First few days… (85 kms ridden)

I write this from our second stop, Utrecht, Netherlands. The first few days of the tour have been great. The group is starting to gel, we’ve had great luck with accommodations and have met great, friendly people along the way.

The first day of orientation was in at a campsite in Amsterdam. The group met for the first time as a whole. Right away the vibe was friendly and excited. The next day was spent in the city on the way to our next campsite just south of Amsterdam. Both sites were great with showers, good people watching and friendly staff.

Today’s ride to Utrecht was one of the most beautiful rides I have ever done. We cycled through the Dutch countryside, along canals, through small towns, fields and even by a castle! Tonight we are staying in Utrecht with a guy named Sam in a “converted” office building (I think we may be squatting). We have access to the whole building, with plenty of room for sleeping, hanging out and storing bikes. Tomorrow we meet with a microcredit group and then we’re off to the next town, Ede.

Amsterdam – Pre-tour

The two days I spent in Amsterdam were awesome! Highlights include staying with Drae’s amazing Aunt Hanneke who showed me around the city, beautiful neighbourhoods, an amazing vegetarian restaurant, walking along the canals and bikes, bikes, everywhere! Hanneke was the perfect person to stay with. She was so welcoming, treating me like family and she was a lot of fun to hang out with.

A couple observations about biking in Amsterdam…. First of all, everyone does it! Kids, adults, men in business suits, women in dresses and high heels, parents with 1 to 3 kids on their bikes; it is amazing. Second, the city is SO bike friendly, in fact, in many places, bikes have the right of way and there are bike paths all over the city. Cycling is just part of the culture here.

Bikes in Amsterdam are great! (and everywhere)

Me and Elan arrive in Amsterdam

my Elan and I

I think it is time I introduced my travel compainion to you. Elan is everything you could want in a travel companion: reliable, strong, willing to work hard and good looking too. Who is this Elan fellow you ask? Elan is my bicyle! The Brodie Elan is a new model by Brodie, a Canadian bike company, and it is the model myself and many of my human companions will be riding this summer. For those of you who are bike geeks like me, the Elan is a full cromoly steel touring frame with drop bar shifting and a full Shimano component set. For the rest of you, my bike is strong enough to carry me and a lot of gear, has a frame geometry that is comfortable for long rides and has a range of gears that will get me up and over mountains.

Elan and I head out for our adventure tomorrow!

Check out my bike at: http://www.brodiebikes.com/2009/bikes/elan.php

The Final Countdown

Only a few more days before I head to Europe to start the summer’s adventures. I am currently away at a teaching conference in Florida (woo hoo!) which has been amazing though it is crazy in terms of timing as I get back to Vancouver Tuesday night and leave for Europe on Thursday afternoon.

Then last few months have flown by. I have been busy not only with school, but also with preparing for my trip. Fundraising and finding accommodation have been the most challenging, but I am happy to say that there has been success on both fronts.

I have reached and exceeded my minimum fundraising target of $3000 and to date, have raised over $4000! I have had so much support with this. Special thanks go to my sister-in-law Ilana, ilan, and the staff at Bikes on the Drive who pooled their tips together for my cause. You all rock!

I was able to do my part in finding accommodation in my two locations in Holland (each member of the ride team is responsible for finding organizations to host us in two cities or towns). I was able to secure us a camping location in Amsterdam thanks to the Bahai community in Amsterdam, who responded to an email I sent with an offer to find us a place to stay. Rene, a friend from Bikes on the Drive, spent many hours at my place phoning Ede, in Holland (his Dutch is much better than mine). Finally after many, many dead ends, Rene found us accommodation in an army base in Ede.

Now that the big things are out of the way, I am left sorting out the little details like packing, making sure I have all the equipment I need and countless other details associated with heading out of the country for two months. At this point, the trip is becoming more of a reality instead of a nice idea. I am so excited to think that in a few days, I’ll be in Amsterdam!

Three days and counting!