After a very comfortable night on the ferry, and breakfast in our room (peanut butter, buns, OJ and yogurt), we were ready to head out and cycle in Holland. It feels so good to finish our 3 month trip in a place that touched us so deeply when we cycled here in July. As we observed before, Holland is truly a cyclist's paradise - great routes and signage with locals who also love to ride and share their advice on routes to take.
We were given an upgrade to an outside cabin. It was right below the bridge with an an amazing view
Ironically we missed the signage and ended up on the beach at the North Sea. Coffee in a cafe got us in the mood to proceed, after all, it was an early start. The wind was blowing, the sun was shining and the surf was host to hardy surfers.
Riding off the ferry at 7:30, we enjoyed seeing the early morning boat traffic at the Hook of Holland.
Charmaine RuppoltThose surfers look like the surfers of Northern California - because the water is cold there, they have to wear wetsuits. Reply to this comment 6 months ago
Explored the small town Hook of Holland, bought maps for the area (love Dutch cycling maps!) and decided to have an easy day and head for the historic town of Delft.
We found a cafe in the village of the Hook of Holland, and enjoyed breakfast, Dutch style, which included smoked salmon and freshly squeezed orange juice.
We were surprised to find recumbent bikes in this shop - the first we have seen on the floor of a bike shop in Europe. When we talked to the owner, he said that he would never stock them again as they appeal to such a small market and are too expensive. These ones were reduced by 40% for a quick sale.
When we arrived in Delft, we were blown away by its beauty. Canals, bridges, beautiful old buildings - we realized that camping out of town would not work so we checked in to a B&B in the town centre facing on to a canal. The location was great and our suite had everything we needed. Local cheese, baguette, grapes and wine made for a great dinner to enjoy in our B&B. Tomorrow is Mary Ellen's birthday-so it will be nice to have breakfast prepared for us. It has been a long time since we allowed ourselves this luxury.
As you can see, Dutch signage for cyclists is amazing. No matter what direction you are going, there is a numbered route for you to follow.
Due to the extensive waterways and canals throughout Holland, we see a large number of heron. This heron was part of a large group of heron who were in this field fishing and enjoying the sunshine.
Cheese shops in Holland are fun to visit - interesting, but best of all are the plenitude of samples. Cheese shops, bike shops, bakeries - life is good here.
6 months ago