Installment no. 2

Friday, September 7, 2012

Again I am here thinking... 'where to start?!?!'
It has been a crazy few days with barely a moment to sit and write to you, the readers of this blog.
I am feeling the effects of it.
I am achey and tired.
When I arrived, and realised that my room was on the 7th floor I thought that I would get no exercise as it would be silly not to use the, well looked after, lifts as opposed to the grimy grey concrete stairs. However I have of course been cycling everywhere! My 'stair and hill climbing muscles' have relaxed whilst my 'cycling muscles' are working to the max!

I must tell you about my day on Tuesday when I visited a friend of mine in a small town just outside of Utrecht to borrow a bike from her...
On Tuesday afternoon 4 of my flatmates and I went on a pedal boat tour of Utrecht. It was lovely to see the city from the canals perspective. We were also given a pamphlet which contained a few pointers of what to look out for on the tour. One of my favourite things were the modern stone carvings which depicted the city's guilds.
The tour, as I have said, was lovely buuuutttt, it was exhausting paedaling pulling the weight of 5 people through the water.
So you would think that when we finished the tour I would join the others in stopping for a rest. I didn't however take advantage of the 'excuse' for a beer ln the quay but had to dash off to the train station to get the train to meet my friend.

I really enjoyed the train ride (as I'm sure you will get to know, I do love a good journey) and soon enough I arrieved. I met my friend, Roze who, after our greeting, showed me where my loaned bike was.
And what an awesome bike it is!
It is... it is... (to the tune of the owl and the pussy cat (what a beautiful pussy you are... you are... you are...)).
It has been called 'stylish' by my housemates to give you an idea.

We cycled to her amazing house (and yes, that is not an undersatement, I really did amaze me) after buying some groceries for tea.
I shall briefly describe the house, or rather flat, so as not to leave you hanging; it was a flat in the attic of an extravagant 'out house' the exposed beams and floor to ceiling shutters made me suspect that it was, at one point, a barn. We had a lovely dinner and a good ol' chin wag into the evening.

I am so lucky to have had such a kind friend to lend me a bike.
Others who I have spoken to have had to spend not all that much really for a bicycle, but more than a student budget can accomodate. Or have waited to find the right one whilst spending money on busses.

It is getting late so I shall now bid you adieu.
Apologies for my grammar, I seem to have forgotten how to use commas!
And so I must sleep to gather my comma-skillz and rest.
For tommorow is another day and I will be continuing with my adventures through the medium of a day trip as organised by the ESN (erasmus studnet network).

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