Gracht maakt vrij
Hire a Canoe
The canals go round and through the old town, and while they look very pretty from the streets above, hiring a canoe and paddling around gives a completely different perspective. I had been promised this and it didn't disappoint. Coming out from under each bridge brought up a whole new scene to be contemplated in a silent serenity unmatched on the quays with their noisy pedestrians, whizzing cyclists and impatient motorists.
Mind you, the canal could become shreiky and a bit frenetic when a gaggle of incompetents approached in an out of control pedal craft. I saw one example of two young ladies repeatedly crashing into the side of a bridge. Either no one had explained the mechanics of steering a rudderless pedal craft or the idea of teamwork was just beyond them.
Some of the larger motor boats on the main arteries can be a bit scarey for the paddler, but there are sections of canal on which motors are banned. And there is no ambiguity in the signage.
Some of the lower quays are inhabited and you are literally sailing past people's front doors.
The Dom (Cathedral), which dominates Utrecht, keeps popping in and out of sight, flanked by different, but always interesting, buildings.
This is my bridge.
This is the scene the morning after the (Saturday) night before. There is a particular skill to locking up a bike so that it cannot be interfered with, but some people either don't have the skill, or are a bit remiss in the locking up after a few beers.
That's our canoe parked there while we ascended for a cup of coffee in the oldest extant café in Utrecht (1711).
This looks like a lifting bridge but the mechanics don't seem quite right from this perspective.
A heron, or something, on the canal bank outside the women's prison.
The women's prison, electric fencing and all.
Houseboat? Though we didn't see many of these.
Parked again. This time to have lunch in the park.
Passing (macho) motor traffic.
This one was parked, so we had to go round it.
Mute tree appealing for our help to save it from being cut down.
Aboriginal art museum.
Definitely NO PARKING.