Cycling Below Sea Level
by Tyson Brooks
Amsterdam stirred and came slowly to life. Cyclists on old and beat-up bikes started their commute to work. I found myself in their midst, sharing the road with cars, pedestrians and occasionally even horses as I circled the city core on ring roads. Intoxicated by the notion of being in Europe for the first time, I was in a daze. The confusion of the traffic didn’t help. Every type of conveyance has its own set of traffic lights and rules to follow.
It had not been easy to reach Amsterdam. I had taken a midnight flight from Toronto to London and then an overnight bus to Amsterdam the following day. I had to bribe the bus driver to get my bike on board but I was content as I saw the sun set over the White Cliffs of Dover on the ferry crossing to the Continent. Bus drivers in Europe, unlike those in North America, own their buses. The bus, cleaned and serviced by the driver himself, is his pride and joy.
For North American students, the trek out of university inevitably involves a whirlwind trip to Europe. Amsterdam was suffering under the weight of these tourists. Hostels were bulging at the seams. I arrived at 8 a.m. and still had to queue for an hour to get a bed. I wondered: was this really going to be worth it?
Amsterdam, with its clogged streets and thoroughfares, is a confusing city to navigate, but somehow I managed and soon moved efficiently on to see the sites. Admittedly, I missed the most popular ones in order to concentrate on the parks and less touristy neighbourhoods. I did hit the touristy sex museum, and the red light district once night fell. Ladies of the night occupied prime storefront locations, beckoning from behind glass. For most it is like window-shopping for a sex partner, though most tourists opted for the various and safer sex shows.
The next day I headed out to Edam, famous for producing Edam cheese. The bike path zigzagged through farmers’ fields and those small Dutch villages celebrated by 17th-century artists and still retaining much of their Old World character. The scenery was stunning but the smell of methane from cow dung was often enough to make me gag. From Edam I peddled along the coast on a beautiful seaside bike path that wove between sand dunes. Intermittent rain kept the crowds down. I felt strangely isolated even in this highly populated country. The seaside resorts reminded me of the Atlantic Coast of America but with a European feel. That shouldn’t have been surprising since they are on different sides of the same ocean.
Next I cycled south toward Belgium, taking the occasional ferry or crossing extensive dams. Cyclists are treated well in The Netherlands. All paths were in good repair. Directional signs were frequent, and road crossings always came with traffic lights for bicycles. In Belgium I stopped in Brugge to have some missing spokes repaired. This left plenty of time to explore this unique walled city. It was a maze of streets and canals radiating from the impressive Belfort. After climbing the 366 steps to the top of the Belfort, I wandered along to get a lofty perspective of the streets I had just traversed. After Amsterdam the city was relatively unimpressive, although they did have a good Salvador Dali exhibit.
The next day I moved on to Ghent. Although often described as a dirty, overgrown city I was very impressed. A large medieval castle lay at the centre. The cobblestones were enough to rattle your teeth loose and the traffic heavy – so I abandoned my bike in favour of travel by foot. Wooden bridges crossed canals as modern streetcars passed in front of ancient buildings. The architects of this city seemed to have been very confused. The city is a blend of giant churches, medieval castles, Romanesque buildings, tatty apartments and ultra-modern novelty buildings. This eclectic jumble somehow manages to have a pleasing effect on the eye. From Ghent I boarded a train for Luxembourg City.
For information on the Netherlands and Belgium:
Netherlands Board of Tourism
Amsterdam Tourist Board
Belgian Tourist Board
Tyson Brooks
September 2000
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