“Every week again I push my own borders”, says a lady who is cycling from Amsterdam to Abcoude, a tour of nearly 15 kilometer and who I just met. “Every week I change the route somewhat and I just try to cycle a bit more. Maybe one day I will go as far as you!”
The lady was impressed when I told her I came cycling from Huizen, my home-town, which is actually only twice as far as Abcoude. Even in Holland, where there are more bikes than people, you are apparantly looked upon when you travel ‘large distance’ by bike instead of by car or public transport.
In other words, traveling is so relative. I could have told her why I was here or about my travels in the past year, or about a friend who is touring the world on his bike, but the lady was more than impressed because of the small trip I made that day.
And similarly to traveling distance, will I be able to keep this way of searching and freshness as when traveling: to look in the same open way at those things that are familiar to me as towards what is new?
My Romanian bike-accident is already five weeks away and I am happy to be able to cycle longer distances again, and to discover new things in old places.
Heb ik ook wel eens gedaan. Maar anderhalf uur is snel. Dat redde ik toen niet. Ik reed er 2 uur over geloof ik. Via Muiden.
Maar dude:
mooie foto’s!
How to “open our eyes” to the world around us is a constant challenge as a photographer and from reading your essay, I know I’ll see my surroundings differently today. So thank you!!
When I was 17 I biked through the French alps which ultimately was terrifying (bike lanes didn’t exist), exhausting, and humbling. But I remember that I noticed flowers by the roadside for the first time in my life, You definitely get a different perspective than other modes.
Discovering things you have never seen before, or never looked at before – even in our own backyard! – gives you a sence of hapiness as if you are 5 years of age again.
You know I’m not made for cycling, but ofcourse by foot it is even so relaxing and challenging. I can wonder ’bout the spiders (kruisspinnen) for hours 😉
Ow, logged in I see, it’s me ofcource, Frammie 🙂