Harderwijk - Laren 29.24 miles
Left early and what a nice place it was. Our host really put herself out to make us welcome and comfortable. For breakfast she even cooked us some 'wentelteefjes'. Don't know if there is even an English word for it.
We did not have to go far today. Stopped at a steam pumping station Arkemheem for coffee. It is a very special station and has been restored during the seventies and best of all it was working today. It has even become a popular place to get married!
Of course we stopped at Spakenburg. We have been here several times now and will never leave the place before stopping at the fish stall to buy our favourite herring and eel rolls. Arrived at 1 o'clock in Laren and will stay here till Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday we will travel to see the family in Hellevoetsluis and fridaynight we leave by ferry to Harwich. Home Saturday.
End of our Dutch round of the Zuidersea. IT will also be our last tour. In all we have cycled over 11.000 miles over the last 13 years. We will still go out on the bike but just day trips now.
Sent from my iPad
Monday 5 June 2017
Sunday 4 June 2017
Genemuiden - Harderwijk 34.79 miles
Genemuiden - Harderwijk 34.79 miles
Yes, the cows did a lot of moo-ing in the early morning and the storks too made a lot of noise. But it was interesting. I watched them in the evening and every time the male bird came to the nest the couple performed a kind of ritual by moving their necks simultaneously while making this clacking sound with their beaks. It was like a dance and at the end they mated and Mr. Stork flew away. When it became dark the whole family were on the nest but the adults didn't lie down but stood on one leg with their eyes closed. (Yes I really could see that from our bedroom window). That's the way they slept. In the morning the male went out and came back with breakfast for the young one....a large bird! They also eat moles and the neighbour has got plenty!
After our own breakfast we left just after nine and arrived in Harderwijk at about 4. It was tough going as we had to cope with headwind 4, but we did. Tomorrow we cycle to Laren and visit my brother. Tomorrow is also the last cycling day of the Zuidersea route. But.... We still have to cycle back to the Hoek of Holland.
Sent from my iPad
Yes, the cows did a lot of moo-ing in the early morning and the storks too made a lot of noise. But it was interesting. I watched them in the evening and every time the male bird came to the nest the couple performed a kind of ritual by moving their necks simultaneously while making this clacking sound with their beaks. It was like a dance and at the end they mated and Mr. Stork flew away. When it became dark the whole family were on the nest but the adults didn't lie down but stood on one leg with their eyes closed. (Yes I really could see that from our bedroom window). That's the way they slept. In the morning the male went out and came back with breakfast for the young one....a large bird! They also eat moles and the neighbour has got plenty!
After our own breakfast we left just after nine and arrived in Harderwijk at about 4. It was tough going as we had to cope with headwind 4, but we did. Tomorrow we cycle to Laren and visit my brother. Tomorrow is also the last cycling day of the Zuidersea route. But.... We still have to cycle back to the Hoek of Holland.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday 3 June 2017
Lemmer - Genemuiden 33.59 miles
Lemmer - Genemuiden 33.59 miles
Again wonderful cycling in a peaceful landscape. From Lemmer to Slijkenburg, coffee in Ossenzijl and lunch in Blokzijl. Continued through Zwartsluis arriving quite early in Genemuiden, or rather just outside Genemuiden. The place we are staying is on a farm and much to our joy there is a stork pole just outside our bedroom window with mother/father stork and their young. There were two but one died. These storks come back year after year. The farmer has them ringed and they have been coming here for 14 years. Some times one of the young ones have come back after 2 years, at a time when they are ready to mate. We have been warned that they will make a lot of noise in the morning, well they can bring it on! Next door is another farm with 100 cows. They too will make a lot of noise after milking in the morning. One of the cows had fallen in a dike and the farmer and son had to pull it out with rope and tractor. We watched all this while sitting outside drinking a cup of tea with our hosts. Tomorrow we cycle to Harderwijk.
Sent from my iPad
Again wonderful cycling in a peaceful landscape. From Lemmer to Slijkenburg, coffee in Ossenzijl and lunch in Blokzijl. Continued through Zwartsluis arriving quite early in Genemuiden, or rather just outside Genemuiden. The place we are staying is on a farm and much to our joy there is a stork pole just outside our bedroom window with mother/father stork and their young. There were two but one died. These storks come back year after year. The farmer has them ringed and they have been coming here for 14 years. Some times one of the young ones have come back after 2 years, at a time when they are ready to mate. We have been warned that they will make a lot of noise in the morning, well they can bring it on! Next door is another farm with 100 cows. They too will make a lot of noise after milking in the morning. One of the cows had fallen in a dike and the farmer and son had to pull it out with rope and tractor. We watched all this while sitting outside drinking a cup of tea with our hosts. Tomorrow we cycle to Harderwijk.
Sent from my iPad
Friday 2 June 2017
Hindeloopen - Lemmer 30.33 miles
Hindeloopen - Lemmer 30.33 miles
We have been very impressed with Hindeloopen. The village looks so pretty, tidy, friendly and inviting, that it comes at the top of the list. When leaving just after nine we also found cycling this side of the IJsselmeer actually better than the west side. It was such a peaceful ride, hardly saw anyone, it was wonderful. Stopped at Stavoren for coffee. Then on to Scharl, Oudemirdum for lunch, reaching Lemmer mid-afternoon.
Years ago I received a box with letters etc from an Aunt who had passed away. In it was a letter with 'Return to sender' written on it. It's quite a story, so here goes.
My aunt had sent this letter to a person in Amsterdam and was put on the mailboat at Lemmer, destined for Amsterdam by way of the IJsselmeer. This boat was called The Groningen lV. There was another mailboat coming from Amsterdam to Lemmer. They collided and the Groningen lV sank and lives were lost as was the mail. This happened during WW2. After the war this boat was lifted from the seabed and my Aunt received her letter back as the name and address on the envelope was no longer recognisable, but hers was on the back! When this letter came into my possession I managed to read the letter for about 90%, some of the wording was destroyed by the water. It was all about how they were managing with food going round during these hard times. Anyway, I was very intrigued and looked the story up via the Internet. At the time of looking this up one of the Maritime museums in Friesland was doing a story about this boat in their museum. So, I rang the museum and told my Aunt's story. The curator was elated as this letter would be treasure to the museum and I promised to send it to him. In return he send me a picture of Groningen lV. That's my 'Lemmer' story for the day. The lesson for the day is therefore to 'never throw anything away'!.....
Sent from my iPad
We have been very impressed with Hindeloopen. The village looks so pretty, tidy, friendly and inviting, that it comes at the top of the list. When leaving just after nine we also found cycling this side of the IJsselmeer actually better than the west side. It was such a peaceful ride, hardly saw anyone, it was wonderful. Stopped at Stavoren for coffee. Then on to Scharl, Oudemirdum for lunch, reaching Lemmer mid-afternoon.
Years ago I received a box with letters etc from an Aunt who had passed away. In it was a letter with 'Return to sender' written on it. It's quite a story, so here goes.
My aunt had sent this letter to a person in Amsterdam and was put on the mailboat at Lemmer, destined for Amsterdam by way of the IJsselmeer. This boat was called The Groningen lV. There was another mailboat coming from Amsterdam to Lemmer. They collided and the Groningen lV sank and lives were lost as was the mail. This happened during WW2. After the war this boat was lifted from the seabed and my Aunt received her letter back as the name and address on the envelope was no longer recognisable, but hers was on the back! When this letter came into my possession I managed to read the letter for about 90%, some of the wording was destroyed by the water. It was all about how they were managing with food going round during these hard times. Anyway, I was very intrigued and looked the story up via the Internet. At the time of looking this up one of the Maritime museums in Friesland was doing a story about this boat in their museum. So, I rang the museum and told my Aunt's story. The curator was elated as this letter would be treasure to the museum and I promised to send it to him. In return he send me a picture of Groningen lV. That's my 'Lemmer' story for the day. The lesson for the day is therefore to 'never throw anything away'!.....
Sent from my iPad
Thursday 1 June 2017
Den Oever - Hindeloopen 36.31 miles
Den Oever - Hindeloopen 36.31 miles
After a very pleasant stay we set off for the Afsluitdijk. As the B&B was almost next to the dike we were soon on that long straight line. It was exactly 20 miles and took us 2 hours. The wind was southeast but only 0.1. At the end we turned right cycling south, first of all to Makkum. Next was Gaast, Ferwoude, Workum and lastly Hindeloopen. All the villages are lovely and Hindeloopen comes out tops today. We just had a walk round the village and took some pictures.
Tonight we are sleeping in a 'bedstee'. This is an old Friesian bed, which is basically a cupboard. See pictures. I slept in one during the war, this one however is much nicer decorated. I don't think I would like to sleep in this one too often, so now is just for the record only! The whole room is decorated in Friesian style.
Tomorrow we head for Lemmer.
Sent from my iPad
After a very pleasant stay we set off for the Afsluitdijk. As the B&B was almost next to the dike we were soon on that long straight line. It was exactly 20 miles and took us 2 hours. The wind was southeast but only 0.1. At the end we turned right cycling south, first of all to Makkum. Next was Gaast, Ferwoude, Workum and lastly Hindeloopen. All the villages are lovely and Hindeloopen comes out tops today. We just had a walk round the village and took some pictures.
Tonight we are sleeping in a 'bedstee'. This is an old Friesian bed, which is basically a cupboard. See pictures. I slept in one during the war, this one however is much nicer decorated. I don't think I would like to sleep in this one too often, so now is just for the record only! The whole room is decorated in Friesian style.
Tomorrow we head for Lemmer.
Sent from my iPad
Enkhuizen - Den Oever 30.67 miles
Enkhuizen - Den Oever 30.67 miles
Leaving at 9 o'clock we continued along the coastal route. Weather had improved with plenty of sunshine and not too much wind. We cycled through Enkhuizen. Again very quaint, nice gabled houses, some of them not straight, but that adds to the character. When we got to the harbour there was a forest of masts. All these villages are the same. Hundreds and hundreds of boats. After Enkhuizen we went through Andijk(coffee), Medemblik(lunch at the Kwikkel), then our destination Den Oever. We have stayed here before and were quite pleased with the place then, so here we are at The Waddenzee Pension again. The cycling has been very good today, the landscape was fantastic with bird life around us. All very therapeutic.
We just had a meal and it was good. Tomorrow the Afsluitdijk! 20 miles long straight dike/dam which turned the Zuidersea into the IJsselmeer, the largest lake in Europe.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
Leaving at 9 o'clock we continued along the coastal route. Weather had improved with plenty of sunshine and not too much wind. We cycled through Enkhuizen. Again very quaint, nice gabled houses, some of them not straight, but that adds to the character. When we got to the harbour there was a forest of masts. All these villages are the same. Hundreds and hundreds of boats. After Enkhuizen we went through Andijk(coffee), Medemblik(lunch at the Kwikkel), then our destination Den Oever. We have stayed here before and were quite pleased with the place then, so here we are at The Waddenzee Pension again. The cycling has been very good today, the landscape was fantastic with bird life around us. All very therapeutic.
We just had a meal and it was good. Tomorrow the Afsluitdijk! 20 miles long straight dike/dam which turned the Zuidersea into the IJsselmeer, the largest lake in Europe.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)