From the 20th of July untill the 3rd of August, 25 participants embarked on an epic bike journey through the beautiful, and sometimes surprising Dutch countryside. This journey brought these brave participants to the most beautiful spots around The Netherlands and let them experience the Dutch way of living. This Summer University (SU) was organized by two locals, AEGEE-Tilburg and AEGEE-Maastricht and the theme was the environment. The ingredients for these two amazing weeks: 25 bikes, a mixture of participants from all over Europe, a lot of fun and challenging activities – mix it up until you have a beautiful SU with a lot of surprises. Was the plan too ambitious? Was it maybe too challenging? Read the story and you will find out!!
The journey started on the 20th of July in Tilburg, where the accommodation provided was a church. During this week, the biggest fair of the Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) started in Tilburg and it would last for the rest of the time we would spend in there. During the nights, we spent a lot of time at the fair! After everybody arrived on Sunday we finally started on Monday by picking up the bikes, which would be used for the rest of the two weeks. The bikes were provided by La Poubelle, a thrift shop and also social workplace that repairs used products and resells them. After a tour of the bike repair shop and the store, it was time to pick up the bikes. After everybody found a suitable bike, it was time for the first ride… The first night out was Pink Monday, a gay-oriented night out, so everybody had to dress up in pink!
On the second day we went to the beach. After taking an early train to The Hague, we had a city tour there, we left for Scheveningen to chill out an relax on the beach. After getting back to the church (accomodation), the European Night was in the program. As usual, this meant trying the drinks and delights from every country represented. Vodka, pálinka and gold strike tasted as never before and they washed away the taste of the stroopwafels, chorizo and baklava! After this tough night, the next day dawned.
That was the first real biking test, as on this day we had a minimum of 30 kilometers to travel. Despite a slow start and minimal progresses, in the end we managed to reach the destination: National Park Loonse en Drunense Duinen (Dunes). This National Park is also called the “Brabantse Sahara”, named after the big sand plains. The ride back went more smoothly, but the next day was even more daunting – 50 kilometers of biking to take us to ‘s Hertogenbosch. After an exhausting bike ride, it was time to relax during the boat tour, which brought us to the old parts of the city. Next it was time for the Crazy 88. In groups, participants needed to follow a list of 88 tasks that would make them eat whipped cream of somebody’s butt, work at a McDonald’s, sleep in a shop and start a water balloon fight with children. Everybody got really into it and put in all the effort and creativeness to win the game. Although the day was already exhausting, we turned it up a notch during the evening with a pub crawl.
As morning dawned, everybody was exhausted so we decided to go to the lake ‘t Zand, to relax and regain our energy for the days to come. On Saturday, almost at the end of the first week, the participants had the day to walk around Tilburg, to the fair, and do some shopping if needed. In the evening there was a workshop about drugs, mainly because it’s a Dutch tradition and because on Sunday Amsterdam was on the program. After a very relaxing evening in the park, the early wake up on Sunday was a piece of cake and everybody had to pack their stuff as we traveled for our second week to Maastricht. First we arrived in Amsterdam, where we started with a city tour showing all the beautiful spots of the city (de Dam, Rijksmuseum, historic canals, etc). After the city tour, we all had some free time to relax or for shopping. Then it was time for the boat tour, showing all the beautiful spots of the city from the canals. After dinner and when darkness fell, it was time for the Red Light District tour, one of the biggest attractions of Amsterdam. Some hours later, and after spending some more money, it was time to leave Amsterdam and head back to Maastricht.
The first day in Maastricht, after waking up in the remote location of a scouting building just outside the city, it was time to pick up our bikes and start riding in the hilly countryside of the South of the Netherlands. After biking up a little hill just outside of Maastricht to have a look over the city, the journey continued to Belgium where we visited a castle. On Tuesday it was time for the city tour Honorable member of AEGEE-Maastricht, Ed Houben, showed us around the most beautiful spots of Maastricht. In the afternoon AEGEE-Aachen and its Summer University (Get trashed the green way!) joined us for a great BBQ and Cantus!
On Wednesday we returned AEGEE-Aachen the favor. After visiting the Maastricht Treaty (the Treaty of the European Union) it was time for the longest and most daunting biking journey of the whole SU. A 35 kilometers route across the hilly Dutch countryside would be the biggest test each of these 25 brave participants would have to undertake. Five hours and some damaged bikes and participants later, we arrived at our destination, the BBQ of AEGEE-Aachen. After the BBQ and some partying later, we staid the night in Aachen, by camping at a farmers’ place. The day after started with a city tour through Aachen. After we left Aachen it was time to visit the Three Points. This point lies on top of the highest hill in the Netherlands (Vaalserberg +322 meters). One by one, exhausted, out of breath and overheated everybody reached the top of the hill. After some rest it was time to visit the point bringing The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium together. Thinking that this was it for the day, you would have been mistaken. There were still the 30 km travel back from the Three Points to Maastricht!
On Friday, because the two days before were so exhausting, a fun day was planned at Fun Valley, a lake close to Maastricht. In the evening after everybody regained their energy a pub crawl was in the program to see and experience the night life of Maastricht. Then the last full day dawned on us, Saturday, also called Underground Day. This day, would be spend underground as we visited the old mines in Valkenburg. After the old mines, there was some relaxing time to see the city, before heading back to the accommodation for the last night of these amazing two weeks.
Looking back on these two weeks, was it maybe too ambitious biking all these distances? Why not! That’s what we call a challenge!! You do not call your SU “Burgundian Bicycles” for no reason. In a country where there are more bikes then people, AEGEE-Tilburg and AEGEE-Maastricht wanted to offer a real Dutch experience. Which also means hating your bike sometimes so hard, you just want to throw it in the river and walk the rest of the way. And yet, as the days passed by, people got more and more used to their bikes and the rides became smoother and smoother, even when we went to hilly Maastricht. Maybe that is an important part what made this group so close. Not just the crazy 88 assignments or the notorious European Nigh, but if you cycle five hours to Aachen together and survive it, it will create a strong connection. It really was a sight to see though, 25 people from Greece, Spain, Ukraine, Russia and so on, cycling through Holland. Visiting the famous Tilburg fair, walking around the Red Light District, take a dip in the North Sea, lurking through the Maastricht mines… Three countries, eight cities and many hours on the road. Burgundian Bycicles had it all!
All that’s left to say is “dank je wel” to everybody (participants and organizers) for these amazing two weeks and see you somewhere in Europe!!!
Written by Ivo Beniest & Robin van Duijn, AEGEE-Tilburg
Pictures courtesy of Milica Basić, AEGEE-Beograd; Xhonjela Milloshi, AEGEE-Genova; Agata Gandecka, AEGEE-León