Utrecht, the Netherlands’ largest university city with about 40,000 students, lies about 30 km west of Ede, and is one of the four cities that make up the central area of the country referred to as the “Randstad”. The others are Amsterdam, Den Haag, and Rotterdam(really Fran, I checked it online!). After muddling through the central station construction mess, we made our way to the northern reaches of the city by bus to our final B&B in Holland. Despite being located above a shopping center, we were amazed at the room, and even more so at the fantastically hospitable hosts—undeniably the winners of the hosting prize for this trip. They spent a while talking with us over tea & coffee, and explained how they’d been drawn into beginning the B&B after walking from Utrecht to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and subsequently biking from Utrecht to Rome—both trips of about 2400 km. Once again, we feel fortunate to run into this caliber of human beings.
We spent the afternoon and much of the evening doing out first run around the old center of Utrecht, which is nothing less than fantastic. While Amsterdam often gets press, Utrecht is at least as worthwhile, even older, and also visually distinct due to its canals, which lie much lower than those in the capital, as they were designed with smallish wharves alongside the water. Many of these wharf areas in the heart of the center now house endless rows of cafes and restaurants, and the amount of activity alongside the canals is nothing short of dizzying.
Of the days we spent downtown, lots of time was spent doing aimless wandering, comprised of lots of looking up and around, standing still and just taking in the scenery—both human and architectural. We also climbed up the Dom(cathedral) tower, the highest in the Netherlands. Fortunately the window of weather was fabulously clear, and we were literally able to see as far as Rotterdam, Den Haag and Amsterdam, The aerial view of Utrecht was also more meaningful after having spent good long hours meandering. Additionally, the young tour guide was excellent, giving ample explanation on each of the three stops prior to reaching the highest outlook point, which lies at about 95 meters.
We also took a unique self-guided night lights walking tour. Once one finds the beginning light, the walk weaves through a significant portion of the old center. Strategically located lights in the ground lead you through different types of mini light shows. Each stop has been put together by a different entity---some by the city, but most by private individuals or groups of students. Sometimes it is as simple as the lighting of an underground passageway to a canal. At one of the old churches there are projections of some of what can be seen inside the church projected on the entryway hall of the church. Other spots combine light with sound. Some are static, others constantly moving or repetitive. Amazingly, and despite our hours of previous walking, we felt like we were in a new place at many of the stops. Just as we were finishing up, it began drizzling, and then seriously raining, but we’d again managed to make the best of an unusual tour.
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