The Long Way Home - Netherlands

Day 29 – Vierhuizen – Distance: 118.6 km

No overnight dew so an early start. I soon crossed into Holland. As I approached Deltzjil I got another pinch flat, this time in my rear wheel. I think that I’m letting my tires get too soft and that 28 mm and bald is not man enough for a full load on these rough tracks. I will know better next time.

It was too hot for the patch to stick, which I only discovered after putting it all back together and cycling 5 yards. After popping in my spare inner tube I was underway belatedly. This meant that as usual I was arriving in a town hot, tired, filthy and hungry.

I did get lucky and stumble across a bookshop straight away. I have an excellent pack of cycling maps for all of Northern Holland. The woman in the fish and chip shop where I got my lunch seem to be affecting a Rochdale accent to add to the authenticity. I think the heat is confusing me.

The initial stretch North of Deltzjil along the coast was into an extremely hot head wind. As I moved inland the scenery became more attractive; pretty villages, quiet lanes and narrow concrete paths alongside the many canals.

The campsite is as nice as any that I’ve stayed at and I spent a while chatting with some local teenagers who were genuinely interested in what I was up to. There English was also very good.

Windmills and canals a plenty in Holland

Day 30 – Wadenzee – Distance: 147.9 km

Lots of excitement today. Finally a tailwind, if a gentle one. I started by getting lost and cycling 6 km through an MOD firing range. It must’ve been too early for them to be shooting though.

Much of the day’s cycling was along the dikes that protect the re-claimed land from the sea. On the seaward side they are cambered so that it falls like you are always cycling towards the oggin. On the landward side they are used for crazing sheep. This meant that the path was covered in shit and often sheep as well. Particularly dozy sheep in the heat, so much so that I actually hit one of them as it stumbled in front of me.

On the way into Halingen I missed a turning and ended up in a shipyard and then on the harbour wall.

From Dijkvaart it was 35 km across the Lake Ysellmeer Causeway. Thankfully the wind was behind me on this long, exposed stretch and for once it was me cruising at 30 km/hr as cyclists coming the other way were bent over their handlebars battling away at half my speed.

The heat and humidity has been building all day. Approaching Hippolytushoef the skies blackened and the heavens opened. I missed the worst of it in the supermarket but got drenched in a secondary downpour on the way to the campsite.

Sheep grazing on the dikes

The heavens open in Hippolytushoef

Day 31 – Noordwiskerhout – Distance: 111.4 km

Some early drizzle and mugginess gave way to the usual heat and sunshine. My feeble attempt to dry my tent by strapping it to the outside of my bag failed.

More attractive country lanes, canals and windmills until I reached the coast. Here the route entered the sand dunes and I spent the rest of the day on the roughly paved, sand and gravel tracks ambling up and down the dunes. This is the closest Holland comes to hills and I even saw some mountain bikers. These paths were popular with tourers, local cycle traffic and tourists.

I was struggling for motivation until I reached the very attractive wooded Kesnemer Dumen National Park. From the busy, grotty beach resort of Zandvoort only a short blast amongst the dunes remained. I am staying in a youth hostel mainly to use their internet and get some washing done. My dorm is full of noisy, whining Aussies.

Tulips from near Amsterdam

The sand dunes in North Holland

Day 32 – Hoek of Holland – Distance: 60.0 km

A morning of zooming through the sand dunes saw me in the suburbs of Den Haag which seemed a very attractive town from the little that I saw. The towns in the North-East of Holland were ugly, concrete, run down and almost deserted. In contrast the West has been much more attractive and prosperous with the exception being a couple of tacky seaside resorts.

The last few kilometres into Hoek took me past the excellently named Monster and rows upon rows of green houses.

I bought my ferry ticket, had some lunch, picked up some new reading material (finally) and found the campsite, which is conveniently right next door to the nudists beach. Mmm old wrinkly naked Dutch people.

I spent the afternoon lounging about and reading. The first time that I have really been able to do this. I had an average meal at the campsite bar in the evening.

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