enjoyment.

Expats often comment about the dull Dutch scenery because of all the clouds. I strongly disagree because the sky can still be beautiful ... even when filled with clouds. Everyday the sky takes on a unique personality ... with expressions that our imaginations can appreciate if we only take the time. Sunsets tend to be the favourite but I love it ALL. Blue skies are the obvious favourite because they are associated with the warm weather.

Sunsets from my balcony are simply amazing!


See what I mean, below is an example of exploding clouds with colour and power. But fluffy clouds ... with faces ... 100 shades of white - grey - blue (sometime pink - but not in this example) ... are truly nature's miracle. I will try to get more diversity to add to this post in the future so you can see the clouds through my eyes.