Windmills, ferries and then more windmills and ferries
Ans served us a delicious breakfast with fresh strawberries, goat yogurt, soft boiled eggs, bread, meat and cheese and tiramisu from the previous evening. We said our goodbyes and rode for about 5 km. and took the first ferry of the day to get to Kinderdijk, one of the most famous sights in Holland. Kinderdijk has 18 windmills from 1720. It is an amazing sight. You can ride by all the windmills on your bike for free.
The weather today was very changeable with a constant threat of a storm. Dark clouds and cold winds were our constant companions with rain at times throughout the day.
We took ferries 4 times today. It is a common feature of travelling here and we do enjoy it.
We had to stop before we intended today as Mary Ellen developed a tummy bug as the day went on - many quick dashes to the bushes convinced us that we would be better off indoors with our own bathroom.
Ans sharing her knowledge of local cycling routes with Mary Ellen.
The first of our ferry rides across the Lek River to see the Unesco site of the windmills preserved from the early 18th century. When we left Ans it was a beautiful morning - the weather has suddenly changed.
One must have apple cake while in Holland, and this cake was very tasty. When it started to rain, we took shelter on the pretext of having a coffee, but the cake tempted us to try it. As hoped, the weather became sunny again after our treat, so we hopped on our bike again to enjoy Kinderdijk.
We enjoyed chatting with this Dutch couple, Marion and Frits, who are on a cycling holiday. We were pleased to hear that they had ridden the same route as us a few years ago (and they enjoyed it). The route is "Ronde van Nederland via LF routes. This route does a complete circumnavigation of the country. We will not ride the southern section around Mastricht as we rode this area earlier in the trip.
Kinderdijk - such a picturesque and interesting place- well worth a visit. As well as visiting a museum here, you can also tour by boat on the canals. All proceeds go to the Millers' society to maintain the mills and their history.
A yummy salad courtesy of Albert Heijm for a picnic lunch. It was cold and raining, but we enjoyed it. You can buy a variety of prepared salads in most supermarkets for about 3 euros.
Ferry #3 (or 4? not sure). Once again, we thought from the map that there was going to be a bridge. It took us a moment to realize that you press a button and the ferry will come on command.
