Delft - Rockanje - To France the Long Way

July 20, 2009

Delft - Rockanje

During the night it poured but in the morning the sky clears as we make our way back to Delft to look around the pretty old town and take a few pictures.

As usual, the tent is wet when we pack it up in the morning.

Leaving the camping: The washrooms are located in an interesting straw-bale construction.

We are now traversing the Dutch Delta Region in the province of Zeeland, actually a series of islands. Along the southern coast of the Netherlands, sediment-laden rivers have created a massive delta of islands and waterways, where the Dutch have now built an elaborate system of dikes, canals, dams, bridges, and locks to hold back the North sea. Within the context of global warming, it is a sobering thought that more than half of the Netherlands including the beautiful picture-book scenery we are now riding through is below sea level.

A reader's comment: "Nice picture...caught Janos flapping his wings, ready to fly (or so it looks!)"

A ferry from Maassluis takes us to Rozenburg, a bridge brings us to Brielle. The sun is shining but the wind is cold as we wander through the pretty old towns.

Sex Bomb and I'm 2 sexy
Two of many humorous life-size figures we see along the road in the town of Tinte.

"Is Tinte safe? No. We are not a race course." Another one of the roadside figures in Tinte. Perhaps protesting against the construction of a new road through town?

We are making slow progress. In the early afternoon we pass a sign for a camping and know we won't mind stopping although we haven't many kilometers to show for the day. On the map we see more dams are coming up and we will again be exposed to strong winds. We decide to tackle that stretch tomorrow. Stopping here was a good decision. It's a small camping ground but it has a washing machine and drier! After so much wet weather we appreciate these amenities.

Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 1,867 km (1,159 miles)

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