When in Rome.....

The Scots' vocabulary runs to 'och aye the noo', the French eat frogs' legs and snails and all German public transport runs like clockwork. National stereotypes - don't you love them (inaccurate or not).

As visitors to this place, my husband feels that we should align ourselves to the stereotype of our host nation - that is: that the Dutch cycle. See above, therefore, the latest addition to the Brooke cycle collection (now seventeen and counting). Our (or really, I should say, Richard's) latest acquisition, because he is the one behind it all, was this tandem, which we purchased last Saturday. Richard believes (erroneously I fear) that living here gives him the perfect excuse to collect bicycles to excess and that, to fit in, we should have an example of every possible kind of bike, in our garage.

Our tandem, because that's what it is - in case the picture wasn't clear - is a cruiser, according to my husband: built for leisurely rides of a weekend. Both Robyn and Amber have had a go and, in all seriousness, it will be great fun when we have visitors to stay. Even less reason for the reluctant cyclist to refuse!