Do we blend in?

   

u
           Last week we made another trip to Rijswijk to pick up our Netherlands residency cards.  We all feel so official! No more carrying around our passports.

The bike shop in Utrecht

Then Saturday we became real Netherlanders.....we got bikes!

If you are first to the intersection you
get to hold onto the post while you
wait for the light!

We rode the 11 kilometers home from Utrecht to Zeist.  We used Google maps on Joe's phone to plot the route.  We stopped a few times to check our map, stopped for a 15 min. lunch picnic, stopped at the grocery store just before we got home for milk and all that only took an hour!  We love the flat terrain!  We got some strange looks but not because I was biking in a dress and heels (everyone here does that!), but because we were wearing helmets!  Strict mission rule.  The Dutch rarely wear them.

The country between Zeist and
Utrecht.  

Arriving at our back door.

Later in the day we rode the mile into downtown Zeist.  It was so relaxing to pedal there where the bikes have priority on the narrow, busy streets.  So much easier than driving the car and finding a parking place :)    We are so happy!