Netherlands

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Urban Garden.124


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Urban Entrances.54


Small Wonders.154

With fewer flowers now in bloom, one must find other wondrous things, and I found this little old red airplane on a private airfield by Hilversum rather fun :-).

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I’ve decided that when there aren’t so many flowers in bloom, small wonders can include lovely designer flourishes such as this statue – which I’m guessing must depict some fairy tale? – which adorns a bridge over a canal along one of my favorite walking and biking streets here.

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All from another early-October sunset wander through Amsterdamse Bos, along Nieuwe Meer and past (above) the good ol’ Bosbaan…

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Urban Canals.113


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Urban Canals.112


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We’ve reached the point here in the fairly-far-northern hemisphere where the sun rises disappointingly late and sets disappointingly early, I find myself counting the weeks and days until the earth starts to rotate the other way and begin shortening the southern days and lengthening our norhtern days…and if on a work-from-home day the sun peeks out from behind the clouds after my last onscreen work appointment, I automatically think “get out of the house for a walk and enjoy it while it’s shining!” The above came from one such recent walk along one of my favorite local canals.

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From roughly the same spot along the Amstel, while exploring the city with different friends on different days in late September. A thing I keep meaning to do is sign up for rowing lessons, which I think are offered from this pier; though, if I do it, I’ll likely end up doing it on the Nieuwe Meer a bit closer to where I’m living.

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Urban Canals.109


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Urban Entrances.47

Yes, the gates to Vondelpark can be closed, as I learned to my … surprise, chagrin and / or shock … the day of and the day after one of the major spring storms that knocked down trees. Unless one climbed over fences, stone walls, or gates such as these, one could not enter the park for a day or two. Gasp.

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Amstelstation in A’dam. Point of departure for the ride to my 24 hours in Maastricht. I’ve not yet done research on this mural, but I hope to at some point.