Places of Honor

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We find ourselves in a region our Dutch friends referred to as the Three Points where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands all touch. While touring the area we have seen two American Cemeteries. These sites are just 11.5 miles apart and almost all of the over 16,000 soldiers buried here lost their lives on or near this very ground. Ground that is blood soaked indeed. These cemeteries lie close to the old Roman Cologne-Boulogne highway over which Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hitler all marched their troops in the conquest of the strategic Low Countries.

The Henri Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial

Located in Welkenraedt, Belgium, the Henri Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial is where the remains of 7,992 US soldiers are interred.

“Angel of Peace” by Donal Hord

554 unknown soldiers are buried in this cemetery.

Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial

The Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands is where 8,301 American dead were laid to rest.

The Court of Honor and reflecting pool.

This is Europe’s third largest war cemetery for unidentified soldiers who died in WWII. The walls flanking the sides of the Court of Honor contain the Tablets of the Missing which display the names of 1,722 Americans who gave their lives in the service of their country and now rest in unknown graves.

“The Mourning Woman” by New Yorker Joseph Kiselewski

This sad but beautiful statue represents all the women who endured the war not knowing if their loved ones would ever return home. The three doves represent peace and the new shoot growing from the war-destroyed tree supports the following quote.

The Memorial Tower

The “Tree of Life” chapel doors.

These are just two of the fourteen cemeteries for American World War II dead on this foreign soil. We have been told that, given the enormity of the horror, these two memorial sites represent but a partial view of the pain endured. It may seem small when viewed in that larger context, but it was most certainly not small for these thousands of soldiers that sacrificed all in the service of others. Each and every one of these somber white markers represents a life cut down in it’s prime and a future never realized. In this age of saber-rattling, these awe inspiring and sobering places should forever remind us that we must strife, above all else, to never sow fields of blood and marble again.

These sites are operated and maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission who’s first chairman, General of the Armies John J. Pershing promised,

“Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”

Veenhuizen – The Dutch Prison Village

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Veenhuizen is the site of the second institution set up by the Society of Humanitarianism, a Dutch private organization established in 1818 by General Johannes van den Bosch to help desperately poor families, mostly from the big cities.

General Johannes van den Bosch

The society considered labor to be the only means to combat poverty and that the path to a better life was one of sobriety, hard work, sacrifice and Christian values. In Bosch’s view, the poor and needy were a natural part of society so that the rich and wealthy could and should show their mercy as a token of Christian charity. Relying on the generosity of the well-to-do to finance the lives of poor vagrants proved to be an unreliable funding strategy and eventually the facility became state run.

The General

Veenhuizen was a very remote and scary place at the time, it being close to at least three asylums. Forced relocation here was generally a punishment for alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, waste, brutality or desertion and was designed to help alleviate the abject poverty in Dutch cities during the early 19th century. In 1859 the colony was taken over by the Dutch state and is now a museum describing the penal colony where vagrants and beggars were locked up and put to work. This forced labor was supposed to cure them of their “work shy behavior”.

One of the schemes incorporated by the Society was the use of short moral and inspirational slogans to help keep “inmates” focused and motivated. These expressions are affixed to every building and were a part of everyday life.

Orde en Tucht – Order and Discipline
Arbeid is Zegen – Labor is Blessing
Een van Zin – One of Meaning
Voted en Recht – Straight and Right
Werk en Bid – Work and Pray
Bitter en Zoet – Bitter and Sweet
Rust Roest – Peaceful Sleep
Zorg en Vlijt – Care and Diligence
Flink en Vlug – Smart and Fast
Eendracht – Unity
Verdraagzaamheid – Tolerance
Vooruit – Forward
Kennis is Macht – Knowledge is Power
Helpt Elkander – Help Each Other
Plichtgevoel – Feel of Duty
Leerlust – Apprenticeship
Humaniteit – Humanity
Wijsbeleid – Wise Policy
Controle – Control Your Behavior

Please excuse some of my translations. I did my best.

Duplex for prison officials.

Nogerhaven

Nogerhaven

Besides the Museum, the prison village of Veehuizen is also the location of the Nogerhaven jail. This Dutch jail is rented by Norwegian prison authorities and is so popular there is a waiting list as all 241 places are occupied. Prisoners here get more outside time, work less and have extra time to stay in contact with families via Skype.

This would appear to be a win-win for everyone involved as the the Norwegians have a shortage of prison cells and the Netherlands has a surplus. The Dutch prison personnel also describe the Norwegian prisoners as well behaved with much better manners then their Dutch counterparts. Seems odd, a prison with no “Machine Gun Kelly” but an “Olav the Polite” and an “Ivar the Courteous”.

In 2016 it was reported that the Netherlands will close five prisons in the next few years as a cost cutting scheme, given that there are thousands of empty jail cells here due to a steadily declining crime rate, where as Norway is seeing an opposite trend.

Yes, there is a gift shop.

Sinterklaas Arrives in the Netherlands

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Sinterklaas and a couple Zwarte Piets on the rooftops of Sneek.

The Christmas festivities begin here in mid-November with the arrival of Sinterklaas at a designated seaside town. He supposedly comes from Spain, not the North Pole. This takes place in a different port each year. Smaller local arrivals usually take place later on the same Saturday. We’re in Sneek where the whole city is awaiting the arrival of Sinterklaas.

Click To Hear The Band

After the boat anchors Sinterklaas disembarks and parades through the crowded streets on a white horse, called Amerigo. He carries a big, red book in which is written whether each child has been naughty or nice. He is welcomed by throngs of cheering families singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. His Zwarte Piet crew, or Zwarte pieten, throw candy and small, round, gingerbread-like cookies into the crowd.

Master Of Ceremonies

Sinterklaas

The Feast of Saint Nicholas, by Jan Steen, 1660s (The little boy didn’t get any!)

Sinterklaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, who are the principal focus of the festival. The origins of Saint Nicholas may first appear to be Christian, but in fact are from ancient Germanic mythology.

The Dutch figure of Sinterklaas somewhat mirrors the god Odin, they both have a beard, hat and spear, now a staff, and a cloth bag held by the servants to capture naughty children. Both Saint Nicolas and Odin ride white horses that can fly through the air. The poems and songs children sing relate to Odin as the god of poetry.

The chocolate letters given by the Zwarte Pieten to the children evoke the fact that Odin created the rune letters.

He is also the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus. It is often claimed that during the American War of Independence, the inhabitants of New York City, the former Dutch colonial town of New Amsterdam, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, because Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city’s non-English past.

Why Spain?

Sinterklaas is said to come from Spain. In 1087, half of Saint Nicholas’ relics were transported to the Italian city of Bari, in the Spanish Kingdom of Naples so that might be the reason. Others suggest that mandarin oranges, traditionally gifts associated with St. Nicholas, led to the misconception that he must have been from Spain.

Zwarte Piet

Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colorful Moorish dresses. These elfish characters, called Zwarte Piet or “Black Pete”, first appeared in print as just one nameless servant of Saint Nicholas in1850. Over the years Zwarte Piet has developed from a rather unintelligent helper into a valuable assistant to the absent-minded and frequently inebriated saint. Now Sinterklaas has formed a whole crew of Zwarte Pieten for every function from navigation, gift-wrapping to climbing over roofs and down chimneys.

Zwarte Piet’s costume is based on 16th-century noble attire, with a feathered cap and a ruff collar. He carries a bag containing candy for the children, a tradition originating in the story of Saint Nicholas saving three young girls from prostitution by tossing golden coins through their window at night to pay their dowries.

Traditionally, Black Pete carries a chimney sweep’s broom made of willow branches, which he used to spank children who had been naughty. Older Sinterklaas songs suggest that naughty children were put in the bag and taken back to Spain. This legend refers to the times when Moors raided the European coasts to capture future slaves. Today, Zwarte Piet no longer carries the rod or threatens children with abduction for being naughty.

The Controversy

As you can well imagine Zwarte Piet has turned into a rather controversial character. Traditionally Zwarte Piet’s face is said to be black because he is Moorish. Today, some prefer to say that his face is blackened with soot because he has to climb through chimneys to deliver gifts for Sinterklaas.

Regardless, the figure of Zwarte Piet is considered by some to be racist and the traditions surrounding Sinterklaas have been the subject of many editorials, debates, documentaries, protests and even violent clashes at festivals.

This year vans of protesters were turned back before reaching Dorkum, the site of the national arrival of Sinterklaas. Some southern Dutch cities and television channels will only display Zwarte Piet with a few soot marks on the face rather than full blackface and are called “chimney Petes”. Still, Zwarte Piet remains very popular in the Netherlands. A 2013 survey suggests that 92% of the Dutch public did not perceive Zwarte Piet as racist or associate him with slavery, and 91% were opposed to altering the character’s appearance, but I imagine in just the 4 years since that survey, things have changed considerably.

Jittery at Jaarbeurs

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Jaarbeurs

For 2 days each November, completely over the top, massively obsessed collectors of every conceivable stripe converge on Utrecht in the Netherlands to buy, sell, barter and bullshit at Verzamelaars Jaarbeurs, The International Collectors Fair and Europe’s biggest Vintage Event.

We thought it would be a perfect fit for us, but as we approached the building the sky darkened, the clouds began to roil and it all started to feel, you know, funny. A peculiar vibe emanated from the doors and we soon discovered that the hall was filled to capacity with very strange creatures indeed. I can’t prove it, but I just know, they’re watching us.

“The odds are you’ll find what you’re looking for, but there are even better odds that you’ll find something else, because this happens to be The Twilight Zone…..”

“Marsha White, in her normal and natural state, a wooden lady with a painted face who, one month out of the year, takes on the characteristics of someone as normal and as flesh and blood as you and I. But it makes you wonder, doesn’t it, just how normal are we? Just who are the people we nod our hellos to as we pass on the street? A rather good question to ask . . . particularly in the Twilight Zone……” The After Hours – Season 1 – Episode 34

Collection of Curiosities

To lighten the mood we thought a quick stop at the University Museum might just hit the spot. This small museum has a lovely botanical garden which only serves to hide many curiosities.

The Skeleton Collection

Prepare to quiver with horror as we approach the Bleuland Cabinet.

All these artifacts come from the private collection of professor of medicine Jan Bleuland.

Jan Bleuland (1756-1838)

I think I may be permanently scarred. There’s also babies in bottles but my partner says they’re just too much.

Utrecht’s Number One Citizen

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Meet Miffy

Holland has produced some amazing characters, both real and imagined, but none more perfect then Miffy. This quiet unassuming gender bending cartoon character has captured the imagination of generations of Dutch children. I say gender bending because there seems to be a bit of a divide out there. Apparently, creator Dick Bruna didn’t dab a flower onto the rabbit’s smock until 1970 and folks born before that were free to assign any gender they chose to the little bunny.

Miffy is a worldwide phenomenon with more than 120 books that have sold over 85 million copies, a feature length film and three television series.

Why so popular? Miffy appeals to children all over the world, but especially here. She, like the Dutch that adore her, is unpretentious, uncomplicated, has a very positive attitude and, even though innocent, is always open to new experiences.

But she’s no push over. Miffy has been forced to duke it out with Miss Kitty over copyright and trademark infringement and has won.

The dismayed creator has simply said, “No, don’t do that. Try to make something that you think of yourself”

She is no more revered then here In Utrecht, Bruna’s hometown. Called Nijntje in Holland, there is a square named after her, the Nijntjepleintje (Little Nijntje Square), the Centraal Museum has opened a permanent exhibition called the dick bruna huis (Dick Bruna house), there is a Nijntje Museum and there are even street lamps shaped like the little bunny.

On February 16, 2017, Dick Bruna died at the age of 89. Miffy would be 62 today.

More Interesting but Useless Facts;

In the Netherlands, Miffy is known as “nijntje”, which derives from the Dutch word “konijntje”, meaning “little bunny”. This is a very logical name for anyone who speaks Dutch, but not in any other language. Because “nijntje” is difficult to pronounce for non-Dutch speakers and because there are so many different words for “bunny” in other languages, the rabbit is simply known as Miffy. The name has no special meaning, but is easy to pronounce in all languages.

See how practical the Dutch are?

Happy Town

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Utrecht

Utrecht is the fastest growing city in The Netherlands and with a population that is the youngest of any Dutch city it is considered by many to be the country’s beating heart. With a very walkable medieval city center small enough to explore on foot, Utrecht is still large enough to enjoy world class festivals, modern architecture and numerous quality museums. It is developing from a medium-sized provincial city into a regional capital of European importance. Public health is first in all fields of public policy. Residents and stakeholders in the city are encouraged to take the initiative and seek to forge partnerships that will help make Utrecht a healthier place to live. According to the United Nations, it is one of the most happy cities on earth.

The Dom

St. Martin’s Cathedral, or Dom Church, is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. This Gothic church was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages and is the country’s only pre-Reformation cathedral. It has been a Protestant church since 1580 when the Utrecht city government took the cathedral away from the Diocese of Utrecht and gave it to the local Calvinists. From then on only Protestant services were held in the building with one brief exception, in 1672 and 1673, during the Franco-Dutch War, when Catholic masses were again held in the cathedral. Following the Reformation, Catholics were legally obliged to worship discreetly in clandestine churches (schuilkerken).Over the subsequent centuries the cathedral fell into a pitiable state. Major renovations are ongoing.

During the 16th century, the influence of the Reformation was growing. The dissatisfaction over the abuses of the Church had become so strong that it resulted in a revolt during which statues, furniture, altar pieces and carvings in the churches were destroyed.

Wijnstraat aan de Werf

The passageway

We are staying in a lovely little canal side apartment in the middle of the old city center. You literally have to walk down a small passageway and then along the canal to get here.

Wijnstraat aan de Werf – Our Street

The Oudegracht – Our Canal

Our idyllic little shelter was rocked at 7:30am this morning when the construction crew arrived to begin work on the new canal wall directly in front of our window.

Got to go. I have things to do.

The Wendi Files – The Dutch Edition

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My Tour Guide

Our trip has drawn to a close but, as usual, I can’t end without a final nod to my intrepid companion and chief motivator, the person who forces me off the couch and into the world.

With Anne Frank in North Amsterdam

Gemeente Museum in Den Haag

With Banksy at the Moco in Amsterdam

On the beach in Bloemendaal ann Zee

At the Bazaar in Beverwijk.

Russian Tough at the Drents in Assen

Don’t touch the art at the Drents

With George in Bloemendaal

Art supplies in Haarlem

At Waanders In De Broeren in Zwolle

At the Museum De Fundatie in Zwolle

Posing for Vermeer in Den Haag

Selfie at the Kuntshal in Rotterdam

Stay well my friends.

A Fast Train Through the Netherlands

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This year’s adventure flew by faster then a bullet train. I didn’t get even close to pointing out all the remarkable things we’ve seen in this outstanding country. Let’s finish with an assortment of the wacky, weird and wonderful.

The Bloemendaal Train Station

Rommelmarkts

I’d characterize almost every flea market and bazaar we’ve been to here as a Jumble Sale. I’ve never seen such an odd collection of used clothes, broken toys, rusty tools and assorted junky stuff.

Rommelmarkt in Haarlem

Rommelmarkt at Wijk Ann Zee

The Rommelmarkt at Appelscha takes place in what appears to be an abandoned amusement park for kiddies. The only thing left are the creepy forlorn creatures that have been abandoned and left to fester like captives in an old Twilight Zone episode.

IJHallen, in North Amsterdam, is probably the longest running Rommelmarkt in Holland.

The Bazaar in Beverwijk is a whole other animal. It was billed as a long established mixed use affair. There are huge warehouse type buildings filled with most everything you can imagine. No collectibles or antiques but tons of cheap underwear, toys, tools, jewelry and Middle Eastern food. Kind of a free trip to Turkey.

Waanders In De Broeren

The Broerenkerk, Church of Brothers, was part of the Dominican monastery from 1465 until the monks were expelled in 1589 and the Protestants took over.

Now it houses Waanders in de Broeren, one of the coolest bookstores I’ve ever seen. A joy to wander around or just have a snack.

A Few Loose Ends

Art Supplies in Haarlem

Leeuwarden

The St Bernards of Leeuwarden

Den Haag

Den Haag Central Station

The Passages in Den Haag

Bloemendaal Ann Zee

Bloemendaal Ann Zee

Druggist in Zwolle

Lunch in Zwolle

The Dutch Appetizer of Choice – Bitterballen and Mustard (They’re pretty good)

Museum Crawl – Dutch Art 101

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We’ve been on a Museum Binge. We happened to buy a couple Museumkarts and have been drunk on art ever since. The Museumkart gives you access to most of the best museums in the Netherlands and is the deal of a lifetime. You don’t even have to wait in the ticket line. In an attempt to squeeze every last drop of goodness out of the card we have attacked this part of Holland with a vengeance and been to 14 museums so far. Here’s just a couple.

Escher In Het Paleis – Den Haag

The Mauritshuis – Den Haag

The Fotomuseum – Rotterdam

The Fries Museum – Leeuwarden

Dutch Art 101

In this neck of the woods you are going to see lots of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history generally spanning the 17th century that rang in the new Dutch Republic and helped make it the most prosperous nation in Europe. As you can imagine we have managed to see a whole lot of great paintings, but I won’t bore you with all that. Describing images to people is like telling them about your dreams, you really had to be there. I think most people are somewhat familiar with Dutch paintings anyway. If you’ve seen a cigar box, you can probably imagine a Rembrandt. I’ll just talk about two of the big dogs and try to keep it short.

“The Night Watch” is a 1642 oil painting by Rembrandt that hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

“The Night Watch” by Rembrandt 1642

To better understand the significance of this Dutch Masterpiece in contemporary terms lets first discuss that iconic TV show “Law & Order”, the longest-running hour-long primetime TV series in history. Created by Dick Wolf, this show ran for 20 seasons and spawned an entire Law & Order franchise. One of the chief successes of the show was it’s distinctive look. This was, in part, achieved by a technique brand new for TV, the “Walk & Talk”. This is done by using a steady cam and backing through the set as the main characters walk down hallways and go room to room discussing their next move. This gets the actors out from behind those boring old desks, propels the story forward by making it look like talking is actually doing something and it keeps the viewer actively engaged. This is so much a part of the show that it’s even in the intro. I thought it was so original until I finally realized this is exactly what Rembrandt did in 1642. Until then these group portraits of prominent citizens and military leaders were pretty staid affairs with everyone lined up like bowling pins or sitting around a table trying to figure out what to do with their hands. In this enormous painting, 142.9″ × 172″ , Rembrandt got them up off their considerable duffs and turned them into giant men of action who just might step right out the painting and do what needs to be done.

Rembrandt van Rijn

In the process Rembrandt cemented his place in art and is generally considered the greatest painter in Dutch history.

“The Young Bull^“is a 1647 oil painting by Paulus Potter that hangs in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

The Mauritshuis- Den Haag

At 92.7” x 133”, this huge painting approaches life-size, allowing space for very detailed realism, including flies, frogs and cow pies, a fact that was much criticized originally. But fortunes changed and by the 18th and 19th centuries the painting had gained much traction and was highly admired. Today it is considered one the Dutch Golden Age’s greatest paintings. Potter was only 22 when he completed this work and died of tuberculosis at the age of 28 having succeeded in producing about 100 paintings by working continuously.

“The Young Bull” by Paulus Potter 1647

Besides the staggering craftsmanship, what makes this painting so unusual is the sheer scale. Up until then extremely large paintings were reserved for the rich, the royal and the Gods. This is the first time that a farm animal has been afforded such reverence. The life size image forces us to look into the Bull’s penetrating gaze and it becomes almost difficult to perceive it as anything but a sentient being. This painting with its almost heroic treatment of an animal alters our perception of the Bull’s place in the universe and, by extension, our own. Whether he meant to or not Potter moved the art world in fundamental ways and by the 19th century this monumental treatment of virtually the entire animal kingdom would become somewhat commonplace.

Paulus Potter

Still I find the whole notion that a mere 22 year old, with some paint and a few brushes, has that kind of power utterly remarkable.

Interesting But Useless Facts #289 & #290:

As large as “the Nightwatch” is, 20% was cut off the left hand side in 1715 to make the painting fit its new position at the Amsterdam town hall.

“The Young Bull” was at least 20% smaller when first painted. Potter added extra strips of canvas on both sides and at the top of his original composition, which just included the bull itself.

The Great Bicycle Coup d’état

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The Dutch don’t just love their bikes, they have embraced them on a level that borders on obsession. Don’t get me wrong I love bikes and think it’s amazing that they have incorporated bicycles into the fabric of their lives and created an incredibly healthy lifestyle.

There are some interesting stats about Dutch bike riders. A higher percentage of Dutch ride bikes then any other country. As of 2012 there were estimated to be 18 million bicycles or 1.3 per citizen old enough to ride. In the 4 years since, bike popularity has continued to grow tremendously. Some say that now there are as many as 2.9 bikes per Dutch citizen. With the exception of competitive riders, nobody seems to wear a helmet and yet they have less head injuries then anyone else. By 12 years old most children have been trained in the rules of the road and must pass a traffic exam to receive their Verkeersdiploma (traffic certificate).

In cities 85% of all students commute to school on bikes and, for adults, over half of all journeys are made by bicycle. Now some towns have fietsstraats (bike streets) which are roads where bicycles are considered to be the primary and preferred form of transport and cars and other motorised vehicles are allowed “as guests”. There is even a growing trend towards a complete separation of bicycle routes from motor vehicle routes called the unravelling of modes. In 2012 the Hovenring, the first suspended bicycle roundabout in the world, was built over a large and busy road intersection, where before its construction cyclists had to cross busy roads.

By John Tarantino - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22228858

Hovenring By John Tarantino

So what have we learned? Well, they clearly love their bikes, are pretty good at operating them and are willing to invest in the infrastructure. But no, I’m afraid it goes way beyond that. This is a transportation revolution and in all revolutions there are winners and losers. The Dutch love of these two wheeled little devils coupled with their proficiency at using them has conspired to turn the Netherlands into a nation of Bike Hoarders. I know that sounds harsh, but the evidence is all around you. With 3 bikes per person and no storage, it’s like all that crap grandma has been hoarding for decades has moved out onto the sidewalk.

Bikes are everywhere. In the cities they lean against most walls and are attached to every available vertical structure. All the train stations have bike parks designed, I’m assuming, for commuters. They have become impromptu bike storage yards filled with hundreds, if not thousands of bikes that never move. These mounds are starting to distort into strange shapes and juxtapositions as the once treasured objects, now discarded, become as intertwined and impenetrable as a bramble bush.

This bike has been lying on it’s side for two weeks now. I want to pick it up but I’m curious how long it will stay there.

Bicycles have seized control of both the sideways and the bike lanes.

This Bloemendall resident told me that most of these bikes haven't moved in a yearend that she has to hunt for a spot everyday. She owns three bikes!

This Bloemendaal resident told me that most of these bikes haven’t moved in a year and that she has to hunt for a spot everyday. She owns three bikes!

Not only do they dominate the landscape, these low-tech transporters have managed to move up the food chain and have eclipsed both cars and pedestrians for supremacy of the roadways. Motorists are far more concerned about hitting a bicyclist then the rider is about being hit. This has a lot to do with the insurance laws. Unless the bicyclist intentionally runs into you the motorist is always at fault. Pedestrians are just left to fend for themselves while trying to dodge everything that moves. My wife is certain they’re trying to kill us slow moving, old school walkers. Accidentally stepping off the sideway into the bike lane is tantamount to suicide.

Sure they look innocent enough with their shiny wheels and cute little saddle bags, but don’t be fooled. As this dominance has taken root the size, speed and diversity of the enemy has increased logarithmically. Now there are regular bikes, tantem bikes, electric bikes, mopeds, motor scooters, bikes with load carrying trailers, large box delivery bikes, recumbents, velomobiles (enclosed bike cars), large tricycles, bikes with multiple panniers , bikes with two baby holders and, remarkably, bikes with three baby holders and room for a dog and all are vying for control of the asphalt.

Remember expressions like ” the pedestrian always has the right of way” or when crosswalks were safe passages through a busy hostile world? Not anymore, oh no! There was a war and the pedestrians lost. If these madcap pedal powered warriors just didn’t hate us mere walkers so badly. Surely there’s room for all of us? So be careful out there and look in every direction. They really might be out to get you.

BruceWPeterson Photography

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