I am such an American. I woke up this morning and, worried about being late, set out at a daredeveil pace on the green hornet ( my bike). In the middle of town, another cyclist pulled out in front of me and forced me to slow down. When I did, I noticed the cool calm stillness of a town still awakening to the day. How different my morning would have been if I spent the whole ride in like that. Instead, I found myself waiting for the train....sweating. Tomorrow, I ...

Oirschot has been a Brabant village for over 500 years. St Peter's church was built in 1268. Inside, there is a beautiful two- story carved pulpit, oil pantings and an impressive pipe organ. But this simple Roman style church pictured above is really what it's about. It has been here since the 11th century and holds an organ from 1751. The streets themselves have something to say. They are all cobblestone and brick that have seen centries of life come and come...

Hear that? No?- Me either. No cars, no sirens. Just wind and a cow next door. The Green Gables is my home for the next 9 weeks and this is my front yard ( which I do not have to tend, by the way). It's beautiful, 65F and sunshine. I settled in and biked into town to grocery shop. Don't look for a Cosco or Wegmans here with a stadium sized parking lot. Without a focused search, I could have missed it. On the way back, I took a detour through the carnival thats in ...