Beautiful Ede

A perfect beginning to a trip! Menno, my friend and guardian, did more than welcome me at his home, he collected me from the airport. By Sunday night we had my bike reassembled, walked the dogs twice, and enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared his daughter, Esther, and shared with his wife, Reineke. Topping it all off, his amazingly generous son, Max, turned over his bedroom to me for the duration of my stay. Monday, Menno showed me the countryside (he ran 15 km, I rode my newly assembled bike), then we visited downtown Ede. Then another fantastic dinner, a tutorial in using the GPS that Menno is loaning to me for my trIp, and visiting until the wee hours. Today we rode to Arnhem, about 25 km distant, in order to visit a travel bookstore. The ride was a dream, smooth cyclepaths through field and shady woods. The birdsong is oddly familiar, yet foreign. The wren I heard sounded like a pacific wren, but not quite. The "crow" had a gray head and sounded like an angry squirrel. Shortly after our arrival back home, Menno's mother joined us and I was treated an unbelievable meal, some lessons in Dutch, and wonderful conversation. Menno has provided me with all of the essentials: the best bicycle lock in the world, a stove, travel guidance via a GPS, gluten free bread, and, more important than everything else combined, friendship and hospitality.
Heel hartelijk bedankt!