UVM travel study course on water management and sustainability
by Preston Richardson
As we biked towards Rotterdam, we spent most of the ride surrounded by fields and small villages. Suddenly after crossing a bridge the city began to reveal itself seemingly out of thin air, evidence of the Netherlands strict spatial planning. I had been noticing the creative modern architecture throughout our trip, but in Rotterdam I realized that it had been taken to another level. Continue reading “The cube houses of Rotterdam”
by Kyle the Van (edited by Carolyn Goodwin Kueffner)
Hello, my name is Kyle and I’m the transport van for the NR 195! This very special university course is being taught via bicycle, with the classroom on the road, traveling in a GIANT circle starting and ending in Amsterdam! This was the brilliant idea of the instructor for the class, Kristine Stepenuck. Continue reading “Kyle the ‘Helpwagen’”
by Giuliana Frizzi
Here is a video of me celebrating my birthday with the group. Everyone was so great to surprise me with two cakes (and a mango for Ava and chocolate for Nina). I especially enjoyed Kris’s Dutch Happy Birthday song!
Today was a great day because we went on multiple tours and the biking was not too rigorous. I especially liked to see all the windmills, and even though it was my birthday, I was able to get some great gifts for my family.
by Jenna Bragdon
Today’s journey started off bright and early with a 5am roll-out from Wallwijk. As exhausted as we were, it did not stop us from enjoying a beautiful sunrise on our 40 km journey to Dordrecht to see the the Biesbosch, a National Park in the Netherlands. Continue reading “De Biesbosch”
by Ava Schwemler
On Saturday, we traveled from Almere to Den Bosch by train. The bike cars that were designated for bikes were just barely able to fit our bikes, even after we split the 17 of us into two groups. After a 30 minute train ride, we arrived in Den Bosch and had time to explore the open-air market in the city center. We tried some local cuisine, such as “ice koffie” which, to our surprise, was ice cream blended with coffee. Some members of our group were daring enough to try a local delicacy, haring, which is pickled fish with white onion.
by Nina Truslow
Hallo! Today we are in Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands. It is situated on the river Waal, a major tributary of the Rhine, which flows in from Germany close by to the east. The city took part in a large national program called Room for the River, which encompassed several town and city infrastructure projects intended to give rivers more room to flood.
by Ava Schwemler
We biked from Lelystad to Amersfoort, adding 36 km to our total biking distance. Amersfoort had the appearance of a large city, but the feel of a small town. After visiting Amersfoort’s water treatment plant and learning about how the city recycles phosphorus from waste to make fertilizer, we had some free time to explore. Dani, Preston, Guiliana, Morgan, and I stumbled upon an antique shop in one of the smaller alleyways in town. The two-story shop was full of historic trinkets from the Netherlands and all over the world. Continue reading “Exploring Amersfoort”
by Avery Lentini
What a beautiful day today was for a bike ride! While yesterday was lovely as well, I had an especially wonderful time riding through the countryside today. The scenery we rode past was exactly how I had imagined the Netherlands to be– quaint, beautiful, and green.
Continue reading “Reflections on the Netherlands Countryside”
by Morgan Heyl
Here we have a video of the group biking past some friendly locals! These sleepy sheep barely got out of the way of the group on our way to Lelystad from Amsterdam.
It was awesome being fully immersed in the land and all those that inhabit it! Can’t wait to see more beautiful land and animals in the many days to come.
by Callie Bredice
Day one has finally arrived and regardless of the jet lag and many waking hours we are all beyond excited. As we landed at Schiphol Airport I saw unexpected landscapes. After reading The Dutch and Their Delta, I presumed the landscape would be more green, and have canals and ditches everywhere. However, that was not the case and for the most part Amsterdam looked like a regular city, with ditches in certain locations.