It only takes a month (and a bit of luck with the weather) to fall in love with the Netherlands, visiting each region and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the place. What fascinated us the most and seemed incredible was the extension and efficiency of the bike network: you can really go anywhere, in the city center, in the suburbs, in the countryside, without ever abandoning the bike track!
Watch the video of our trip and read the diary to find out all the details!
What we learned
- The state of the Netherlands should never be called ‘Holland’; Holland (Southern or Northern) is only the territory further west, which includes the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague;
- Mopeds travel on bike lanes;
- There are practically no drinking water fountains (on our way we met only 5!);
- Dutch people love to bathe in canals and dives from bridges;
- In the south, cars disrespect cyclists little (but is already better than in Italy…);
- If you need anything for camping, have a look at Bever (it’s in all major cities) and you’ll find it! Try asking for a spork…
- Shop at Jumbo: it’s the best supermarket for value for money, there are many everywhere and they are well stocked;
- All roads (even motorways) are flanked by bike lanes, often distinct for the two directions;
- Here the regions are called “provinces” and are 12 in total, while the provinces are rather of the geographical regions.
Click on the images to view them in full size.
DAY 1
Tuesday, 4 August 2020
- 17 km
- Schiphol Airport➡Amsterdam city center
At 2:30 in the morning our new adventure begins! The bikes are ready, disassembled, packed and closed in huge boxes. We load everything on the truck and head to Milan-Malpensa airport, to catch the flight that in less than 2 hours will take us to Amsterdam. Despite the slight complication of carrying our oversized luggage at the airport, everything goes smoothly and just recovered everything, we find a quiet place to re-assemble our bikes. We are in the province of Northern Holland. Just outside Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, we find the bike path, which in a few minutes takes us to the outskirts of the capital. We stop at the beautiful Vondelpark city park for a quick lunch with hot dogs… Amsterdam is very alive and young and makes a great impression on us. We are also surprised, however long the days are compared to northern Italy, with light until late, due to the lower latitude we are. We admire the main attractions (Rembrandtplein, Oudekerk and the Jordaan district with the house of Anne Frank), we taste typical food and enjoy the unique atmosphere going zonzo among the concentric canals Heritage of UNESCO in the capital of the most bike-friendly country in the world.
Where we sleep: Hans Brinker Hostel (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 2
Wednesday, 5 August 2020
- 45 km
- Amsterdam city center➡Edam
The alarm didn’t sound too early this morning, so, nice rested and fed from a good breakfast, we pick up the bikes and head to the center of Amsterdam. The roads are closed to cars and everyone rides a bicycle. We probably look like two fish out of water, baffled by such a cyclist traffic. In addition, the Dutch are so used to moving like this, they go like rockets in narrow streets, make daring overtaking and never use the bell! Outside the capital, you can still move very well on bicycles and in a short time we arrive on the bank of the Markermeer, crossing villages like Durgerdam and Uitdam. A dike (which consists of a long, narrow tongue of land) takes us all the way to Marken. We cycle all over the small “almost island”, with a very characteristic and charming appearance. After a few hours, we then head to the harbour, where hundreds of tourists seem to be concentrated; from here we take the boat that in about 20 minutes takes us to the opposite bank, to Volendam. This is also a very touristy destination, nice to visit. A little further on, we find Edam, not so crowded, but that really deserves a visit. On the coast, protected by a dune, there is the campsite we have chosen and for the first time, under a beautiful clear sky, we pitch our small tent. As will happen to us other times, we find ourselves in the garden of a farm and in the field in front of us graze the large frison cows and hundreds of wild geese sneer in flocks flying over the ponds.
Where we sleep: Camping Zeevang Hoeve (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 3
Thursday, 6 August 2020
- 53 km
- Edam➡Groote Keeten
Gradually we begin to increase the daily kilometers. Today, we travel northwest. Along the huge Markermeer inlandsea, we cross the inland and head for the North Sea. Everywhere, green meadows, lots of cows and impressive flocks of sneering wild geese. The beautiful bike path notches the villages of De Goorn, Obdam and De Noord. There are few benches and picnic tables in this region, and we have to wait to get to Zijdewind to find a place to stop to eat our sandwiches. Finally we reach the village of t’ Zand and a little further on we take the detour to our campsite. In August, this is a very touristy area (due to its proximity to the Frisian Islands) and it is not easy to find a free campsite. However, we discover the reality of minicamping: they are usually farms or stables, family-run, which with less than 20 euros offer a quiet pitch, picnic tables, clean baths and hot water, in a friendly and relaxed environment. Tonight, we travel another 8 km (between round trip) to do the shopping at the supermarket and buy all the food for dinner, breakfast and lunch.
Where we sleep: Landleven minicamping (our stay rating: 6/10)
DAY 4
Friday, 7 August 2020
- 65 km (including 10 by ferry)
- ➡Texel⬅
This morning we leave all our luggage in the camping and with nice light bikes we leave to visit the largest and most touristy of the Frisone Islands,which however is located in the province of Northern Holland: Texel. We arrive at Den Helder,where in a few minutes we embark on the ferry, specially prepared to transport bicycles and with a crossing of about 20 minutes we arrive at the port of Texel. As soon as we hit the ground, an information panel shows us the 150 km of bike roads that run along the island in all directions. We decide to go northwest and soon find ourselves on the territory of the Dunes Of Texel National Park. This is a truly spectacular landscape, mixed between heath and Mediterranean scrub, dyed purple by the flowering of wild heather. Past the last dunes, you have access to the beach. An immense beach, which degrades very slowly towards the sea. Given the exceptionally warm and clear day, we give ourselves a cooling bath in the North Sea. In the afternoon we then move inland and visit the quaint village of Den Hoorn. We then go even further north (unfortunately we can’t reach the picturesque and famous lighthouse placed at the northern end of the island) and stop at De Koog. Another bath in the sea (the sun is really scorching today!) and then sprint away to try to catch the ferry of 18:00. Arriving back at Den Helder, it’s aperitif time and we stop at one of the quaint locals on the harbour pier. When we go back to camping that’s 22:00, but the sky is not dark yet.
Where we sleep: Landleven minicamping (our stay rating: 6/10)
DAY 5
Saturday, 8 August 2020
- 81 km (including 29 by bus)
- Groote Keeten➡Harlingen
By now our morning routine is well established: wake up at 7:30; breakfast with porridge enriched with jam and cheese, orange juice and chocolate cereal; preparation of lunch (usually we heat ready meals or cook ravioli) which we store in a small thermal container; we dismantle the tent and for 10:30 o’clock we leave the campsite. This morning we begin our crossing to the east, following the northern coast, in the province of Friesland. We pass the quaint villages of Anna Paulowna and Hippolytushoef to then get to Den Oever. This is where the country’s longest dike (29 km) starts but it’s currently closed to bicycles due to maintenance work that will last until 1 April 2022. To allow cyclists to continue the route, an efficient fiedsbus has been setup, a free bus with seating and space to carry a good number of bikes. The bus leaves us in Kornwerderzand, from where we are only 14 km away to reach the daily destination: Harlingen. We have some time to get around the city, very nice and do the shopping for dinner. But in camping we have the worst experience ever, a real nightmare… Perhaps only we were unlucky or perhaps the Dutch did not take effect, but what we find is not to be wished to anyone! The campsite itself is not much to our liking: too big and crowded, queue to go to the bathroom, showers for a fee and no wifi, but the worst are the ticks!!!! After setting up the tent, we notice the tiny little beings running and sticking dozens on our legs, then on our clothes and arms. We immediately escape into the city and eat dinner on a bench. When it’s dark, reluctant, we go back to the tent and try to sleep.
Where we sleep: Camping De Zeehoeve (our stay rating: 2/10)
DAY 6
Sunday, 9 August 2020
- 30 km
- Harlingen➡Sint Annaparochie
Today we get up early and spend an hour taking off ticks from each other again. We dismantle everything and, without breakfast, we leave, to get away as quickly as possible from the place and from the thought of that horror. We stop in the city and admire its style and the accuracy of the details. Here every country is beautiful, with houses all in the same style, flower beds, well-cut lawns and streets paved with red bricks placed in fishbone and wedged to perfection. Nothing is out of place. We always ride along the dike that separates the sea from the countryside and pass the villages of Minnertsga, Sint Jacobiparochie and Sint Annaparochie. It’s Sunday, lunchtime, there’s no one around, there’s nothing open and our cell phones have unloaded… After a moment of discouragement, not knowing where to go, we rely on intuition and continue to pedal until we see the signs for a campsite. We follow them hoping with all our heart to be luckier than the previous day and at 14:30 we already begin to set up the tent. The minicamping is perfect, small, quiet, clean and feels like family. The owners are very friendly and welcome us enthusiastically, although they are also super engaged with a gathering of vintage Volkswagens that they organize in their garden. Luckily the weather is warm and a beautiful cloudless sun shines, because we have washed all our clothes, preventing us from finding any more ticks. We make friends with our tent neighbors: an “elderly” couple who are making the same journey as us, but in the opposite direction.
Where we sleep: De Noordster minicamping (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 7
Monday, 10 August 2020
- 64 km
- Sint Annaparochie➡Houwerzijl
This morning, another nasty surprise: our gas stove broke. No hot breakfast… We therefore resign ourselves to having cold meals for the next two days, just enough time to arrive in the largest city in the area, Groningen, and hope to find a way to resolve the situation. From today we decide to stop using the navigator, relying instead on the maps on the route and the knooppunt system. This consists of a dense network of cycle paths that intersect in numbered points; each knooppunt is a panel with a map that allows you to choose the direction and the bike path to follow to reach the next intersection; along the entire route, at each intersection or curve, there are also small signs indicating the direction for the point you are following. Ours, remains close to the coast, developing within pastures populated by hundreds of small soft sheep. All day long it is a succession of “open and close” gates that divide one pasture from the other and zigzag among the sheep who, not at all frightened by passers-by and bicycles, sleep in the middle of the road. We pass the village of Wierum and walk the dike that takes us to Lauwersoog, meeting on the way a couple of French cyclists who shared the campsite with us the previous evening. What a nice “re-meeting”! We skirt the Lauwersmeer in a lagoon-like landscape with ponds, windswept reeds and a wide variety of water birds. Today the wind is quite strong and blows in the opposite direction to our gear, but nevertheless we manage to get to the campsite at a decent time. We sleep in the courtyard of a farm, with a family that welcomes us very kindly and exceptionally, since it has decided not to keep the campsite for tourists anymore, but it only opens it to friends, relatives and “for cyclists there is always a place”.
Where we sleep: minicamping t’Heerdje (our stay rating: 6/10)
DAY 8
Tuesday, 11 August 2020
- 37 km
- Houwerzijl➡Groningen
Unlike the previous nights, this one was quite dry and we do not wake up with the condensation drops raining down on our heads from inside the tent. Today we start by cycling on narrow paths that line pastures of horses and cows and fields cultivated with wheat and corn. We leave Friesland and enter the province of Groningen, which looks very different landscape. It looks like a very rural and untouristy area, but the inhabitants are friendly and surprised to see some Italians. Even today the temperatures are extremely high and the reverse wind blows strong, so we are a little tried and we travel only few kilometers. We touch the villages of Oldehove and Saaksum and we zigzag between fields and canals, until we arrive in the western neighborhoods of Groningen, where our campsite is located. We are in the center of the beautiful city park (Stadspark), with pitches shaded by immense centenary trees. Although it is a city campsite, it is not very crowded and the location is perfect to allow us in a few minutes to reach the city center. Finally, we manage to buy a new stove in the “Bever” store and we test it immediately by cooking excellent Italian ravioli!
Where we sleep: Camping Stadspark (our stay rating: 8/10)
DAY 9
Wednesday, 12 August 2020
- 33 km
- Groningen➡Balloo
Also this morning we wake up dry and have breakfast with porridge and strawberries. We disassemble the tent, load our luggage on the bikes and still head to the center of Groningen, for a quick visit to the center. It is a truly fascinating city, with its multitude of students speeding by bike, awake and vivacious at every hour of the day, with the colorful houses overlooking the many canals… After the cultural excursus, we resume the country tracks and skirt a vast lake (Hoornsmeer), a renowned seaside destination. Today the landscape is still different: we are in the province of Drenthe and the cycle path (often only a dirt track) crosses dense oak and pine forests in an almost Mediterranean landscape. Perhaps this seems to us to be the case because temperatures have been exceptionally high for more than a week; an abnormal heat for the Dutch, who however easily adapted to bathe in every lake or canal they find. We’re probably going to imitate them soon, too… We touch the villages of Schipborg and Taarlo before arriving in Balloo and enjoying a good homemade ice cream in the campsite – farm where we plant the tent.
Where we sleep: De Balloohoeve minicamping (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 10
Thursday, 13 August 2020
- 51 km
- Balloo➡Emmen
This morning we enjoy a good breakfast with the natural and fresh products of the farm. Always at the usual time we are ready to leave, leaving, reluctantly, this excellent campsite. Even today it’s really hot and sultry, so it’s pretty tiring to ride. Luckily there are many shaded areas and we also find some benches to stop along the way. We are going through a wonderful territory, rich in ancient beech and fir forests. It is almost surreal to ride on a paved track made “in nothingness”, among centuries-old trees, in the heart of woods populated by deers. At some point, we find ourselves in a completely different landscape, arid, consisting of low shrubs and huge oaks; a middle ground between the moor and the barter. We pass the villages of Rolde, Anderen, Gasselte, Drouven, Borgen, Odoorn and arrive in Emmen. This city doesn’t give us a very positive impression, just appearing very commercial and chaotic, but maybe we didn’t just visit its best part… By the way, we go in search of an ancient dolmen, authentic from 5,000 years ago, that we find in the middle of a forest. A few kilometers south of Emmen is our campsite, also this small and quiet. For the first time we take the rain: luckily when the storm goes worst, we are at the supermarket shopping for food.
Where we sleep: Loeksham minicamping (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 11
Friday, 14 August 2020
- 68 km
- Emmen➡Den Ham
After saying goodbye to our new improvised friend at the campsite and receiving his compliments because we are “a beautiful couple of cyclists”, with a few drops of rain and unstable weather, we leave and head south again. We cross many quaint villages, including Erm, Dalerveen, Ane and have lunch in the beautiful city park of Coevorden. We then reach the bigger village of Hardenberg, where we take a short detour to visit the pedestrian center. We have changed province and we are now in Overijssel. We follow the River Vechte, which gives its name to this geographical region, still crossing dense woods and beautiful unspoiled nature. Today it is not too hot and we manage to ride longer, but when we reach the villages of Rheeze and then Junne, we are actually still far from the goal. We still travel a few kilometers in the fir forest, still on paved bike path in the middle of nowhere and then finally arrive at our campsite, just before the village of Den Ham. We are in an area very close to Germany and people almost do not speak English.
Where we sleep: De Noord Meer minicamping (our stay rating: 8/10)
DAY 12
Saturday, 15 August 2020
- 75 km
- Den Ham➡De Lutte
Today we wake up with… the fog! It seems that autumn has come suddenly. After a good breakfast we prepare to face this Dutch Mid-August, which marks the exact half of our holidays. We pass by the quaint village of Den Ham and continue between the countryside and tiny population centers, including Daarlerveen, Tubbergen and Beuningen. We zigzag through riding and woods, less dense and extensive than those seen in the previous days. The many kilometers traveled yesterday and those that still separate us from today’s stage, are felt and around 16:00 we now pedal with difficulty. We almost touch the border with Germany and go down again to the south crossing the beautiful natural area of Lutterzand. We ride narrow dirt bike paths (even today we are gratefull for have chosen mountain bikes!) and a little unsead and we finally get to our campsite. This too, like yesterday’s, is a quiet place and frequented almost exclusively by elderly couples with caravans. We are lucky: the campsite is only 1 km from a very good restaurant (“De Twentsche Taveerne”) and given the late hour and the supermarkets closed, we allow ourselves a great and hearty dinner. We are still in the province of Overijssel but in a new region, which is apparently the most important and with the strongest character in the area: the Twente.
Where we sleep: Sproakstee minicamping (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 13
Sunday, 16 August 2020
- 26 km
- De Lutte➡Enschede
We leave our beautiful campsite in De Lutte (after spending quite a bit of time drying wet clothes and towels in the dryer) and calmly head to Enschede, the capital of this province. We pass the village of Lonneker and immediately enter the outskirts of the big city. The cycle path takes us right through the magnificent university campus of Twente, in an area where there are real highways for cyclists. We leave this beautiful modern and well-maintained area, to reach our campsite, which is located in the middle of the Hengelo countryside. The minicamping is hippie-redskin style, with typical tepees where you can sleep comfortably, but unfortunately it is not the best as toilets or cleaning. We arrived here for lunchtime and around 15:00 we go out with the skirmish bikes to go to the center of Enschede and meet our friend Jo, who had been our roommate in Turin during his year of Erasmus. Jo offers us a typical aperitif consisting of delicious beer and bitterballen and makes us take a cultural tour around the city, where cars are not allowed and where a lot of people stroll by bike and enjoy the summer sun in the squares. For dinner, we are invited to his house and enjoy the spicy rice noodles with Indonesian recipe (he explains that in the Netherlands, Indonesian cuisine is very typical, having been Indonesia for a long time a Dutch colony). After a few lessons in Dutch phonetics (it was really useful to us because we found out we had a really incomprehensible pronunciation!) and countless board games waiting for a terrible storm to end, at midnight we manage to get back to camp. It was our first night ride, but even though the campsite was 7 km from Jo’s house, it was easy to get to, thanks to the excellent illuminated bike paths and lights we had installed on the bikes and, apart from a few scares due to inconsult movements of wild animals and grazing cows, everything went smoothly.
Where we sleep: Twekkelo minicamping (our stay rating: 4/10)
DAY 14
Monday, 17 August 2020
- 90 km
- Enschede➡Arnhem
Today we rest until 8:30, but then a long job awaits us to clean tents and luggage, which all got tarnished with yesterday’s storm, and having wet clothes do a few rounds of drying. We leave the campsite late, without breakfast (we had not been able to stop before for groceries), but we find a supermarket a few kilometers later, in Boekelo, where we buy what is necessary and, being now noon, we have lunch on a bench. Even today it makes a few light drops of rain, but it is not yet necessary to wear waterproof clothes; after so many days of heat it is also nice! Still a lot of countryside and trails in the woods and in Dieren for the first time (it will happen again in the next few days) we cross the river with a ferry. We are in the province called Gelderland. Shortly after we take a wide cycle path that crosses the town of Velp pedaling along the main street overlooking ancient and luxurious stately homes and takes us to Arnhem. Here, incredibly, we are surprised by steep climbs that climb into Klarenbeek Park, on top of which is our destination. The morning meal gave us so much energy, that we cycled non-stop until 7 pm, the time we finally arrive at the hostel. We have a room for two and in the pub inside we enjoy a regenerating plate of fish & chips that we accompany with Dutch beer and Radler. After 12 nights camping, we finally sleep dry on a comfortable bed!
Where we sleep: Stay Okay Hostel (our stay rating: 7/10)
DAY 15
Tuesday, 18 August 2020
- 68 km
- Arnhem➡Overasselt
After a huge breakfast buffet in the hostel, we are ready to face again climbs and descents in the parks around Arnhem. We note that the conformation of the territory is very different here: there is no longer only cultivated plain, but a succession of hills more or less high and beautiful and ancient forests. We deviate from the traditional ronde van Nederland track to visit Wageningen and its very renowned university campus. After lunch we leave the city and take another ferry, on the Naderrijn River, to get to Zetten. After Herveld, we cross the wide Waal River with a huge viaduct instead. We touch the villages of Beuningen and Wijchem and finally reach the campsite. It is a small campsite of recent construction, modern and perfectly clean, and you can also buy fresh milk from the nearby farm from a vending machine. We just have time to dine, that a violent thunderstorm with lightnings suddenly goes wild. The owner (a very tall man, red in the face and dressed as a factor) warns us that Amsterdam has become a new covid-19 hotbed and this changes our programs, as in 8 days we would have liked to be back in the capital to visit it…
Where we sleep: Eikelaar minicamping (our stay rating: 10/10)
DAY 16
Wednesday, 19 August 2020
- 50 km
- Overasselt➡Merselo
We leave the beautiful campsite of the big Dutch man and try to reconnect to the cycle path (which is not too simple, because in this area the numbers of knooppunt get a little confused and change order from one panel to another…). After the terrible storm of last night, today the sky is clear and a beautiful sun shines. We walk a beautiful cycle path that runs, first, along the Meuse river, then, in a very particular environment, always between the branches of the Meuse, on dirt and walkways, where the paths are even bordered by olive trees (it also seems here to be in a Mediterranean environment!). With a long bridge we cross the river and on the other side we cross the villages of Gennep and Afferden while in Oud Bergen we take the ferry and leave the Meuse permanently behind us to head west and enter the province of Limburg. In Venray we shop for dinner and the next day and then we reach the campsite. It is rustic and very well cared for and really feels like being at the owner’s house, which also kindly provides us with a folding picnic table. Also tonight we just have time to have dinner and then it rains again, without ever stopping until 2:00 in the morning…
Where we sleep: Den Tiel minicamping (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 17
Thursday, 20 August 2020
- 54 km
- Merselo➡Eindhoven
This morning, we wake up incredibly early, at 7:00 (but still can’t leave before 10:30…)! The weather is wet, but at least it doesn’t rain. Today we deviate a lot from the route of the Ronde van Nederland,to cut a piece and shorten the times. Soon we leave the province of Limburg, to enter that of North Brabant. This area seems rather populous to us, with many villages and larger cities. We cross Helmond, very beautiful and famous for the cubic houses of the 70s, the work of the Dutch architect Piet Blom and whose only other specimens are located in Rotterdam. Finally we reach our destination, the city of Eindhoven and take our room at the hotel in the early afternoon. We rest a little and then, since it’s a hot sunny day, we go out to walk around town. Here, too, there are a many young people and students, because there is an important university. We enjoy a huge ice cream and then for dinner a pizza. Upon returning, a spectacular sunset illuminates our room on the fourth floor in pink and orange. We wait for it to be a little darker and then, headlights mounted on the bikes, we go out again for a night ride. Informing us a little, we discovered that just 4 km from the center, there’s a short bike path dedicated to Vincent van Gogh that lights up at night thanks to phosphorescent pebbles and small LEDs set inside the asphalt. It was a very special experience and we dedicated a good hour to having fun taking effect photos in the dark.
Where we sleep: Hotel La Reine (our stay rating: 10/10)
DAY 18
Friday, 21 August 2020
- 56 km
- Eindhoven➡Molenschot
We leave the hotel in the center of Eindhoven by means of beautiful and comfortable bike paths, which first cross woods and natural areas and then take us around Eindhoven airport. Cycling and cycling in Brabant, we touch the villages of Oost- and West- Middelbeers and Diessen, then Goirle and Gilze, where we would shop later. We arrive at the campsite, whose owners also run a farm where they grow raspberries to produce a specialty of the area: the raspberry wine Framboise d’Avoird. We taste artisan raspberry ice cream and chat with some regular guests, who, they tell us, live 10 minutes from there, but love to come every weekend with the caravan to the campsite. In the evening, they light a huge wood-burning stove in the middle of the lawn and about ten of those elderly couples approach it and stay to chat animatedly until late at night. They invited us to join, too, but we’re too tired… Today the second unexpected: one of the hooks that support Ale’s bike bags broke and we had to somehow make do with the plastic straps.
Where we sleep: Wilgenweide minicamping (our stay rating: 8/10)
DAY 19
Saturday, 22 August 2020
- 75 km
- Molenschot➡Rilland
We leave at the usual time, always after having followed the now perfected cycle of actions that lately also includes drying with the hairdryer clothes and mattresses. We pass south of Breda, but do not enter to visit it, and cross a beautiful natural park (Mastbos) where many citizens spend Saturdays walking. Our route is very close to Zundert (although we do not get there), the village where Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853. We cycle for half an hour in Belgium and here we get a strong storm. He caught us off guard and we didn’t have time to put on waterproof equipment, so we soaked up well, then had to stop on a bench to squeeze our socks and empty our shoes from the water. Today it is hard to ride because, in addition to the rain, a strong wind has risen, contrary of course, which slows us down a lot. Around 4pm we leave the province of North Brabant, to enter the bare and lake territory of Zealand. We are told that it is usually not so windy here, but I fear that we will be so “lucky” to carry this very strong wind for all the next few days…
Where we sleep: Camping Hof Maire (our assessment of the stay: 7/10)
DAY 20
Sunday, 23 August 2020
- 67 km
- Rilland➡Middelburg
This morning we manage to have breakfast dry, but as soon as we leave, we already have to stop to wear all the waterproof clothing of our “cycling uniform”. Over-trousers, hooded jacket and gaiters are our defense against the lashing rain of Zealand. Moments of light drizzle alternate with others of intense downpour (all accompanied by a strong wind, contrary of course), but we, regardless of everything, we continue to pedal. We cross cultivated countryside covered by immense greenhouses, then move to the shore of what is a mixture of the indentation of the North Sea and the vast mouth of the River Scheldt. The landscape is fascinating and we hardly encounter a living soul, other than many marsh birds, such as sea pecks (Haematopus ostralegus) and common curlews (Numenius arquata), which look for mollusks at low tide. After a very quick lunch in the rain, we move further inland, touching some villages such as Nisse and Nieudorp, and then arriving in the afternoon in Middelburg. The city, embellished with the light of sunset, seems very beautiful and tidy, crossed by many canals overlooked by large traditional houses. Just outside Middelburg we walk a pleasant cycle path that runs along the wide canal and takes us to a very quiet area, where our campsite is located. We chat a little with our tent neighbors, a couple of young Brazilian cyclists. For dinner: Chinese restaurant all you can eat!
Where we sleep: Minicamping d’Abeele (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 21
Monday, 24 August 2020
- 80 km
- Middelburg➡Hellevoetsluis
This morning we wake up calmly, thinking we have a few kilometers planned. And in fact it would have been so, if we had not decided at the last that we really had too few and that we could add another twenty. The clouds are really black and seem to threaten rain, instead slowly the sky clears and a nice warm sun comes out. We make a cut inland, which allows us to save some time and get first to Breezand, where the first, very long, dam that connects the islands of Zealand begins. The bike path runs to the top of the dune that runs along a really wide beach and finally, for the first time, we have the wind in favor! This is a huge advantage and allows us to travel much faster (we keep for a few minutes the constant speed of 34 km/h flat!) and fills us with enthusiasm. We cross a second, long dam, which takes us to an island where we find fantastic cycle paths on the sand dunes, among the pine forests, in an almost Mediterranean landscape. After the village of Renesse, we take another dam, which consists essentially of a dune with a wide beach, and we arrive on the last island. We ride on the coast and by means of fun dirt trails, we cross the Dune Nature Reserve (Duinen Goeree & Kwade Hoek). We should have stopped here, instead the sun is still shining and we feel rather strong, so we decide to continue, to get to the mainland, to Hellevoetsluis, a beautiful town with port, fortress and nice parks. We set up our tent for the last time…
Where we sleep: Camping Weergors (our stay rating: 9/10)
DAY 22
Tuesday, 25 August 2020
- 36 km
- Hellevoetsluis➡Rotterdam
Finally, I find myself writing this diary on a comfortable table, with good light, not in the cold and sitting on a padded armchair. After all the rain and wind we took today, we deserved a good hotel. Last night it rained almost continuously and, not enough, the black clouds just left us time to prepare breakfast, and then start watering again. We are in the province of South Holland. The bike path is quite straight today and we pedal through it telling us compelling novels read by children, just to make the journey in the fog less monotonous. We cross the countryside and soon arrive in view of the great metropolis of Rotterdam. The bike path makes us zigzag between suburban neighborhoods and city parks where (surprisingly) they snooze free some groups of huge long-haired red cows, of the Scottish Highlander breed. The outskirts of Rotterdam are really immense and we pedal through it for almost 2 hours, without yet being able to get closer to the city center. Our hotel room is located on the 6th floor and from here we have a very panoramic view; we can also see, however, how the wind rages outside and does not presage anything good for tomorrow. We take advantage of the comfortable accommodation to lay out tents and mattresses, withdrawn in a hurry this morning, around the room to dry.
Where we sleep: Art Hotel Rotterdam (our stay rating: 10/10)
DAY 23
Wednesday, 26 August 2020
- 71 km
- Rotterdam➡Bunnik
Unfortunately, the Covid bulletin marks Rotterdam as a red zone these days, so we avoid visiting its center and attending crowded places. We therefore leave at about 10:00, when the wind now reaches 60 km/h of speed and on the streets there are swirls of leaves, while the trees bend considerably. Luckily (and really a huge fortune!) all day the wind is favorable to us and at times it really gives us a great help. We ride at high speed and grind miles. Just outside Rotterdam we reach the Riddekerk pier to board the boat that in a few minutes takes us to Kinderdijk. In this site, very touristy despite the bad weather, we follow the main canal and admire the dozens of original and perfectly preserved mills. Then we return between the fields, on beautiful cycle paths and cross the villages of Groot-Ammers and Ameide, where a boat allows us to cross the river Lek and enter the province of Utrecht. We pass the very nice village of Nieuwegein and shortly after we dive back into nature, to reach our hostel, which is located at the entrance of a beautiful park in Bunnik and which in architecture and décor resembles an ancient manor of knights.
Where we sleep: Stay Okay Hostel (our stay rating: 8/10)
DAY 24
Thursday, 27 August 2020
- 59 km
- Bunnik➡Hoofddorp
Today, is the last real day of vacation and cycling. After a very consistent breakfast, we leave the hostel incredibly early for our rhythms (at 9:50!) and head to Utrecht. We first cross the park within which the Fort bij Rijnauwenis hidden, admire the prestigious university and then enter the beautiful city center. Utrecht still preserves ancient buildings and monuments and is crossed by characteristic canals overlooking the stately homes of the 1600s. In the center stands the huge Dom Tower (Domtoren),visible from every point of the city. Then we take a straight and very long cycle path that leads to rural areas and then follows the River Vecht, one of the branches of the Rhine, overlooked by the Business University which is located in a magnificent fairytale castle. Continuing the cycle path that follows the provincial road (it is not particularly panoramic, but it is the most straight to arrive near Amsterdam airport), we arrive in Vinkeveen, nice for its characteristic canals close to the road and the typical premises. At 3pm we already arrive at our hotel, just 6 km from Amsterdam-Schiphol airport, where we will take the plane tomorrow afternoon. Very calmly we will leave the hotel (around 12pm) and at the airport we will take some time to re-disassemble the bikes and pack them in the boxes. After 25 days and 1,400 kilometers, you return to Italy!!
Where we sleep: Hotel Hampton by Hilton (our stay rating: 10/10)
