4Daagse'ing it

Yep, that's me and my trusty bike, somewhere around kilometer 53. That was early on Thursday. By Friday noon, 100km had rolled under my wheels and I got a gold medal! My medal was not real gold, I'm sorry to say. But I did complete the Zuidlaren Fiets4Daagse. The Zuidlaren FietsTocht Club hosts this event. They're very nice, and a good number of them appear to have been adults during WWII.

Tuesday (Day 1): It was pouring rain Tuesday morning, but it stopped just before 10am and off I pedaled to the start point, which is just a couple km from where I'm staying right now. Because the start point was in a cantina, I (wrongly) assumed there would be a way to use my bank card to pay the entrance fee. Yeah, no. So I rode over to the village (a couple of km further) and back. Returning, I was trying to get something out of my pocket as I entered the building and stumbled over the threshold, which was at least a meter tall. OK not a meter, but it was tall! Anyway, spectacular stumble-thud-smack onto my knees, which ached until the following morning. Off to a great start.

Once the 25km group split off from the 40km and 60km groups, I realized I was on the route used only by the 80-plus'ers and the family with the boy with Downs Syndrome. Nice. I suck. But, but... I was working this week and only had a couple of hours a day to spend riding! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I hadn't taken water or anything with me, and got a little dizzy about 2/3 through, but I stopped for a bit and was able to finish. On the bright side, I survived, and the rain held off until I was done.

Wednesday (Day 2): After a good night's sleep, the knees felt much better and off I went bright and early-ish. I prepared a little better for Day 2: I took a soda with sugar (which I never, ever drink) and a big bottle of water. Small sips of that soda turned out to do a world of good, and I felt great all day. I also followed my carefully laid plan of NOT falling on my face. There was a heck of a wind all day, and the ground was soaked from the rains the night before, but it was dry. There were some lovely villages (Glimmen and Annen), and I even stopped for a while to eat an apple. And the moment I got home, the skies opened and the lightning scorched the earth. Or something. It rained a lot.

This was also the day we rode through Schipborg, and I'm riding along, minding my own, and a woman riding towards me grumpily says, "Het is afgelopen de zon." Now, I can generally understand Dutch speaking by this point, but it takes a second to percolate into meaning. "The sun's gone." Oh. I was wearing sun glasses. Mind you, it was only just past noon, but it was overcast. Either way, however, I'm going to wear my sunglasses. Think of them as bug-and-wind glasses, if it makes you feel better; I got tired of getting bugs in my eyes and bought sunglasses. Get over it. [Insert mild insult of your choice.]

Thursday (Day 3): The weather was lovely on Thursday, just a mild wind, and by this time I prepared like a pro. A large bottle of water and a small bottle with water plus 1 tablespoon of honey plus 1 teaspoon of sugar. That's a lot less sugar than the soda, but enough to keep my blood sugar up. Worked perfectly. On the other hand, Thursday was the inside-joke day for the event planners. Balloo is a very pretty place where I will avoid going again, at least on bike. You see, Holland is flat. Have I mentioned that Holland is flat? It's almost entirely seabed and reclaimed marshland, with protective dunes and dikes all over the place. But, for the most part, flat. In Drenthe, a lot of it is above sea level, but still flat, except for the Hondsrug (Dog's Back). This is a sandy ridge that stretches 70km in length and rises 20m above sea level. Twenty meters! That's like... OK, for California, that's flat. For NL, that's nose-bleed elevation. And the marvelous event planners took us over every single hill within riding range, I swear. I was cussing (quietly, because I was surrounded by... very mature people on electric bikes and I didn't want to offend them). But I made it.

Friday (Day 4): Friday was an absolute treat. The route was flat, the sky was lightly overcast, the wind was a gentle whisper, and in addition to a bunch of lovely, tiny villages, we went to Molen de Wachter. This is a windmill/museum, where they still bake bread according to the old local recipe with raisins and serve it in thick wedges with hand-made butter. To die for. Also nearly died from the big pile of decomposing cow and/or pig poop we rode within 1m of. Good golly Miss Molly what a stink! The ground is mostly sand here and needs a lot of fertilization. So the farmers from here kindly haul away the pig poop from the farmers down south. Everyone's happy. Except us as we rode past and nearly fell off our bikes. But it was all-in-all an easy ride on Friday, and we all got gold medals!

100km over four days. Happy I did it. Next time: 160km.

History of the 4Daagse


The 4Daagse began in 1909 as a primarily military event that was part of a whole fitness craze in the Netherlands in the early 1900s. Four-day events were regular things. I guess they had longer weekends than we do now. The very first 4Daagse was a 150km military march with 306 soldiers and 10 civilians, all men. They didn't complete the entire 150km because Friesland was in a terrible state, weather-wise (Those are the guys who managed to muck up the Elfsteden Tocht this year too!) and Rotterdam was having an inconvenient outbreak of cholera. But the Queen (Wilhelmina) was pleased and decorated the soldiers with the Four Days Cross. The 4Daagse had been born.

In 1925, the event moved to Nijmegan, where it has taken place ever since. The first woman participated in 1919, and in 1928 (the year the Amsterdam hosted the Olympics) delegations from other countries joined in. "The forty British participants of the Road Walking Association were divided into four groups according to social class, all of which won a group prize."  It was a different world. Or not so different, but more open about it? Anyway.... The marches were disrupted by WWII, but have otherwise carried on merrily since 1925. (Source)

Today, 4Daagse events are held all over the Netherlands, in walking, biking, and swimming. There's a charity aspect to it now; banks and insurance companies sponsor walkers and money is raised from entrance fees. But mostly, the 4Daagse events honor the value that Holland continues to place on physical fitness. Go Holland. (How 'bout them field-hockey women?)

Glimpse of Amsterdam

It's just a glimpse, so don't think I'm about to tell you all there is to know about this ancient city.


I went to Amsterdam by train Saturday morning and came back by train after dinner Sunday. It's 2 hours by train. Travelers except tourists and commuters pay around €28 for the round trip, or less. (Commuters traveling during rush hour and tourists without access to one of the rail system's many discount programs pay nearly €50.) Trains are frequent, on-time, and full. (The Dutch complain endlessly about trains being late. In Dutch, the phrase for something being late is te laat, "too late." To them, 5 minutes off schedule for a 2-hour train trip is unacceptable.)


It's early December, but after Sinterklaas, so the Christmas season is upon the city of Amsterdam. While the Sinterklaas traditions are completely alien to Americans, Dutch Christmas looks a lot like American Christmas, without the year's worth of debt slavery attached, as the Dutch use very little credit.


At the end of the post, there's a map of Amsterdam with markers showing where each picture I'm including was taken, for those of you who would like to get oriented a bit. Note that this is only a map of the very very oldest, central heart of Amsterdam. It's a city that has been evolving since the 13th century from a fishing port to one of the most intriguing cities in the world. The part shown in the map image dates from the 16th century and before, although many of the structures were replaced in the 17th century, when Amsterdam experienced a golden age and underwent extensive changes.


4. Royal Palace of Amsterdam

This is a 100% Dutch picture to me. First, the Palace was not built as a Palace. It was the people of Amsterdam's conception of a City Hall befitting to the glory of their city in the 17th century. It remained the Stadhuis for nearly 200 years before Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (the other Napoleon's brother) became king of Holland and made it his own personal palace. The large plaza in front of the building had a canal through it, which Louis Napoleon's wife Josephine (yes they were both married to Josephines) complained stank. Louis Napoleon had it filled in, but in vain. Josephine hated Amsterdam and stayed in the city for only two months. Louis had to follow just two years later, in 1810, after ruling Holland for only four years.

By 1813, Willem Prince of Oranje was on his way to becoming King of Holland and gave the building back to the people of Amsterdam for government administration. After becoming King of Netherlands in 1815, Willem asked the city if he could establish himself in the building and the city consented. The Palace remains the official residence of the Dutch Royal Family. 

All interesting, but what makes the picture quintessentially Dutch to me is this juxtaposition of a publicly owned Palace; an efficient, modern tram;  a minimum of automobiles; a vibrant, healthy population on foot in the town center; and a clear, cold December day--with a Christmas tree. The Dutch take what they like from other cultures without reservation, cherish what they love most about their own, and heartily enjoy the resulting combination.

2. The Royal Palace at Night

Yes the white circles are bike tires. They're parked on the square.

1. De Bijenkorf. De Bijenkorf is to Amsterdam what Macy's Union Square is to San Francisco. It's located on the other side of the Dam from the Royal Palace. Here's the parking lot of De Bijenkorf at night:

The lights are glittering gold with white rings (snowflakes) that move down and eventually fill the gold area, then reset and fall again. 


10. Beurs van Berlage. Just a bit up Damrak from the Dam is the Beurs van Berlage.

This picture is taken from the back side of the building, on the Damstraat side, showing the XXX flag of Amsterdam. Beurs van Berlage was built as the central exchange for Amsterdam in 1611. It was the first fixed-location stock exchange in the world. Today it hosts public and private events, has a cafe and houses a bike shop. 


Moving from the Dam down Damstraat to the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, you reach one of the 1500 or so bridges over the canals. 


15. Varkenssluis (That's the name of this particular little bridge that carries Damstraat over the canal at Ouderzijds Voorburgwal.)

There is a massive number of bicycles in this city. They're chained to every possible tree, post, fence, and railing, and often just to each other. The bottom foot or so of the canals is reportedly lined with discarded bikes that have to be dredged out routinely. Tens of thousands of bikes are stolen annually in Amsterdam. Many end up in the canals. Bike theft is an annoyance in this culture; it's not a "real crime." Many of the thieves are not hardened criminals whisking your bike away for resale or to a chop shop, but another citizen whose own bike was stolen or got a flat. The bike I have is fancy. The vast majority of bikes in Amsterdam are of the most basic, cable-gear, no-frills variety. I did not take my bike with me to Amsterdam.


15. Seeds. This same intersection hosts the High Quality Seed Bank, which offers in the window:

No. I can't send you one.


14. Amsterdammers. Moving a little way up the Wal, we meet our first Amsterdammer:

XXX is the symbol of the city, as it has been since 1505. The three X's represent three St. Andrew's crosses. Andrew was a fisherman; Amsterdam was established as a fisherman's port. The other meaning of XXX is coincidental. :-) At any rate, this little pole is called an Amsterdammer. Its purpose is to block cars from parking or driving on sidewalks, while not inhibiting foot and bike traffic. 

Works quite well. There is almost no automobile traffic in Amsterdam anyway. Cars are free to drive on most streets, and there are cars, but the incredible lack of parking space makes a car fairly useless. Visitors to the city either park at the hotel, never to move the car again during their stay, or park in any of many lots on the outskirts of the city located close to tram, metro, and bus stops, and take public transit or walk into the city. Residents primarily walk and ride bikes. Amsterdam's massive traffic jams primarily occur in the outskirts of the city and the highways surrounding the city.


15. Ouderzijds Voorburgwal

This is a stretch of the same street a bit further up. These houses mostly date from the 17th century golden age of Amsterdam, when much of the heart of the city was built. A belt of four canals was built around the existing city, which extended only to the Singel at the time, and residential and commercial areas were constructed in a single, planned expansion of the city between 1613 and 1664. The economy began to contract at that time and construction proceeded much more slowly. The first section (the northwest sector and the main canals) was completely finished by 1625. Although this particular area lies within the original borders of Amsterdam, most of it was also rebuilt in the 17th century.


12. Bulldog no. 90. A little further up, we find the Bulldog Coffeeshop no. 90.

Number 90 is the coffee shop's address, and its claim to fame is that it's not only the first of the Bulldog chain of properties, but also apparently the first "coffee shop" in Amsterdam. This is actually the third Bulldog coffee shop that you find on the very same block between Damstraat and Oudekerk.


11. Oudekerk & Oudekerkplein

I don't think an American like myself can easily grasp the span of history that Amsterdam embodies, just as it's nearly impossible for a Dutch person to conceive of the space and distances that exist in the US. The US has space; Holland has time. Vast, unfathomable spans of time. [The place I live now has been inhabited for over 10,000 years, with stone monuments dating back around 6,000 years.] This church was first consecrated in 1306 as a Catholic church and became Calvinist when Willem de Zwijger (Willem the Silent, same Willem I mentioned earlier) defeated the Spanish and made Holland independent again.


In Holland, nothing is sacred. While Oude Kerk continues to be a church, it also hosts a restaurant and is available for rental for private functions. Behind the church, Oudekerkplein hosts prostitution windows, a lunch room, a coffee shop and two bars. 

This very helpful sign is also located on the plaza behind the church:

The time and date stamp is completely wrong. Ignore it. Please and thank you.


08. Nieuwemarkt. De Waag.

Nieuwemarkt  is the neighborhood. This building is called De Waag. But originally, when it was constructed in 1488, it was St. Anthony's Gate. One of the three original entrances to the walled city of Amsterdam, this gate sat over one of the three main canals that flowed into the city to control shipping and to keep the city secure. The canal still flows under the building, but it's no longer visible.


When the city wall was removed in 1601 (to be replaced by that system of concentric canals mentioned earlier), the Waag was the only original gate fortress that remained. Now inside the city, it was repurposed as a weighing house, from which it got its name. Louis Napoleon used the plaza for public executions. Today it hosts a restaurant called In De Waag. 


09. 't Mandje. Moving up Zeedijk back toward the top of Amsterdam, we find this little cafe:

 The red sign says "Do you know that 't Mandje is the oldest gay cafe in Amsterdam?" Check out their website (http://cafetmandje.nl/). Yes, person-who-you-know-who-you-are, you can come here!

7. Holiday Street Lights, just above 't Mandje over a small canal that crosses Zeedijk.

Each little neighborhood had their own decorations.

6. Back at the very top of Amsterdam, along the Nieuwebrugsteeg (it didn't get a red circle but it's between 5 & 7 on the map), I caught a picture of Damrak at night with the holiday lighting up.

See? There are cars! (They are, however, considerably outnumbered by the bicycles.)

7. Street decorations along Damrak.

These were full-on chandeliers hanging over this street, which intersects Damrak. Damrak itself, between Central Station and the Dam, is an unabashed tourist trap with McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, dozens of souvenir shops and the Sex Museum.

Not on Map. Albert de Cuypstraat Markt

You can get *everything* here. This isn't quite like a fleamarket. It's not particularly about bargains (which are there to be found, for sure). It's not about the unusual items or the vast assortment of goods available. This market has more to do with the Dutch notion of shopping. Winkelen is both the plural of the word for store and a verb that means going to the stores. Winkelen is a national, very social, relaxing hobby. I'll talk more about winkelen in the upcoming blog about what makes the city where I'm staying special.

Not on Map. Holiday Street Lighting.

This is to the south near the Jacob Obrechtstraat hotel where I stayed, 10 minutes by tram from Central Station. It's a little past the open-air market above.

So there you go. One weekend glimpse of Amsterdam. Barely scratched the surface.

Tot Ziens!

--Gayle

I think you can find this section of the map in this wonderful aerial photo of Amsterdam:

My Bike

If Dutch, then bike. That's a given.

A common sight in this town of around 65k people is mothers guiding their small children to school on bikes. The Dutch are all but born on bikes, at least in this area. Infant seats with wind screens are mounted in front of the handle bars. Child seats for toddlers get mounted on the cargo space behind the rider's seat. When children are very small and riding their first bike, it's common to see a parent riding along beside, leaning over with one hand steadying the child during critical moments like high-traffic areas and street crossings. The child being steadied (on a bike without training wheels) might be 4 years old.

Never mind that I ride bikes about as well as the average mid-40s American--riding while leaning over sideways and offering support to someone else is NOT an option--I still need a bike. Within this town, there are bike and footpaths to get everywhere, and people use them. There are dedicated bike paths throughout Drenthe, the equivalent of what Californians call a county. There's no local bus service, but people do use the regional bus to get around town sometimes. More likely though, they ride their bikes. I found an unsourced statement that the 65k residents of this town make 70k bike trips every day. I wouldn't be surprised to find that accurate. Most children ride back and forth to school. Parents ride along with younger children. The local train station has parking for over 2300 bikes. (The most recent improvements at the train station removed 15 parking spaces for cars to help create space for an additional 800 bikes, which brought the total up to 2300.)

I'd purchased half a bike when I was here on an extended visit previously. Someone else needed a bike, so we split the cost and I had it to use while I was here. The dealer was very helpful, so I looked up the same shop online, got a rough idea of how to get there on foot, and headed out. The bike shop lies along the most direct foot/bike path from where I'm staying to the centrum (downtown), so off I trekked. Had a look at the bikes parked in front (the second-hand bikes) and the bikes parked inside (the new bikes) and then spoke to the dealer.

I had budgeted around €300 for a bike. Did I prefer 3 speeds or 7? 14? What kind of brakes? NL is flat (wonderfully, wonderfully, bike-friendly-ly flat) and I'm not racing, so it doesn't matter to me. Considered a couple of used bikes and then settled on a big, heavy-framed Sparta 8-speed with electric lighting. How much do I love electric lighting? The law requires that bikes use front and rear lights at night. A challenge I had on one trip, using a rented bike, was riding on a windy Autumn night into the wind. Typical Dutch bikes use a bottle dynamo that makes contact with the sidewall of the tire and draws power from the spin of the wheel. Those are cheap and fairly reliable (they can slip when the tire is wet). They also drag like a set of brakes on the front wheel. I was quite prepared to buy a battery-powered headlight to avoid this. Newer bikes, like my Sparta, use hub-generators. Brushless generators are built into each wheel hub and provide ample power for front and rear lighting (rear lights are otherwise battery-powered) with no discernible drag for the rider.

I <3 electric lighting. Having agreed on a price for the bike, only a few euros over my budgeted €300, the dealer noted that the back of the saddle was torn and replaced the seat for me. No charge. While he worked on that I browsed saddlebags and he mounted a set of twin semi-rigid bags for me. No charge. (These are really handy for "gewoon boodschappen" - normal errands like grocery shopping.)

Time to pay for my bike. The Dutch use a relatively small amount of cash currency and credit only rarely. Most banks issue "chip & pin" cards. The chip retains a pre-paid balance on the card, while the rest of your bank balance can be accessed with the pin as a debit card. These cards are the most common way to do business in NL. The grocery store a block from home accepts currency at only half of the checkout lines; the other half are only for pin cards. No problem. I stopped at Travelex at the airport on my way out of San Francisco and picked up a little cash and a chip & pin card. The pin accesses the prepaid balance, unlike a bank-linked card, but it should otherwise work as normal.

Card not accepted. :-/

After a couple of tries, I offered to walk to the ATM and come right back. The owner insisted on driving me to the ATM in his car. It was only a few blocks, but he insisted. Fortunately, there was no problem drawing money off of the card at the ATM. On our way back to the shop, we passed a group of bikes and the owner was beaming to see his sticker on the back of several of the bikes we passed. He pointed them out and mentioned that it felt really good because around a third of the bikes we passed had his sticker and there are 12 bike shops in the town. No wonder he wanted to make sure I came back!

Home I rode on my brand-new bike thoroughly enjoying once again the blessed flatness of NL and kicking myself for not bringing along a pair of mittens. Air that is cool when you are walking is cold when you are riding in a sassy 5th gear through it.

My bike.

Score!