The weather was perfect, cool air, grey fall sky, yellow leaves...
I love the bike culture in Holland. Bikes, bikes, everywhere. I wish it was as easy to bike in the U.S. as it is in Holland. I love seeing the parents picking up the kids from school, Mom on a bike with baby in the seat on the back, and the two little kids following behind on their little bikes ... Lines of bikes at the supermarket, everyone with the saddle bags to fill with food ... lines of bikes along the canals.
Lesson number one to learn in Amsterdam: do not walk in the bike lane! It is as dangerous as walking in the street with the cars!
The canals are so beautiful.
Everyone likes a game of street chess!
I thought this was neat.
On Sunday, we went birdwatching. Isn´t this tree beautiful?
Granddad, Grandma, and me.
Grandma and me just before we returned to the house to leave for the airport. Note the birdguide in hand. :)
For the interest of my fellow birdwatchers (and anyone else for that matter):
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Coot (Fulica atra) (They are so cute the way they dive.)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) (I love the way they bob about)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) (Looked like a Great Blue Heron, but is apparently different.)
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) (American Great Cormorant)
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) (This took forever to identify because of winter plumage!)
Mute Swan (cygnus olor)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Very pretty!
Jay (Garrulus glandarius) Also very pretty!