My Dutch trip Days 1-3

Day 1 (Sun)

Started with me leaving home at about 11.00 and rinding over to Cambridge station. I got there in just over 3hrs with a good tailwind all the way but on arrival I had to wait 1.45hrs for the next train, the first seemingly canceled.

Train journey was without hitch and I got to Harwich with hrs to spare.

I rode around Harwich for a bit, ate fish and chips on the sea front and spent a couple of hrs in the pub before embarking on the ferry and finding my cabin for a shower food and sleep.

Leaving Harwich

Day 2 (Mon)

Disembarking was again without hitch, as cycles were off first and the first train was waiting at the port.

Trains in the Netherlands were rather good for bikes, you have to buy a day ticket for them (6euro) but you can use them on all services without booking a place. It was a bit busy when I was on there but we managed to get on ok. Trains were frequent anyway so it wouldn't have been a hardship to wait for the next one.

Arrived in Zwolle about midday so had plenty of time to kill and after getting the courage to cycle away from the station, I was away and trying to find my way around town.

I found the start location for the ride the next day so it was then around the ring road to find the hotel.

The first storm of the ride got me on the way around and I arrived soaked through. Luckily it was ok to get in the room and get dry clothes on.

As it was still early I decided to have a look around town and get some food, I was amazed at the cycle infrastructure here and must have stood for about 20 minutes watching cyclists going around the roundabout, cars have to give way to cyclists on a lot of roads there and it was amazing to watch from an Englishmans viewpoint.

Cycle lanes along major roads have right of way over all the side roads they cross and cars would stop to let you over even when they were turning into the road you're crossing. It was a bit unnerving to start with but as you got used to it it got a lot easier.

If your cyclepath crossed a main road the traffic on it had right of way but there are cycle crossings next to the pedestrian crossing anyway so you didn't wait for long.

Then it was food, tv and try to get as much sleep as possible for the long day ahead.

Arriving Hoek Van Holland and some Dutch cycle infrastructure.

Day 3 (Tues)

I got up as late as I could before the breakfast closed at the hotel, had breakfast and was out into the town again to await the 20.00 start this evening. I wandered around for a bit and got some food for later at the super market (Ed - all exciting stuff eh!) while waiting outside I spotted an LEL jersey the same time he spotted my yacf one.

Another Brit was in town (Andy Wills) we chatted for a bit and as he was going to a bike shop I went also.

More coffee drank sat in the square looking at all the Dutch ladies cycling about :-) and a ride back to the start location to wait for it to open.

Dutch ladies on recumbent advertising bikes