Boys' Weekend

An American saves Europe once again

Sure they look cute, but there lurks chaos ready to be loosed again on  Europe.  Once again an American stands in the way.  I have been left to contain the menace while my wife and mother-in-law tour London for a long weekend.   So far: two broken plates and a few muddy outfits.  A fairly limited damage report.  Mission accomplished.

Riding the bakfiets  

I took the boys to the saturday market in Leiden.  Ethan rode his own bike and I rode the bakfiets.  I see why Deborah likes it.  The center of gravity does stay low and so the bike is relatively easy to keep upright.  On the other hand, it steers like a battleship.  

One of the advantages of the Dutch style of bike, sitting upright with the hands close to the body and high, is that any given bike may be made to work for a wide range of body sizes.  I really can't ride my wife's racing style road bike without some circus music playing in the background.  The bakfiets fit fine with just an adjustment of the seat height.  By fitting fine, I mean it fit Dutch-style, which I find hard to like, but Deborah likes.

 

Word of the day

Lief.  Sounds like my younger son's name.  Means sweet, not like sugar, but like Leif.  Also liefje, a sweetie.