Last weekend was no exception to this Belgian trend and I was overtaken by Belgians on both days! On Saturday George, John, and I led 17 ever-curious Belgian university students and their professor Alex on a great ride through much of Upper Manhattan. Overlooking the Hell's Gate and Triborough Bridges we had a great discussion about the portion of the East River originally known as Hellegat. Although this term was coined by the Dutch, the Belgians had no problem helping to clarify its origins!
After a great lunch in Harlem, we encountered several passionate protesters on 125th Street. In the same vein as Adam Clayton Powell, Jr in the 1930s, local residents have been protesting the plan to rezone this major thoroughfare. A few days after this tour, a comprise was reached. I'd like to think that these protests had a positive effect on the future of Harlem and I hope that this compromise can help the neighborhood to retain its character despite all the new money pouring in.
Shortly after Harlem, we made our way up to Morningside Heights and Columbia University. The Belgian students felt right at home in the center of campus and took a bit of time to mingle with their New York peers.
Sunday afternoon brought us 47 French-Belgians on a corporate trip. Pat, Levi, I split them into three groups. Despite the size of the groups, these guys really flew through the city. In a three hour window, we devoured over 150 dumplings and 30 sesame pancakes in Chinatown, stopped in for a short game of bike polo on the Lower East Side (it was their first time playing but these guys were REALLY good), crossed both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, got 6 flat tires, and still made it back to the bike shop right on time for all 47 Belgians to roll out in 6 stretch limos!
At the southern tip of Broadway the elder Dutchman (although, he would certainly scoff at being referred to in this way!) had the best reaction to 
Shortly after Wall Street, we discovered the great views that can be revealed when a building is knocked down. I love this perspective on the Woolworth building, although it won't be around for long--- once a new building goes up, Nassau Street will go back to being the narrow, shady alley it always has been.
Momentarily turning away from all of the fascinating urban sights, we found nature in Brooklyn Heights! This is one of three Dawn Redwoods in the neighborhood that were planted here back in the 1930s with seeds brought from China.
But, as we see every Tuesday, its hard to ignore the urban chaos in lower Manhattan in the middle of the work week. In the financial district the construction you see above made us all wonder how anything gets done in this dense city.
And, of course, with this construction comes hazards to the cyclist. Towards the end of the ride the jovial father and son duo both got simultaneous flats-- both caused by big construction staples! They did not let this slow them down, though, and were eager to help with the repairs. They also made it up to us at the end of the ride by treating everyone to a round of beer. Yes, 
