I
planted some leaf lettuce in
the corner of
the garden
and it germinated!
It's always so fun to see growth from itty-bitty seeds. I
don't know if the weather will remain conducive to their development,
but it was
worth a
try.
The seedlings are
about 2
or 3 inches high
now!
Citroen
DS -
just a
classy looking car.
But this Citroen 2
CV is
my favorite!
They are
so fun to see driving around -
they are
very bouncy!
It'd be a
blast to be able to drive
one!
One of
the barge 'house
boats' in
one of
the many harbors.
Okay then!
Here's the squirrely street story (I'll have to post a better picture - later): There are separate paths for cars, bikes, trams, and people. Mostly the bike paths in Rotterdam are more of a reddish color - but not always. Scooters can be on the bike paths, too. So can people. Most of the time cars can't - but not always. The trams have their own tracks so that's okay except that all the other paths can wander over the tracks so you have to be careful. There are markings on the roads like triangles and dashes and zebra stripes and zig zags that try to offer assistance in directing all this traffic. There are 'round-abouts' - that eliminate the need for traffic signals and signs - in excess (I guess it's a European thing) that are laced with a variety of markings and lanes and turnoffs and entry lanes and bike/pedestrian crossways ... gasp! And if you have the least bit of motion sensitivity it will definitely be tried to the max!!! There are more bikes than cars and there are oodles of cars: smallish sized cars with microscopic spaces separating each vehicular unit racing hither and yon with inconsistent regard for the signs, signals and markings. They do regard all the other moving entities out there though ... it's quite amazing to watch. Oh, if you happen to be a newly arrived foreigner who is a passenger in any one of these transports prepare to experience large doses of adrenaline soaring through your body at 3 second intervals ... if you have serious control issues - stay in the house. Of course, there are (is?) also an innumerable amount of paths in an innumerable variety of degrees (sharp, cornered, curved, squiggly). Kind of like an intricate lace pattern. Yowzy! Hmmm...what have I missed...oh yes...can't forget all the rivers, harbors and canals that are ALSO woven into the wonderful fabric that constitutes Rotterdam! Have I mentioned foreign language and the METRIC SYSTEM??? Let's just say it's a challenge. Most of the streets have names that are 20 letters long (I live on Carel van Nievelstraat 23A ... not too bad). The blessing that helps is that the people of Rotterdam are nice - mostly. And it's beautiful! And slowly but gradually it finally starts to make sense. Just this week I took the bike out to look for a store we drove by the day before. I pedaled in the general direction for 1 or 2 kilometers and couldn't find it so I headed off in another direction that I felt pretty sure was the way to the park around the lake. Sure enough! I found it! And then I decided to bike an alternate route home. No worries - I carry my cell phone with me so I can call Otto if I get lost :D !!! Come visit me! I'll show you around :D !!!
I planted some leaf lettuce in the corner of the garden and it germinated! It's always so fun to see growth from itty-bitty seeds. I don't know if the weather will remain conducive to their development, but it was worth a try. The seedlings are about 2 or 3 inches high now!
Citroen DS - just a classy looking car.
But this Citroen 2CV is my favorite! They are so fun to see driving around - they are very bouncy! It'd be a blast to be able to drive one!
One of the barge 'house boats' in one of the many harbors.
Okay then! Here's the squirrely street story (I'll have to post a better picture - later): There are separate paths for cars, bikes, trams, and people. Mostly the bike paths in Rotterdam are more of a reddish color - but not always. Scooters can be on the bike paths, too. So can people. Most of the time cars can't - but not always. The trams have their own tracks so that's okay except that all the other paths can wander over the tracks so you have to be careful. There are markings on the roads like triangles and dashes and zebra stripes and zig zags that try to offer assistance in directing all this traffic. There are 'round-abouts' - that eliminate the need for traffic signals and signs - in excess (I guess it's a European thing) that are laced with a variety of markings and lanes and turnoffs and entry lanes and bike/pedestrian crossways ... gasp! And if you have the least bit of motion sensitivity it will definitely be tried to the max!!! There are more bikes than cars and there are oodles of cars: smallish sized cars with microscopic spaces separating each vehicular unit racing hither and yon with inconsistent regard for the signs, signals and markings. They do regard all the other moving entities out there though ... it's quite amazing to watch. Oh, if you happen to be a newly arrived foreigner who is a passenger in any one of these transports prepare to experience large doses of adrenaline soaring through your body at 3 second intervals ... if you have serious control issues - stay in the house. Of course, there are (is?) also an innumerable amount of paths in an innumerable variety of degrees (sharp, cornered, curved, squiggly). Kind of like an intricate lace pattern. Yowzy! Hmmm...what have I missed...oh yes...can't forget all the rivers, harbors and canals that are ALSO woven into the wonderful fabric that constitutes Rotterdam! Have I mentioned foreign language and the METRIC SYSTEM??? Let's just say it's a challenge. Most of the streets have names that are 20 letters long (I live on Carel van Nievelstraat 23A ... not too bad). The blessing that helps is that the people of Rotterdam are nice - mostly. And it's beautiful! And slowly but gradually it finally starts to make sense. Just this week I took the bike out to look for a store we drove by the day before. I pedaled in the general direction for 1 or 2 kilometers and couldn't find it so I headed off in another direction that I felt pretty sure was the way to the park around the lake. Sure enough! I found it! And then I decided to bike an alternate route home. No worries - I carry my cell phone with me so I can call Otto if I get lost :D !!! Come visit me! I'll show you around :D !!!
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