Erika here.

Writing is an interesting thing. Sometimes it just flows, other times it involved much work, reflection and thought. Today's entry will be a mixture of both. No judgments are intended in anything written here (except for the comments on smoking! They  are just my observations and thoughts and may be both highly subjective and poorly researched. On that note, here we go. Oh, and sorry, no picture as I still need to learn how to add them.

1. The Netherlanders are very “house proud” and it shows through out the country. Houses and streets are clean and cared for. Farms are well organized and usually include lovely gardens around the farm houses. Germany is clean but you do not see the same degree of fastidiousness regarding lawn and exterior care of homes as you do in the Netherlands.

Belgium is an interesting mix. The Flemish areas are similar to the Netherlands. The French areas... lets just say they are more relaxed. Brussels was a shock. The downtown area, known for its wonderful architecture, was filthy. Garbage was everywhere. There were insufficient trash cans so that when people did try to dispose of things appropriately, the receptacles were overflowing onto the sidewalk. Considering this is the home of the European Union, it was pretty sad. 

2. Bike trails – No surprise, but it is hard to beat what is available for cyclists in the Netherlands. The paths are well marked and well maintained. The Knooppunten system works well most of the time. Unfortunately, a missing sign can result in a fair bit of wandering. In addition, the locals are not familiar with the knooppunten system and it seems that only tourists use it. The result is that when there is a problem, no one knows how to find the answer. We also found it very challenging to get maps that had the system on them. In some areas there may be three or four other systems also posted, such as for hikers, roller bladers, etc., that can increase confusion. However, on the whole, the system is a good one and cycling is a delight.

Belgium – The trails are fewer but were, on the whole well marked. Getting out of Brussels was a nightmare that involved many busy streets in less than desirable areas. It also seemed that google maps thought we wanted to get to Leuven by the fastest means possible even if it meant cycling with semi-trailers. Once we managed to escape that mess, the trails were lovely and rural. Cycling from Leuven to Koln was straight forward and led us to the German bike trails.

Germany – The trails so far have varied from outstanding to “are you trying to kill us!!!” For me, cycling on heavy gravel is not fun at all. I have never felt confident with my balance so trying to cycle on something full of rocks that are trying to throw me off my bike is not pleasant. I also find I do not see much of my surroundings in those situations as I am so busy concentrating on the trail and trying to find the least dangerous track. Why are we on those type of trails you ask?

Well, we have tried telling the trail finder apps to use to get us closer to the river. The apps resist, we insist and then…. Rocky trails! We are learning to trust that the people who developed the apps just might know a bit more than we do about the trails. However, there have been times we have followed the suggestions of the apps and still had to deal with trails that were not great.

We are mainly impressed by the sheer number of trails there are and the quality of them. We are also impressed by the vast agricultural areas we are seeing in each country we travel through. When people speak of Europe you seldom hear comments about the apple orchards in Germany or the Cherry trees in Belgium. We expect to see great farms in the Netherlands because we are all aware of their flower market and cheese. Germany is known for beer, sausage and wine. While we see lots of vineyards and cattle, we see far more fields grain, vegetables, orchards, etc.

3. While I am on the topic of farming and agriculture, I must mention bees. Germany has made some great efforts to support the health of bees. Pesticides are no longer used. All over the place we come across areas where sunflowers and other wild flowers have been planted to provide bees with nectar. Fountains are considered as important for providing water for bees as for decoration.

The degree to which the German people take bee health so seriously has been demonstrated on several occasions when we have seen people rescue bees that are sitting on sidewalk and gently move them to a bush or flower.  It is both impressive and heart warming to see a business man pause and assist a bee to a flower while his brief case is set aside for a few minutes.

4. PDA – That stands for Public Display of Affection. In North America public displays of affection seem to be limited to young love, parents and young children, and people making a political statement. In Germany, PDA is normal. You see every age, stage and gender holding hands, linking arms, giving hugs and showing physical affection. It is really striking how many middle-aged couples walk holding hands. You also see teen-agers with parents linking arms as they walk and chat. It is nice; I like it. I find myself wondering why we see so little of it in North America. Lingering impact of Puritans? Ultra-conservative up-tightness?

5. My biggest complaint – Smoking!!! Has this continent not been educated about smoking?? It is crazy to me that smoking is so common. There seems to be nowhere outside that you can go where someone is not smoking. Even the most beautiful parks that are well maintained and clean in every other way will have cigarette butts tossed on the ground. No other garbage is discarded in that manner, but it is as if smokers do not even consider their cigarette butts  to be garbage.

Today I was struck by how many of the people who were out sunbathing were also smoking. Ridiculous but should keep oncologists busy for years to come!

6. Outdoor recreation – In town after town we see large park areas, excellent resources for outdoor sports, amazing outdoor pools that are set up to include huge tracks of land so that a trip to the pool can be a full day of a variety of activities. People complain about taxes everywhere but when you see how taxes can be well used to enhance the quality of life for the general population it seems reasonable.

7. Camping – We love  camping. There are few places I sleep as well as I do in a tent. I must say, Canada provides wonderful camping facilities. In most Canadian camp grounds each site has a space for a large tent, a picnic table, a fire pit and easy access to water. Granted, not everyone likes outhouses but many campsites are upgrading to flush toilets. In Europe tents are less commonly used than in Canada. Camping sites for tents are a patch of grass. If you are lucky, the grass is well kept. You will not have a picnic table or a fire pit. If you want electricity it may be available at extra cost. Most camp sites charge for showers. Many are set up in a resort type style. Our only really complaint is that we miss picnic tables and the seating thy provide. Cycle touring does not allow for the extra space chairs would require. To put it in perspective, tonight we were thrilled that our site had large stones on one side that could be used as chairs.

8. Helpful folks – Every country has helpful  folks who are quick to offer help if you look confused or lost. Most Europeans speak some amount of English and are keen to use it to help you. In Germany, helpfulness can seem a bit extreme. Every time we pause to look at a map and double check our route, someone stops to help us out. We have had people lead us places and had one cycling couple who were faster than us, pause at each route adjustment to make sure we were going the right way when we eventually caught up to them. While occasionally it is a younger person who helps you; most of the time, it is a person who is middle aged or older. We are so grateful for the kindness of others but on occasion, we just need a minute to think or get a drink.

So, those are a few random thoughts and observation so far on this trip.  Some of the things that rattle around in my head while peddling.  If they make little sense it is probably due to the  cobble stones keeping things shook up!