First Impressions
After a confusing exit from the train station, and a frustrating detour down a thoroughfare that was under construction, and a long walk dragging my suitcase behind me, I finally reached the oh-so-pleasant city center of Utrecht. I decided to visit Utrecht after I received a recommendation from a Dutch girl I met in a hostel in Hanoi, Vietnam. She recommended it as a small but thriving city - and her recommendation proved to be an excellent one. Utrecht is a university town, so there are lots of students, and at least as many bicycles as in Amsterdam. The bicycles, it appears, are a staple in the whole country, not just in Amsterdam.
The cars are so tiny here, that the bikes seem bigger than the cars. Honestly, I don't know how the giant Dutch fit into those tiny cars. It can't be easy.
More about Bicycles
The Dutch are open and friendly and they look at people on the street. Even on their bikes, but more so walking, the Dutch look around. At least here in Utrecht. I don't remember now if they did that in Amsterdam, but that was a much more touristic city so it was hard to tell who was a local and who wasn't.
I'm still so fascinated by the bicycling aspect of this country. Here in Utrecht the bike lanes are so wide they seem like sidewalks and I have to be VERY careful because my brain naturally moves my body toward that space because it thinks it's the sidewalk. And if the riders seemed fast in Amsterdam, it's off the hook here.
I would love to see a chase scene in Utrecht on bicycles. They tear around corners here without slowing, and with so many pedestrians, it would be really intense. It's so fun to watch anyway, but for it to be a chase scene, the suspense would make it even better!
In the bike lanes, there's a pace at which everyone seems to ride. Just like cars, the riders end up in packs, stopped by the lights. Often a mom will hold onto the back of the neck of their child as he/she rides on a bike next to her. I'm not sure what this is about, but I suspect either she's teaching her child how to ride at pace or helping her child to keep pace and stay together on a busy road. It's unclear to my foreign eyes. Just another fascinating part of the bicycle culture here.
One more thing, in order to mount the back of a bicycle, it has to be moving just a little. The driver rides off a little and the passenger hops on after it gets going a bit. At least that's how all the Dutch get on. How do they do that?
The Hostel
The hostel is in an old building that's been converted, and somewhat poorly I might add, into a hostel. The floors are all uneven. The dorm I'm staying in doesn't have a toilet, only a shower room. You have to step outside the room to a water closet in the hall that's shared by other rooms. That's not so bad, but the shower room has a door with a clear window!?!. This seems completely bananas. Staying in a room with up to three other strangers and there's no way to shower with any privacy? And all they have to do is change out the door - it doesn't make any sense. I ended up fashioning a towel in front of the door in order to use it, but the girl in the upper bunk opted to use the shower on the upper floor.
None of this would be that big of a deal, except that this will actually turn out to be a very typical hostel in Europe, and Europe is so expensive. I'm paying at least $30 US or more to stay in these rooms. For that price, they should be 100% nicer. In NZ, they were nicer. And in Taiwan they were nicer and cheaper. So it just kind of makes me feel like Europe is greedy. They may have started the hostelling system, but their standards have lessened quite a bit in modern times. It's sad and unfortunate. I suppose competition doesn't help much.
Despite the condition at the hostel, I had a nice time there. I was lucky enough to get the bottom bunk for once. And the bed was right next to a large window that opened. It was a lovely place to rest. And the girl in the bunk above me was also American and an artist. It was nice to talk to someone about the different observations I've made here in The Netherlands. I was surprised to find she had so many of the same thoughts.
Delightful Moments in Utrecht - Day One
I went to the park this morning for a walk. Some guy was practising his trombone at the basketball court - kind of a strange place to do that. Scanning the nearby apartments, I saw an old man opening the curtains on his floor to ceiling windows to let in the beautiful morning light - he was completely nude!! Only wearing his birthday suit!!! Say whaaaat? He was on the third floor, so not in plain sight, but still, in plain sight of a public park!. It seemed like an unusual thing to do. I can honestly say I've never seen that before.
The river ran through the park and there was a pond with ducks. There was also a huge play area for the little ones that looked like a space station, and in the far corner, a sort of farm with cows and chickens. I guess this was a way for city kids to learn about country life.
Later in the day, I wandered through the old town, past a great church with an impressive bell tower. This seemed to be the center of the old town where there were several churches near each other and the river ran through and there were lots of shops and restaurants.
I saw a bride and groom come out of one of these churches. The guests were all crowded on the steps outside and everyone cheered and handed them balloons. After the cheers died down, the guests all stood behind the bride and groom on the church steps for the photo. What a great idea! Just a few simple pictures right away and you really capture the moment. The bride had a traditional white dress, but the groom got married in a lovely blue suit. Very unique! It didn't seem like there was a wedding party, certainly there were no matching bridesmaids, so if there was a wedding party they were all mixed in with the other guests for the picture. It was so organic and natural and yet all the guests seemed to know that's what they were supposed to do. I felt like I was witnessing a really special cultural moment.
Later in the day, while sitting at a cafe, I saw another bride and groom walking through the streets, and again no apparent wedding party, but all the guests from the wedding trailed behind them, as if they were walking to the reception. Another way cool cultural moment.
At the cafe, I also did some cultural research by trying the French Fries. It's a dirty job, I know. Apparently, french fries were actually created in Belgium, but they're AMAZING here in The Netherlands too. And they eat them with mayonnaise - haven't seen that since I was in college. How fun!
Much of my stay in Utrecht was on and off with the rains. This is the first place I've been to where the rain actually interfered with my visit. Luckily, I didn't have any specific plans for my stay in Utrecht so it wasn't a big deal. I had a good excuse to stop into a lot of cafes and have a coffee. Did I mention they have a lovely cafe culture in The Netherlands? Just one more reason I love it here. It's not really my type of food, lots of meat and cheese sandwiches and the like, but still it's nice to have all the cafes. And most of them are local and not chains, so that gives them a unique feel.
Day Two
I've found the local shopping district today and it's packed and busy. Looking for a public bathroom, I happened upon the central library in Utrecht. I thought the library in Amsterdam was special because there was a restaurant on the top floor. Turns out, it's not that special. The one in Utrecht has a coffee bar inside! You can come to the library to use the Internet and have a coffee at the library! A really nice coffee, I might add. It's Perfect! But - you still have to user your library voice - it's so lovely and quiet here. What a great idea for a way to repurpose the square footage that used to be filled by books that nobody's all that interested in anymore. Of course, they still have many many books and also a video and music library, but they've expanded to fit the times. I think it's brilliant!!
I also came across an amazing chocolate shop. Apparently, that's something that came from Belgium as well - the chocolatiers. I read that it's not uncommon to come to the chocolate shop everyday to buy that one specific chocolate for that evening's dessert - or to buy one for the whole family. How delightful that would be to stop by the chocolate shop every day to buy the one chocolate truffle that would hit the spot or pair perfectly with your dinner for that day! I just find this concept so romantic. The epitome of a rich, fulfilled, satisfying life and yet it's not excessive. It's just a tiny truffle. It reminds me of how Parisians buy their bread every day on the way home from work. I don't that the Dutch actually do buy truffles everyday, but I know I probably would if I lived there.
There are a lot of street musicians in this country, and there are many out today taking advantage of the nice weather and the busy shopping district. And they are really good musicians too. I've seen a classical music band, a lone trombonist, a guy playing some type of kettle drum thing that I've never seen before but that has a mesmerizing sound, a bluegrass band playing without any shoes, and at the table next to me, some choir singers are practicing their notes with each other. This country is a veritable wonder.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my time in Utrecht. I think it gave me a good feel for what a mid-sized city in The Netherlands is like. This place definitely feels like an ideal place to live, work and raise a family. If you're looking for a non-touristic place to visit in The Netherlands, this is the place I would recommend.
