We are Slava and Oksanka, a Ukrainian couple who have found our own way to explore the Netherlands—on the longtail cargo e-bike nicknamed “Shark.” We are traveling through all twelve provinces of the country, seeking out off-the-beaten-path places. I capture them in photos and write travel reportages, while Oksanka talks to locals who approach us, drawn by our unusual bike, and reads every info stand I walk past.

This project was never a grand plan; it appeared naturally as we searched for a shared outdoor activity. I am a real cycling and photography maniac who will skip sleep to ride somewhere and wait an hour for a “perfect” photo. Oksanka is a researcher by trade and calling; she is fascinated by local lore—the way people live, what they think, how they speak, and the history of the places we encounter along the way.

We cover from around 50 to 150 kilometers a day on semi-improvised routes, finding niche spots that even locals sometimes overlook. From factory ruins and medieval castles to villages with unique dialects, prehistoric stones, dunes, and forests—it all makes up our journey.

I tend to collect these spots on a map over time. When enough of them gather in one area or start to form a natural group, we head out. Sometimes it’s just for a day; other times, we settle in for a few nights, either moving from place to place or staying in one B&B and venturing out in a different direction each morning.

We both studied journalism at university, even though neither of us ended up working in a newsroom. I still feel those years shaped how we see the world, even if the degree never turned into a career.

I bought “Shark” to ensure we could travel together without the stress of steering for Oksanka, as she has medical restrictions that prevent her from fully enjoying cycling. She often cites Iggy Pop, who sang, “I am the passenger, and I ride, and I ride…”

Somewhere around the second or third article, we asked ourselves whether this project should be more practical, with instructions and itineraries. We decided we weren’t making just another travel guide; we wanted to inspire rather than inform—no checklists, no rankings, just what’s worth stopping for.

Our native Ukraine is vast. We come from the Cherkasy Region, one of 25 administrative divisions, and the entire Netherlands is only about the size of two Cherkasy Regions. Growing up with that sense of scale changed how we view distance—spending a few hours on the road to get somewhere is completely normal. When we settled in a country of a compact size, sticking just to our immediate surroundings didn’t make sense. The entire Netherlands felt like our new habitat, right within reach. So we want to explore it in high definition, moving past the souvenir-shop version of the Netherlands and understanding it just as intimately as the cafe down our street.