Bikes and Fries

Amsterdam is a bike city.

A taxi driver told us they fish thousands of bikes from the canals in any single day. Well, that’s a lot of bikes falling into their canals.

We wondered how anyone could ride a bike, have a cigarette, and look at his phone all at once but the Dutch people could do it beautifully. A person riding a bike against that gorgeous blue Amsterdam sky was such a sight that would forever be imprinted in my mind.

It’s also a city for good freshly cooked fries!

We stayed in Negen Straatjes where Fable Friet is located, the home of the well-loved parmesan and truffle fries. People line up for hours just to get their fries. In fact, the lines were too long each time we passed by that we never successfully tried their fries.

One fine day, in front of Fabel Friet, a guy got his precious fries. By the look on his face, he probably lined up for hours on end to get his prized fries. He was guarding his food with his life, eyes on his fries, as he slowly and carefully stepped out into the street. He didn’t see a bike coming. The woman on her bike hit his hand so hard the fries flew up in the air in slow motion while everyone gasped, their mouths open and their gaze following each piece slowly landing on the pavement.

Two worlds colliding.

Yellow fries in the air, a gorgeous sky of blue, a woman on her bike.

It was a beautiful tableau.