Sunday 20 March 2011

Getting Ready For A Week In The Netherlands

There's something satisfying and serene about a deserted bus depot, early on a Spring Sunday morning. Even if a) architecturally it resembles something out of the early Soviet era, and b) the bitterness of the wind doesn't offer any spring like qualities.

But it is different. There is no noise. The buses are lined up in rows in silence. There are no people. No drivers. No mechanics. No bosses and no passengers. The only noise is from the little birds flying between the rafters.

I am preparing a bus to take to the Netherlands tomorrow. The windows need cleaning. The floor needs mopping. The dashboard needs polishing, toilet filling, water tanks topping up, chewing gum under the seats hoovering up, plastic bags put out and the carpets need washing. Bus drivers are multi tasked. Many of the tasks are unglamorous.

But the bus smells lovely. After two hours, it is ready for a week on the continent. It will be a good week - a school singing trip. Holland is a great place with lots to see and do. The Dutch outlook on life is refreshing too:

'You can't hatch chickens from fried eggs', as they say. What it means is another matter.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a nice prospect. Make sure that you return with a bag of bus, train and metro timetables or leaflets (ferries are equally acceptable as currency).

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  2. I hope they looked after it after all your hard work!

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