Evening in the northern woods

I was in the northern Netherlands last week for a scientific meeting. Our hotel and the meeting place were in the Dwingerveld - an old forest. We were fortunate to be able ride bicycles to and from the meeting. The cycle paths there are superb, of course. The ride in the morning was a good way to wake up, and that in the evening was a preparation for sleep - very peaceful with extraordinary dusk lighting even at 9 and 10 o'clock.

Compared to Australia, the woods in the Netherlands are quite boring - no strange trees losing their skin and no shrieking brightly coloured birds. But there were big mosquitos, quick to converge from all around.

I got back here on Sunday. The next day I went for a (mountain) bike ride along the fire trail. I couldn't find my helmet so I went without it - strictly illegal here. It wasn't a good idea, either, because I fell off my bike at the end of a steep ride down to a stream, falling most satisfyingly onto the ground and then down across a big slab of rock and into the stream. A nice welcome back to Australia :)

Tim