Biking Around Delft

One of my favorite things about Delft is being able to ride my bike everywhere. I bought a used bike about two weeks after I got here, and it completely changed my experience of the town. Delft is set up perfectly for bikes - it's mostly flat and there are bike lanes and bike paths that will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go. There are even bike crossings at the street intersections, with traffic lights for the bikes. During the week, I ride my bike to UNESCO-IHE, walk downstairs into the underground bike parking lot, rolling my bike down the ramp beside the stairs, and lock up my bike along with the dozens of bikes of the other students. In the evening, I ride home, perhaps stopping at a grocery store along the way. On the weekends, I try to get out and explore. There are so many canals here with bike paths along them. You could really ride as far or as long as you'd like. Today the weather was warm and sunny and I rode my bike to a nature area just northeast of Delft. The landscape was green and lush, with yarrow, buttercups, and bluebells growing along the canals. I really enjoy seeing people's gardens as well. Indigo lupines, multi-colored tulips, and yellow daffodils are typical. It was a wonderful morning, and now I'm ready to tackle my flood risk assessment assignment, using ArcGIS, MIKE MOUSE, MIKE21, data from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and my Flood Risk and Social Justice textbook.