The year is coming to an end again, with so much left to run. I can’t repeat my 2013’s record of 800 km this year—in 2015 I’ve only run some 600 km. Not because I’m lazy, but due to being more active in aikido.
Houten’s “bike avenues” are great to run on, also because there are not so many bikes using them at the time when I’m running, that is in the evening and during the weekend.
A year ago I posted about fruit groves in Houten. Last summer brought a sudden news on that topic.
A decade ago our neighbour has planted a kiwi tree. The plant has been growing into our two gardens, but has never given a single kiwi fruit. Until the last summer, that is, because mid-August we’ve spotted the first fruit ever! Too bad for our neighbours, it was a dodgy one, as it’s growing on our side of the fence.
I’ve always wondered how those mile-long roadside hedges get trimmed. And recently witnessed the process, which, expectedly, makes use of technology:
We had a great time celebrating the New 2015, together with our Russian and Ukrainian friends.
Here, outside of our homelands, we’re still friends, you know.
In the previous part I mentioned the “Bike Town” award given to Houten a few years ago. This tiny geographical object has also won a number of other awards:
Holland is decidedly and prominently a bike-land. Any Dutch settlement features miles of bike paths, bike traffic-lights, special bike road marking, ubiquitous bike parkings and bike rental at every train station.
But our Houten seems to be in the lead here.
The summer is almost over, though I haven’t seen much of it. It’s been quite busy here, but in a positive sense.
Firstly, I’ve officially become a Netherlander. Secondly, I’ve changed job yet again, which I’ll tell you about some other time. And finally, I’ve settled down and got stuck in Holland bought a house.
