Our trip so far has been nothing short of outstanding. A lot of living happens every day. Some are things that make you go 'hmmm', like learning 'peperoni' means banana pepper at a pizzeria in Germany. Most make us go 'wow' and we can't believe we're here! WarmShowers.org is proving to be an invaluable service that we are very happy to be a part of. Travelling through the Netherlands took eleven full days, so to give a day by day account might drag on a little. Instead, this entry touches on a few of the most poignant experiences we've had. We hope you find some of the following highlights entertaining.
Sunday July 27 at 8:00 am we rolled off the ferry into Hook of Holland, which is not touristy despite the regular ferry service (twice daily from the UK). Consequently, it was quite the challenge to find a good cup of coffee, although we did find the massive outdoor flea market happening right by the port. Two football fields worth of crap for sale. Eventually we were at a restaurant on the beach strip and got caffeinated with the early morning dog walkers and Sunday cyclists. The ride up the coastline was just awesome. Scenic, smooth, flat, warm, and all around pleasant for miles. Neither of us expected to be enjoying a beautiful day at the beach in the Netherlands but by mid-day the sun had come out strong and the beach was calling us so we couldn't and didn't resist. FYI, topless bathing is acceptable in the Netherlands. Not that I noticed.
Our waterproof panniers turned out to be not so waterproof. After a very welcoming Warmshowers stay with Martien in Leiderdorp we got caught in an apocolyptic thunderstorm with rain bouncing off the pavement. Garbage bag liners are now installed in all eight panniers. The dedicated bike lanes found throughout the Netherlands are an absolute pleasure to navigate. Cyclists are well-protected by the law; basically, they are never at fault. The bike paths are also used by scooters and a new type of mini-mini van - a one-seater about three feet wide which unfortunately negates the notion of safety. Utrecht is a beautiful city, the country's academic centre and one of our favourite places so far. Our Warmshowers hosts Marja and Henk were more than accommodating, allowing us into their beautiful home, feeding us such good food and giving us a personal walking tour of Utrecht. They live in the heart of the old city with a lower level door leading right out to a canal. Meandering through the countryside on our way to the southern part of the Netherlands, we stayed at a campsite that left a huge impression on us: the Eco-Tourist farm De Biezen. In short, this campsite is run by a very down-to-earth family. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a cup of tea and some chocolates. Local eggs could be purchased for €0.35 ea (I made a superb breakfast with them), cows, goats, sheep, chickens, guinea pigs, cockatiels were just some of the local residents. After our 2-night stay the staff gave us a very warm send-off complete with half a loaf of freshly made wild herb cake, which was incredible - it was soon devoured! We were fortunate to stay two nights in Maastricht with Jasper (Warmshowers), a triathlete who recently took a three-week trip with a friend to ride a tandem bike around Helsinki. Maastricht is yet another beautiful old city with cobbled streets and ties to the Roman era. Wednesday, August 6 the Canadian women's elite cycling team including Annie Foreman-Mackie (Leigh coached Annie) tore it up at the 2014 Ridderoonde in Maastricht through the pouring rain. We were near the start/finish line to cheer them on with a pint of beer in hand. The Netherlands was an amazing experience. Touring around the old cities was mind-blowing. We met some great people, ate some great food, had many great times, and are now headed into Germany to ride the Vennbahn trail, as suggested by Reijnoud, our Warmshowers host in Vught.