Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The Wheels on my Bike go round and round!!

UPDATED:

I now take a new route to work, Pink Line!
Through the dreaded Dam Square ... gasp! Actually its a dam (geddit) site easier to navigate in the morning than Stadhourskade!
So now I get to cycle through Dam Square and the Old Town (redlight) every morning, then along the Amstel, passin Carre and Maigre Brug before joining with the old route (see below) from Weesperzide :)

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So, this is my way to and from work!
Green is to work and Purple is way back home!

Its really cool.... I cycle along Nassaukade - pretty straightforward, lots of traffic tho and a fair few traffic lights and then across the Amstel and down Weesperzide (along the Amstel - really pretty)

Once I get to the end of the Weesperzide, I cycle through the Amstelplein (where the tallest building is Delta Lloyd and Phillips are)

This is where I get to the scary parts are, lots of traffic and roundabouts and people walking out in front of you. Then Spaklerweg and then the worst part.... crossing a dual carriageway that has no crossing lights, however the traffic does have lots of view of the crossing bikes (or bike - I HATE doing this crossing alone).
Once thats over , then the bockety cobblestones of H.J.E Wenchebachweg and to the office (7.2km and 25-30mins)

The way back I follow the same route (no crossing this time... just a roundabout and then on along the Amstel to the Stadhourdskade bridge and under, to a complicated little turn, just a few trams, oncoming traffic and bikes to navigate.... then across the bridge at Saraphatistraat and aloong Weteringschans, through Leidsplein (scary junction) and along Marnixstraat, I can continue along Marnixstraat but I usually turn up Elandsgracht and through the streets to Rosengracht and across to Bloemstraat! Home! (8.5km, 30mins)

Not bad exercise all the same!

2 comments:

Shano said...

Hey Clair, I'm excited to hear you're in Amsterdam now. That's an incredible change for you - I hope!

I had no idea that's where you are now. Good for you. Do you work for CBS as in Canadian or American CBS?

Yeah, I was wondering at my post counts, thinking to myself - this is cool, there are actually people who read this crap!

Elf in Amsterdam said...

Yeah, here a few (3) months now.
Working for American CBS as in CBS Paramount, it seems I got sold alongside CSI! :)

The city is amazing.. I really love it... if you are ever thinking of holidaying in europe come here, its a great city and a great city for families...


Your stuff isnt crap... I used to read it every month or so in Ireland and it was great to keep up with you. And I loved the photos!!!

They are hard to keep tho... for someone of so many words im always stuck for something to say. But blogging from my phone is great as if i see something cool I just throw up a pic and a short comment from the phone and its done.