Friday, 19 October 2012

Bridges, Bikes, Balls and a Belltower.

The traveller often finds that its the places you happen upon unintentionally, that are the most surprising and enjoyable.
Having come to Utrecht, on my month long odyssey, to visit a friend... I was pleasantly surprised to find a brilliant, quietly beautiful town of lanes, and paved alleys ringed and criss-crossed by canals.
Like a smaller, more relaxed, prettier, less angsty cousin of Amsterdam,
everywhere the languidly rolling clatter of bikes by the thousand.
Not a helmet in sight.
Cars to a minimum, and the pace and vibe of the streets slows and softens.
Ducks down by the canals, and the constant, gentle ringing of the bells wafting through the lanes.
...
A Jazz club in an old vaulted cellar by the canal.
Snack shop at 3 am, for something fried.
Green, gold, orange and brown as leaves gently fall to the cobbles.
Autumn and the end is nearing...






















Sunday, 7 October 2012

Bern, Bears, Beers Bikes and Mountains.

Swiss,
the odd sing-song melange of german, french, italian and english.
Mountains in permanent background surround.
Brown Bern rooves... cobbled lanes...  riding streets between trams, cars and people.
9 hour train to Berlin