July 26, 2013
Day 8: Uithuizermeeden to Drieborg (almost at Germany): Sticks in the Mud
With the super, just like or better than home facilities at the campground, we should have started out full of energy. We were ok, but not quite full power. Nature picked up on this, and started throwing a few curves (or maybe we missed a few turns).
First off, the path secretly went left and we went straight. Straight into a road made of "quick mud" that is. One of the advantages of having Dodie out front is that she will detect adverse conditions before I have to experience them. So when Dodie bogged down in the gluey muck, I could just look on from the high ground. But when she called out that she could neither go forward nor even get off the bike, I gallantly dove in too.
Once the sorry duo (dodie and bike) were dragged out, a stick and a bottle of water mostly cleaned the mud. The water bottle was poured over the bike, not the Dodie.
Next up, the path went left and we went right, onto a road through a wheat field. OK, it was not a road, it was the trail left behind from the harvesterr. Our error dawned on us when the trail both ended in a ditch, and Dodie remarked "How do the bikes go here when the crop is in?" Duh!
Next up, a one foot wide path through the fields, with a bridge over a canal. The bridge featured steep steps, but did have a helpfuul steel channel besidde them. So anyone powerful enough to puch a 100 pound bike more orr less straight up could just go merrily on. We went on, but not sure quite how merrily.
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We had targeted Appingedam as a destination for the morning. Sandra had flagged it as having narrow streets and a famous small city hall.We had plotted ourr way in using the knoppunts, but eventually gave up on the twisty route and just followed the red signed by the road bike path leading to the town.
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Right now we are sitting at the Red Pelican (Roode Pelikaan) pancake house, testing out the ...pancakes! Actually, it's the bacon on there that is hitting the spot most. The only protein we have been eating is cheese, with a little Canadian tuna in there somewhere.
We looked around Appingedam a bit, searching for some of the sights Sandra had mentioned - like the "overhanging kitchens". All we found was a church - not a very fair attitude for the people who built it in the 1300's and restored it several times since. We left town and ran into a bike shop. Now that's a sight we like! Dodie replaced herr gloves with a pair on sale - for 12.50 euros (halk price). We could also buy a basic e-bike here for 1000 euros.
The mechanic in the bike shop offered two contributions. One, he referred to Delfzjl as the "end of the world". This makes sense, since it is the end of Netherlands. Two, he suggested we go see the hanging kitchens of Appingedam. grrrr.
We continued to wend our way down the Dutch side of the Ems river delta (or bay), heading for the German border and the town of Leer. We followed our lis of knoopuunts, and generally were just cycling through fields of wheat, potato, rutabaga, and in one case, acres of beautifully healthy carrots.
Part of the route, just before Termunten, took us beside the dike. Except for the sheep to talk to, this is actually less exciting than the crop lands. However Dodie soon said "Is that thunder?" I thought not, because the admittedly thunderous sound was continuous, for 30 minutes. "Maybe airplanes? Machines somewhere?" to be safe, we put on our rain jackets. Just in time, because rain it did. At the same time we arrived at Termunten, and ducked under an overhang, because now putting on rain pants seemed like a good idea too. We had only just got the pants on when the sky opened. By opened, I mean you could fill a bucket just by putting it on the ground. We looked around us. The overhang belonged to a fish and chips and ice cream restaurant, with covered outdoor seating right near the bikes. Yeah! There is nothing like fish and chips to bolster your strength in a rain storm.
In fact, we might be entering a more fish oriented region (such as we expect in Denmark), which probably means less pancakes.
After an hour the rain abated, so we crept out and carried on. We had started to think B&B, but now it was just spitty. When we came across a farm camping, short of the border by 5 km, near Drieborg, we grabbed it.
This camping was less professional than last nights' - more a bohemian style, in someone's back yard. Still, there is hot water and flush toilet, and a quiet grassy corner for us. Our corner features a sour cherry tree, and black currants. There is also a table inside, with power, so once again we have landed on our feet.
Talk about lucky, though - the only shelter for kms turns out to be a fish and chips restaurant, with ijs for dessert! Sour cherries notwithstanding, that has to be the highlight of the day.
Today's ride: 71 km (44 miles)
Total: 426 km (265 miles)
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