9.18.2006

the ride over


canalhouses on the amstel
Originally uploaded by Photo Doocker.
It is my understanding that this is one of the last weeks our wonderful and amazing church will actually hold services in the Zolder, the place we have called home for about four years. Now being so far away, I feel out of touch and distant from the situation, but somehow still feel attached to it all. It's weird to be so far away and feel so darn close.

At any rate, it's got me thinking. I'm thinking about so many things regarding the Zolder and all it's meant to me. One such memory is the ride itself.

I would turn left out my door, right up Pythagorasstraat to the canal, go left, turn right on Middeweg (where Theo Van Gogh was shot) ride up around the Tropenmuseum, over the next canal and left again right past my favorite pub - the Groene Oliphant. It was at this point that I had a mostly straight shot to the Zolder.

About half way there, I would zip past the Amstel Hotel and across a bridge which brought me to the other side of the Amstel River itself. It was in this moment that I would often slow down and absorb the view before me (see picture above.) It was a glorious and significant sight. I grew to love it. Jayla and I would sometimes pause on the bridge (usually Jayla would exclaim, "yes, I love this") and we would gaze upon the wonderful sets of canal houses that line it's shore.

I miss this view. I miss this commute. I miss the city and the bikes and people and houses and the community.

It's weird to think this commute will be gone from the memories of so many people in such a short time.

2 comments:

Eric said...

Cool to hear your recollections, Bret. They have quite a bit of resonance within my own memories, because my commute is very similar to yours. But don't you mean "Midden" instead of "Hoge" and "Tropen" instead of "Rijks?"

But at any rate, I agree with you that the mid-point view over the Amstel is especially poignant. It's an image that will live on in my mind many years after my bicycle makes its last trip across that bridge...

Bret said...

You are so right Eric. We did share the "same" route for the most part unless we decided to take the back way. You are also quite right about the names. It's amazing how much I've forgotten in a year and yet not so amazing as a year is a long time. Sad.