Putten to Arnhem via Kroller Muller Museum: We visit an art gallery in the forest to see Van Gogh's paintings - Riding In My Grandfather's WW1 Footsteps - CycleBlaze
Putten to Arnhem via Kroller Muller Museum: We visit an art gallery in the forest to see Van Gogh's paintings
Today has been a special day of riding culminating in a visit to the extraordinary Kroller Muller museum in De Hoge National Park.
It was a good call to stay in Putten at Hof van Putten last night. Once again Booking.com came to our rescue and we secured the last room in this fully booked hotel at a discount price, including breakfast. At this point, we are happy to avoid bad weather and treat ourselves to a bit of TLC. We rode through some rain to reach the hotel, but that is easy to do when you don't have to set up the tent.
Since Brugges earlier in the trip, Barry had to replace his Speedplay Frog cleats as the metal had broken down and were no longer functional. It is not good when Barry can't keep his foot locked in to the pedal when he needs to control our loaded recumbent tandem. Since, he couldn't find a better alternative from the bike shop in Brugges, he has been experimenting with a switch to Shimano pedals/cleats.
Barry really prefers the Speedplay Frog cleats as the 20 degrees of float they provide allow him to ride free from pain in his knees. Increasingly over the past few weeks, his knees have been getting worse and it tells us that Shimano are not the answer for him. He does like the solid feeling of power and control that he gets from the Shimano, but he needs more float. So, it will be back to the drawing board when we get home to figure out what he should try for the next trip. The frustrating thing about the Speedplay cleats is that they are very expensive and since they are made of a soft metal, they break down and he typically he needs 2 sets for a 3 month trip. This poor value frustrates him.
Previously, Barry has also tried Bebop pedals which give him enough float, but the problem with Bebops is that you have to cut away some of the sole of the shoe which in our experience, effectively compromises the durability of your expensive cycling shoes.
We think that we will take a break and book something for the next few days to give him a break from riding and hopefully improve his knees. As well, staying put will give us shelter from the next few days of thunder storms and heavy rain. We will head to Doorwerth after Kroller Muller and stay at Fletcher Hotel.
We looked at the map and chose our route based on the numbers and once again we had a great ride through National Forest Reserves, visited a historic windmill and before we knew it, we were at Otterlo and the entrance to De Hoge National Park. This Park is a treasure and worth a visit, as well as the Kroller Muller Museum wihtin the Park.
Hof van Putten is set on extensive grounds and is unlike any hotel we have seen. It was a lucky find. The hotel has facilities for recuperation and wellness which also gives it the category of a spa/wellness hotel.
I was standing with two women watching the people up above. They had been in the areas 10 metres above the ground, their families opted to go to the higher areas. We all agreed that 10 metres was high enough, but cheered on their families with oohs and aahs.
We stopped for a visit with this woman on her HP Velotechnik Gekko with her two dogs in the basket behind her. She is camping in the area and out for a ride in the forest. We shared stories about our travel dreams. In another year, she will retire and her plan is to ride from Portugal to Amsterdam (over 5000 km) on her trike. We wish her good travels.
Helene Kroller Muller's passion for art included a vision to share her art in a museum. This dream was realized a few years after her death - but she was the guiding force behind the creation of the museum/art gallery.
We visited De Hoge and this museum 3 years ago- and we are still awe struck by seeing these paintings by so many masters, especially the work of Van Gogh, up close. The museum feels so inviting and natural - no barriers, but the security staff keep an eye on people who get too close.
The Sculpture Garden covers several acres and surrounds the museum. This floating sculpture is constantly changing with the breeze and quite beautiful.
De Hoge has many types of landscapes - pine forest, dunes. We rode for about 20 km to reach the main entrance from the museum when we were finished. The Park is vast.
