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Date:
July 18, 2002
Hello from Colonge, Germany.
I hope this email finds you well.
I arrived in Colonge yesterday after a 3 day ride from
Brussels. I am very enthused about my future ride down
the Rhine River and through The Black Forest. Germany
is the 20th country on my journey and I feel at home
here.
I had the opportunity of riding through 3 countries in
1 day. The first 30kms in Belgium. The second 30kms in
The Netherlands and the final 35kms in Germany. It was
an opportunity the observe the differences in each
nation. In Belgium their idea of a park is an
overgrown weed patch where there are no houses and
navigating the countryside is difficult. This is due
to a lack of signs and when there are signs the town‚s
name may appear either in Dutch or French. This may or
may not correspond the a road map. In both Belgium and
The Netherlands they sell loaves of bread from vending
machines ?! The " green area " in The Netherlands and
Germany are a huge advantage for a bicyclist who
camps. The supermarkets in The Netherlands and Germany
refuse to utilize plastic bags. I had to balance my
purchases on my arms after leaving the cash register.
In The Netherlands the bike lanes are sweet and they
have REAL coffee to go. I can find helpful individuals
who speak English in The Netherlands and Germany. The
unfolding of a road map ( The international symbol for
" Help me ! " ) works in all three countries. To
summerize, I am happy to be out of Belgium. I wish I
had more time to explore The Netherlands and I relish
my future travels in Germany.
I have a few corrections on my last email. The people
in southern Belgium are not French. They are Belgian.
Flemish is a dialect of Dutch. It is not a separate
language and they speak German in extreme eastern
Belgium. Thank you Charlotte.
A strange fact. To navigate the crazy street patterns
of European cities I had use my compass more in 1 day
than during my entire 8 and half months in Latin
America????
I have always had an interest in WWII. The conflict
represented a very clear example of the struggle for
freedom against brutal repressive regimes. In The
Netherlands I stumbled upon a cemetery dedicated to
Americans who lost their lives during WWII. The first
thing that struck me was the impeccable mantainance of
the monument. The deep-green, weedless lawn was cut to
a precise height. The shrubs were perfectly trimmed
and the flower beds appeared freshly mulched. Two
attendants worked nearby as visitors ambled through
the grounds. The care of the cemetery was obviously a
high priority. When I strolled by the reflecting pool
I was stunned by the size of the graveyard. Each white
stone cross signified a life that was lost but the
remains were never located. I became profoundly sad
and emotional when I attempted to comprehend the scope
of the massive destruction of the conflict. The
statistics took human form who had names, home towns,
futures and people who loved them.
I hope the impeccable care of the cemetery is evidence
that Europe has not forgotten the sacrifices these men
made to help ensure their freedom. I have heard much
of the European Union who through a greater level of
economic co-operation aspire for a more stable Europe.
There is evidence for their optimism. Until recently 2
countries who both had a McDonalds have not gone to
war. My hope is that the Union attains a level of
parity economically and politically to that of the US.
Maybe this prevent the world‚s next generation from
having to sacrifice so dearly.
I was chased by rain into my tent early one night. I
thought about my adventure as a whole and realized
that it coming to an end. With less than 4000kms left
to Istanbul I have ridden close to 80% of the total
distance. I feel physically strong and shrug the
remaining distance off as a certainty. What would be
an appropriate finish ? The answer came easily. After
a week in Istanbul I will venture to Greece where I
will select an island. On this island for a month I
will lead my bike up against the wall and ponder what
I have achieved, learned and forgotten. Maybe I will
even do a little Greek dancing. Then to top it off I
will return home in time to celebrate the Holidays
with the people that I love.
I miss you all,
Dennis
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