Holland 3

HOLLAND - 3

Saturday 2nd - Wednesday 6th September 2017

I crossed the border into Holland and joined a lot of weekend cyclists who were enjoying the extensive network of cycle paths in Drenthe, a province described as, 'a fairly scarcely populated agricultural area'. I crossed the canal in Assen, the capital of Drenthe and the home of the Dutch TT.

Then I found my way back onto the rural cycle paths stopping the night at a small village inn where Lucy admired the little farm made by the landlord's sister.

Two days to Amsterdam

After studying the map I realised that, if I had a couple of long days on the road, it would be possible to cycle all the way to the ferry that I had booked for the 6th September. The weather was perfect and  I enjoyed pedalling on the wonderful Dutch off-road cycle paths, along dykes, past windmills, over bridges and across canals on little cycle and passenger ferries. Perfect.

One day I stopped to exchange travel stories with Nora, a Dutch long distance cyclist, who was adjusting her brakes by the roadside. She was riding a beautiful custom made Dutch touring bike. 

I told her about an elderly lady who stopped me and said that I shouldn't be riding a man's bike. Nora said that I was probably in a 'bible-belt' area where not only was I on a man's bike, I was riding it on a Sunday.

Penultimate Night

Monday 4th September

My route took me to the South of Amsterdam and I spent the night in a high-tech hotel opposite the Ajax football stadium in Zuidoost Amsterdam. An App on my phone acted as a room key, unlocked the cage where my bike was stored and even controlled the temperature in the shower. I didn't use it to settle the bill as I wanted to use some of my remaining euros. 

Final Day

Wednesday 6th September 

And so Lucy's Viking adventures were drawing to a close. The ferry didn't leave until 10.30 pm so I had all day to complete the final stage of about 28 miles to the Hook of Holland. I spent a leisurely day cycling along the sand dunes to the west of Den Haag on paths that I had used back in May when this adventure began. 

I passed a cycle park in a clearing with lots bicycles. So I stopped and parked my bike and walked along a footpath through the dunes to a beautiful beach and sat watching the wild sea. The beach was only accessible by bicycle or on foot, but there were quite a few people flying kites or swimming in the breakers. After sitting for a while I made my way to Den Haag's seaside resort, Strand Scheveningen. 

I had lunch in a beach restaurant, where Lucy enjoyed her last Dutch coffee, which is exceptionally good. She pushed the English menus to one side and insisted in ordering in Dutch for her final meal of this great adventure. 

I lingered for a bit and looked at the sculptures in an outdoor sculpture museum, Beelden aan Zee, on the prom.

About 5 miles from the Hook I stopped for my last ice cream and chatted to a couple of cyclists from Cambridge who were also getting the ferry. They told me that although it didn't leave until 10.30 you could go on board from 7.30. This is what I did and it gave me time to settle into my cabin, have a shower and something to eat and drink before the ship sailed. 

When we were going to Sweden, Lucy read that she would need a passport to get in. So she applied for European Citizenship, which was granted, and she is now the proud owner of an EU passport. But on the boat going home she was very worried that they might not let her back into the UK. I told her that she would have to hide at the bottom of a pannier and become an illegal sheep. 

I am writing this back in Birmingham, but will do one more post about the end of the tour in East Anglia, arriving home and also give a few statistics about our adventures.