Nearly three decades ago, I arrived in the Netherlands on a three-year assignment. My first impressions are still fresh in my mind. After landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, walking past rows of swanky shops packed with luxury goods and going down just one level to catch a train, I immediately understood why it was considered one of the world’s best-designed airports in one of the most modern countries.

But the view from the train window surprised me with rural scenes. Instead of tall skyscrapers and sprawling malls, I saw wide green pastures where cows, goats, and horses were grazing; old windmills turning lazily in the distance; and small, scattered houses which could be reached only by narrow paths. Later, my hotel in The Hague — with its luxurious rooms, a casino, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool on the rooftop — reminded me that this was indeed a modern country. That evening, a sight from my hotel room puzzled me. Men, women, and children were all moving about on bicycles — a mode of transport that, back home, was largely associated with the poor. The next morning, a Monday, I stepped out of my hotel and noticed a strange scene — a man unloading three bicycles from the back of his sleek car. He, along with a woman and a child, took the bicycles and parked them. A short while later, the man, dressed in a coat, suit, and tie, drove away. Only then did I begin to understand the Dutch way of life: a balance of health and wealth.

A week later, as soon as we moved into our home, I bought three bicycles — one for my wife, one for our daughter, and one for myself. We discovered the joy of simple living through cycling.

Today, after retirement, my wife and I live in a modern, luxurious condominium in a village on the outskirts of Coimbatore. Yet one thing we do every day reminds us about the Dutch way of life that we learnt long back – our daily cycling along the fields.

soraiyurvraman@gmail.com