Breaking News!

We interrupt our report of the great European trip to bring news that Godzilla has been given citizenship in Japan.  At long last he's been accepted into the fold...

Euro Freakout Pt. 14

Bikes...  bikes, bikes, bikes...  In the Netherlands, bicylists have the highest right of way priority.  Since bike paths are often red, it is often said that the color comes from the blood of the tourists!  In Utrecht, which is redoing it's Central Station (buses, trains, trams, etc.), the station also has a modern and extensive bike park, complete with a bike service center.  The whole thing is simply amazing!

Some Euro Libraries Pt. 1

I have a fascination with library buildings.  They are often very modern structures or wonderfully preserved classic buildings, or even no buildings at all.  And, in Europe, more accurately, Bibliotechs, or something like that.

These three pics are from Utrecht, a major city in the Netherlands (and old; originally the capitol of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands).

Here's a modern library form Ijselstein, a small town outside of Utrecht.  Curiously, the library shares space with a bank.  I wonder how all that works.

Outside on the grounds is the monkey fountain...  a long story from the town's past.

And from an even smaller town where we stopped for lunch, we found this library attached to a local bar...  good idea!

Back to Utrecht, we visited their wonderful train museum, located in the old station house.  Beautifully preserved, with it's own library...

Have fun reading!

Son of Euro Trip

More from our great Euro trip.  We planned a river cruise and, after getting on the boat (ship?), we headed to the Rhine.  On the way, we stopped in Kinderdiyk, a UNESCO world preservation site because of all the windmills.  And, so, the obligatory windmill pic, with Dutch flag.

Kinderdiyk was a cute little town (never mind the pedophile implications of its name)...  I particularly enjoyed that each house had some sort of display in the windows, be it flowers, ceramics, or something else creative...  such as the old shoe planters in front of this house.

Then there were all the garbage cans...  I have no idea what the orange one is for.

Several houses had these (TV?) antennas attached...  so cute to style them after an icon of Dutch culture.

We got our ducks in a row...

And a nice heron...

So instead of more windmill pics, I've posted a cool, new VW bus...  camper style... way cool!

More Euro Vacation

We found that Tour de France fever is already taking over parts of Europe.  This year, the race begins in Utrecht, Holland.  But, just a hint, the race is already over and guess who won?  And who got the babes?

Great Euro Vacation Pt. 3

A few interesting signs I found in the Netherlands...

Great Euro Vacation Pt. 2

More from Amsterdam...  Sherm and Miriam on the canals...

And immortalized in stone...

Some giant, mutant flowers...

I had some pics from the torture museum, but we're still trying some of that stuff out.  So you'll have to settle for some stained glass windows from our hotel's stairwell.