Settling in to Holland: Two days in Amstelveen with Hans and Mieke
Thinking back on our arrival, we remember fondly seeing the "Bartlett" sign held by Hans at the Arrivals area. Our flight was early, but the supposedly express luggage service took over an hour and we were pleased that he waited patiently for us...as well it was a relief that he had a large van that could accommodate our bike and trailer. The home is well located, a short block to the town centre and shopping. - there are bikes EVERYWHERE and bike lanes on every street. What a contrast from North America where we struggle to find our plae as cyclists.
It is always an adventure to open the bike bag to see what has been damaged on the flight - this time, only a mirror was broken. Han's cousin Herman was visiting for the day, so it was a group effort putting the bike together.
We were happy to have their back garden to put our bike together. It's starting to look like a bike.
As it was our 28th Anniversary, the five of us decided to order an Indonesian feast to share and our hosts surprised us with a special dessert to help us celebrate.
A special dessert for our anniversary - complete with Dutch flags. We are proudly wearing our Merino cycling jackets from our favourite (and best!) bike shop, Performance Bicycles in Victoria B.C. Greetings to Pam and Wayne from Holland.
We feel so fortunate that we chose to stay with Hans and Mieke. They have opened their home to us with such warm hospitality and have made us feel at home. Hans conducts tours in Holland and they both have shared so much of their knowledge and passion for their country. They have given us great tips on places to see and stay.
Hans took us to a map store in the neighbourhood to help us sort out our route.
