today I'm going to set out on the first of (hopefully) many cycle trips around The Netherlands. There are two trips in the book suggested which can be done in a few hours from Amsterdam. The one that goes North involves ferrys and optional detours, so I decide to take the one that goes south to Oudekerk aan de Amstel....
I stick a couple of packets of nuts, some water and a smoothie in my bag and set out. This will feed me for about 6 hours, but given that I'm never going to be more than a taxi ride from home, I think I'm being a little over careful.
Oudekerk aan de Amstel means Old "Church on the Amstel", the Amstel being the river that runs through Amsterdam... this bike trip there for heads done one bank of the river, turns at a bridge and heads back up the other side...
I cycle to the Amstel as if I was heading to Diemen, but instead of crossing the river, I turn right and continue south... after a few blocks I'm in uncharted territory(for me anyway).
The weather is perfect... a little breeze, blue skies and sun beating down on my pasty white skin.
It's amaziing how quickly you can get into scnery that makes you forget you are in a European Capital city:
All the dutch cliche shots are there:
Within almost no time, I am at Oudekerk aan de Amstel, and heading back along the other side of the river... You have to be in a good mood to appreciatte this scenery... the people slowly phutting along on boats and the whole "water colour" nature of the scenery means you get the feeling of old people, beige and biscuits.... but luckily I'm in a good mood today and appreciate the peacefulness of the countryside... I'd still take violent scottish Mountains any day.... but this is about something else... and I'm trying to appreciate
Scott Weiland recently joined the supergroup Camp Freddy, so I have been revisiting the Stone Temple Pilots, and have chosen them for the bike trip:
Back in the day... Stone Temple Pilots released an album which was a watered down version of Pearl jam.. but it sounded good enough, and we listened to it repeatedly.... I start out on that album:
After that came Purple.... we accepted this with equal enthusiasm:
I was in a few bands that played interstate love song and big empty.... I know I've played creep and plush before, and vaguely remember jamming Vasoline and Crackerman.... Listening to Purple now... I hear a band struggling with their identity... They are very talented... but in terms of having their own sound, it's not really clear... By the time "Tiny Music.... Songs from the Vatican City Gift Shop" came along.....
......their sound and identity had changed so much that you can hardly recognise the band that made Core... as I listen to this album now, it's probably only the 5th time I've heard it or something.... Now my tastes have expanded a little... so I'll give it another chance... IThere's some nice songs on it... but they flirt with so many styles... that it's a really hard listen... even though some of it is lounge music... Maybe I'll finish listening to their discography and work out what happened, and whether I like it or not.....
Anyway. By the time I'm half way along the other side of the Amstel, my arse is aching.... This cycling isn't as painless as it looks... maybe the saddle on my 10 euro bike is not meant for cycle trips...
Once I'm back into familair territory... I really enjoyed my trip, but the home stretch is monotonous.....it doesn't help me get into Stone Temple Pilot songs that I don;t know, so I reward myself with a little lemonheads....
The ultimate summer music...It also feels better for meandering along at a slow pace...
I take my wearied legs home and have a quiet night in front of the telly....
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