The Hague via (Hoek of Holland) to Delft

sunny days

We began the day with a visit to the Mauritshaus museum in The Hague which features Rembrandt and Vermeer. Hard to believe anyone, including Mr Maurits, needed a house this large - but beautiful.

Then a brief walk around seeing old haunts - restaurants, Des Indes hotel, my office on Parkstraat, then load up the bikes and head to the sea. Biking through The Hague, with towering trees and green green lawns, and pathways along canals, we saw people biking and walking to school. I remember wondering if these people know how good they have it!

biking along the dunes. sea to our right, inland to our left.

We got to bike along the ocean, with wide cycle paths and sand dunes protecting Holland from the ocean. We were up high above the rooftops we could see on our left. The wind was pretty strong from our right and eventually in our face too. But with sun and clouds, we enjoyed the ride.

at the "Hoek van Holland", entrance to the canal to Rotterdam

Rotterdam is an important port handling 50% of Europe's shipping. This beach at the entrance to the canal has become a day resort with people playing frisbee and with lots of restaurants and swimsuit stores. After lunch we headed towards Delft, and went from very arrid to lush in short order.

The cycle paths felt like a garden, the houses generally along a canal.

beautiful gardens in front of pretty homes

I can't imagine having to maintain this garden, but at least they have lots of water to work with!

large squares in Delft, full of tourists during the evening

Here is our hotel just before leaving the next morning. At night this huge square hosted throngs of people. When we arrived in Delft, the town felt so alive with cyclists moving in every direction, a few cars and trucks on the streets we would pass, and everyone else seemed so sure where they were going, which way to look for bikes and cars and motorbikes. We made a couple of wrong turns, and all of a sudden our friends (who had arrived earlier) called out to us. They were having an apertif in the sun, enjoying people watching. They were surprised when 2 of the people came by that they knew!

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 199 km (124 miles)

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