The Raph Round-up: July 2024

It’s a few months overdue, but better late than never!

Summer + Netherlands + Family = Cycling

July in Denmark is a time for summer holidays (sommerferie). Many Danes flock to other countries to absorb some much-needed sun and work on their tans. I personally feel that summer in Denmark is close to perfect – temperatures of low to mid-twenties – and I can’t comprehend why some travel to Spain in summer to melt in 30-40+ temps. This year, we spent a couple of weeks in Utrecht, the Netherlands, to meet up with some family visiting from New Zealand. Growing up, holidays in my family always involved hopping on what is perhaps one of the greatest inventions in human history – the bicycle. What better place to continue this tradition than the Netherlands, a country widely recognised as a nation of cyclists? Here are some photos from our time there (see the captions on each photo for details).

The cycle network in the Netherlands seems very well set up! Here’s an example of one of the many bike maps you will come across as you’re chewing up the miles on your bike.
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A canal in the capital, Amsterdam.
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I was amazed at how lush the Netherlands felt in summer. There are many artificial rivers that span the countryside. Some even use these artificial bodies of water instead of fences for their properties. The downside here, of course, is that water = mosquitoes!
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There were also some fantastic forest parks along the rides.
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What’s Europe without castles?
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Some of the smaller towns are really cute.
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The Veluwe was absolutely amazing. It’s a region of ~1,100 square kilometres containing multiple national parks/reserves. We only briefly visited, but I can definitely see myself going back for a longer stay to photograph the diverse landscapes within. Apparently some wolves were even reintroduced in the northern region in 2019, as a means of rewilding/restoring the ecosystem.
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Another photo from the Veluwe.
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Parents in their element.
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What better way to end a long ride than a local brew!
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Given that I currently live in a country also renowned for its cycling – Denmark – you may be asking: “Raph, what country does cycling better, the Netherlands or Denmark?”. I’m going to hold you in suspense, because for the August Round-Up there’ll be an article about my first bike-packing adventure in Denmark! So were I writing this in July, this foreshadowing would not be possible :-)

Street art, but not on the street???

While in the Netherlands, we also visited the STRAAT museum – a huge collection of street art housed in a neat old industrial building.

It would be amiss if a museum of street art were itself not covered in street art.
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Another view of the exterior.
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Pretty stoked to see an Aussie reptile – the bluetongue lizard!
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Not from the museum, but spotted in Nijmegen!
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More cowbell?

Before heading back to Copenhagen, we decided to spend five days in Switzerland. We took the Nightjet (overnight train) from Amsterdam to Basel, followed by a beautiful train ride from Basel to Nyon in western Switzerland, close to Geneva. You can’t go to Switzerland without enjoying some hiking, so here are some photos from a day hike to La Dôle peak (1,677 metres) in the Juras. The weather was absolutely fantastic – 25+ in Nyon, but cooler in the higher altitudes of the Juras.

Morning. The view of our destination (La Dôle) from Nyon. Note the weather Doppler Radar.
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Taken on the train to the start of the hike.  © 2024. This work is openly licensed via CC BY-NC 4.0

View of Lake Leman/Geneva partway up.
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A cute Swiss road in the mountains.
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There were heaps of flowers on the hike.
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Restaurant de la Barillette. A place with a view. Unfortunately (?), we had brought our own lunch/snacks.
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Another view of the lake.
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Getting closer to the peak.
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The geology looks fantastic.
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Blue and green.
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Spot the Swiss cows in the distance?
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An old fence with views of France in the distance.
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At the summit. A closer view of the Doppler Radar.
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Breathtaking views of Lake Geneva.
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Breathtaking views of Lake Geneva.
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Geneva is at the far right of the lake from this photo. You can just make out the ~140-metre Jet d’Eau.
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Wildflowers in foreground.
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Wildflowers overlooking a Swiss valley on the summit.
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Swiss cows! Each has a bell (with slightly different pitches), so when they’re on the move it’s like an orchestra! Next time I want to take some recording equipment and take some samples.
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More cowbell.
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Even more cowbell.
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Stopping for a drink at a classic Swiss lodge in La Givrine while we wait for the train back to Nyon. There’s definitely a lot of appreciation for cows here!
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Swiss lake life

Nyon is a lakeside town about 15 minutes’ train ride from Geneva. With beautiful mountain views and access to the lovely Lake Geneva, I can certainly see the appeal of living here. My dad is originally from Geneva, and we had the pleasure of staying with some of his good friends. Great company, wine, food, and weather – an excellent way to end the summer holidays!

A view from lakeside Nyon. France is on the other side of the lake. You can also see Mont Blanc in the distance (snow-covered).
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Love the colour.
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The Romans left their mark.
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Top of the Roman columns.
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Nyon Castle.
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View from the town across the lake.
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Weekend market in the town.
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Monthly flea market on the lakeside.
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The local flag!
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Positive reinforcement for dog owners :)
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Photo of the month

A side view of La Dôle. I find the perspective and scale really interesting.

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Interesting things I’ve read/watched

A short history of why grass lawns are popular. Also touches on why they are not the best from an environmental point of view (e.g. water use). More natural approaches can be better for wildlife (e.g. offering shelter, pollination options.).

Yes Australia’s environment is on a depressing path, but 7 billion a year would transform it. A summary article about a report costing approaches for restoring/improving Australia’s environment. Aus as a nation is definitely wealthy enough to afford this – for comparison, fossil fuel producers were subsidised ~14 billion from 2023-2024!. If only we could get our priorities right..

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