We are off early for the last day of cycling in order to beat the heat and try to outsmart the wind. We’ve cycled 26 days out of the past 28 days. We say goodbye to our hosts and set off. They have given us good recommendations for a route.
We thank our warmshowers host and then off for the last day cycling
There are heaps of cyclists out on this Sunday morning. Near Lier, we stop for pictures on a bridge and see that there is an automatic counter of the number of cyclists who have gone on this route. We find the Zimmer Tower and a café open for coffee. Then we ride through the city center to connect to another canal bike path.
Rudy a local cyclist just back from his own tour rides with us for quite a lot of km.
Near the Belgium Border is Kasteel Ravenhof where we’ve arranged to meet up with Linda and Marco. From here, they will ride with us as we retrace the route on Patrick’s return from his RTW tour 1992-94.
At Kasteel Ravenhof, Linda and Marco meet up with us to ride the last bit of the tour together
“One more photo,” Rachel says with the first stop for a photo at the Belgium/Holland border. In 1994, Patrick returning to home along with Rachel had been met at this border by friends and families also on bikes and escorted to the city limit. Here there is a radio interview and the marching band leads him by home before continuing on to City Hall where he is greeted by the mayor.
The final stop is at the sports hall and a welcome home party.
Also, part of this return home in 1994, Patrick had warned Rachel about the last hill into Ossendrecht. Remembering back then as we were getting close to the town Rachel asks “where is the hill?” Patrick replied, “You’re riding it now.” This has become a teasing joke over the years. Now as we are near Ossendrecht, Linda says, "There's one more hill.
Even at the end of long tour, a hill can be "tough", Rachel hears one last time for this tour Barb from spin class "Let's go, you can do better than this." The mantra that helped in Morocco.
Then at the city border, “One more photo.” And, remembering this same spot for a photo when we started the RTW tour in 2015, when Linda had said, “No wonder you need two years to complete the tour, so many photos.”
Then, we are almost to home when Rachel says “One more photo,” and we turn to city center and for a picture with the Ox. Patrick is from a town named after an Ox and Rachel’s home town is Cowden.
Then just like that our reality shifts! We arrive at Frans and Petra’s home, our place for the week to organize for our trip home to Boise. A total 5002 km done and another tour for the bikes. And only one puncture!
Let the planning begin for the next adventure!
First meal in Holland....go figure, Patrick wanted Chinese. Thanks Linda and Marco.
