The Netherlands - a ten day, fixed base 'tour' from The Hague

[IaninSheffield]

Firstly I must tender my apologies for absence. The last year and half have been somewhat ... testing! My touring and travelling have had to be curtailed somewhat and it's taken a while to find ways around some of the constraints. At least I'm now <ahem> back in the saddle.
I'll try to post a day or two at a time over the next few days.

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Prologue
Despite having to cut it slightly short, I enjoyed a recent brief tour cycling home from Edinburgh. And my week's cycling with a buddy, centred in Galashiels, was simply outstanding. And the handful of short trips away in my microcampervan also provided some excellent pedalling. But I was missing a slightly longer trip and was also seeking something a little different.

Inspired by accounts I've read on blogs or watched on YouTube, I've been inexorably drawn towards the Netherlands. Although I've visited a handful of times in the past, I've never had the chance to take to two wheels and bask in the infrastructure that Dutch cyclists enjoy … or should that be 'take for granted'? I was also attracted by the country and the people - those I met in the past were thoughtful, generous, kind and nothing if not straightforward, plain-spoken and forthright. I'd like to meet more of them and experience more of the culture, even if for only a week or so. I'd also like to explore the country and see it more intimately than from the seat of a coach or train.

I'm pretty sure I'll be fascinated with the provision for cycling, I might enjoy wheeling alongside the many waterways, but I'm less sure how I'll take to the lack of topographical variety. I've never found much to enjoy in the flat, monotonous landscape of the Lincolnshire fens, so I'm hoping that despite some similarities with the Netherlands, I'll find something fresh simply from being in a different country. Since I've decided to make this a single-centre 'tour', I'm not planning on massive mileages and have instead chosen day rides which visit historic cities or interesting locations; places I've not been before.

As the title suggested, I'll be based in The Hague, or more appropriately Den Haag - stretch the a's and sound the g like you have phlegm in your throat. I've tried to learn a little Dutch, at least the minimum needed to be polite. The last time I tried my Dutch on a native speaker, they told me I sounded like a German, speaking Dutch! Let's see if I can do better this time.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 1, Home - Hull
21st Sept., 50 miles

I chose Hull as my departure port rather than Newcastle or Harwich simply because of its proximity to home - it's within a day's cycling and might therefore make the first leg of the journey simpler to execute. However, with the unsettled weather in the preceding week, I decided to leave my decision until the night before. If the forecast was miserable, then I'd catch the train all the way to Hull, if it was fair, then I'd cycle. In the end, because I don't take much pleasure in cycling the local roads with which I'm so familiar, I decided to head into Worksop, catch the train to Gainsborough, then make my way north and cross the Humber bridge to get me to Hull.

As Helen Willatts on the BBC weather service had promised the night before, the morning greeted me with unbroken sunshine, tempered with a slight autumn chill. That wouldn't matter since the ferry was an overnight crossing and didn't depart until 20:30, so I didn't need to leave until about midday by which time it would hopefully have warmed a little. Having readied the bike the day before and packed the panniers within half an hour, I found myself twiddling my thumbs and was keen to get off. An earlier train wasn't really an option; I'd just end up with time to kill in Hull.

Gainsborough station​

At 11:30 I managed to get about 10 metres from the end of my driveway before spotting I'd failed to load my bar bag. Not that important really; it only contained my passport, credit cards, cash, camera and mobile phone! Even with that minor delay I arrived in Worksop with plenty of time to buy a ticket and wait for my train, which was thankfully on time. I find any journey generates a little stress, especially where public transport is concerned and I have to reassure myself that if something comes up, I'll just have to conjure a plan B.

As I left Gainsborough station with about 45 miles between me and the ferry port, I had around six and half hours in my pocket - more than enough surely? Leaving the shelter of the town, the tail wind - yes, you heard that right! - wafted me gently northwards. No need to press on with such a buffer in hand. As I once more took in the woodlands through which I'd passed on a recent RailRide, the sound of an emergency services siren was gaining on me rapidly from the rear. A police car shot past, followed a couple of minutes later by a second. Not unusual in the semi-urban area where I live but somewhat surprising out here miles from centres of population. Of course I should have realised I couldn't escape the outcome.

Plan B it is then! With the Garmin nagging me to 'Make a U turn', I pressed on using the sun on my back to guide me in the right general direction until at Scotton I rejoined the route I'd programmed in. This made it happy once more.

The sun and wind quite literally had my back, and other than a few brief moments I never had any concern that meeting my ferry was in the slightest in jeopardy. Even if I hadn't been starting an adventure, it would have been a great day for cycling, especially since I was on roads that were new to me; I always love that.

Broughton Bridge (think the @Scotchlovingcylist might recognise this)​

On leaving Wressle the road gradually became narrower and more agricultural until eventually I crossed Broughton Bridge over the River Ancholme and picked up the Ancholme River Valley Trail. Although the towpath has presumably been around for many a year, it's only recently been developed into a trail as such. I have to say they've done a great job - although the surface is not tarmacked, it's nevertheless smooth and allows easy cycling; important since I'd be following it for a few miles. They even did a great job with the squeeze gates which were generous enough to allow easy passage of a loaded touring bike. So often that's not the case on this sort of trail. Perhaps cycling alongside a dead straight waterway for several miles will gently acclimate me into the kind of cycling I might be facing in the following days?

Squeeze gate in the River Ancholme Valley Trail​

Leaving the river along a rougher track brought me back onto the road heading northwards alongside the foot of a ridge, but with a slightly elevated view across the plains over towards Scunthorpe and beyond. I could even see the cooling towers of the power station near Gainsborough, now some thirty miles behind me. With the Humber now visible ahead, a reasonable climb took me up onto the ridge I'd been running parallel to for a while. This offered great views across to the mighty Humber Bridge that I'd shortly be crossing.

Humber Bridge​

Aiming initially for the eastern joint-use cycleway proved to be in vain; as I began climbing the access path I was faced with another 'Closed' sign and had to retreat to take the westerly path. Good that I didn't have to backtrack inland but a shame that, due to my obstructed view - the central roadway is several feet higher than the cycleway - I wouldn't be able to snap pictures across to Hull.

After exiting the bridge proper I picked up the Trans Pennine Trail which winds back under the bridge towards Hull through Hessle. With only about eight miles to the ferry port and it was still only around 3pm, I could even walk there if I had to, which took off all the pressure. So much so, I was comfortable enough with the time to make a supermarket stop to pick up some sustenance. I needed a snack now and something for my evening meal on the ship. I'd already decided that if possible I'd try to avoid the bars and restaurants on board if I could. Though the onboard catering is expensive, it's more that at the moment, the fewer indoor places with lots of people that I expose myself to, the better.

Turbine blades at the Siemens plant​

The approach to the terminal was simpler, safer and more interesting than I'd expected, with a dedicated cycleway passing by the enormous Siemens factory constructing the wind turbine blades that will shortly find themselves atop offshore turbine towers. This would be the first time I've cycled onto a huge ferry so I wasn't at all sure what to expect. I needn't have worried and it couldn't have been simpler - just get into the same lanes as the cars approaching check-in, give the booking reference (and my passport) to the staff member on the kiosk, then follow the instructions of the ground crew up the ramp and onto the vessel. It really couldn't have been easier. I secured the bike alongside the railings with all the other bikes; I was surprised how many there were.

Bike space on the car deck of Pride of Hull​

It took a while to find my cabin - the accommodation on these ferries is huge! The card room key given to me when I checked in worked fine … at least when I got the hang of it! And at last I could breathe a sigh of relief; I'd made it! With a couple of hours until we sailed, after showering I went for a walk around the ship. Even though this isn't a cruise ship, there's still plenty of entertainment for those seeking it - bars, cinema, shows, live music, retail. I was happy to get a coffee in the small, quiet Costa outlet then retire to my cabin, write up my journal, consume my comestibles, then get my head down early. After all, in crossing onto the continent we'd be losing an hour's sleep and with a scheduled arrival of 08:30, I was sure the insistent 'Bing bong' preceding the ship's announcements would come decidedly early in the morning.

View back towards Hull just before sailing

​

 

[Gwylan]

Enjoy. Watch the weather. The wind is always against you.
As you remark the Hollanders do not take prisoners!
The cycle riding is great and the infra structure is beyond our wildest dreams in the UK.

Get a taste for pea and ham soup and apple pie in its varied guises.

 

[Kevberlin]

Nice write up and interesting as my son and I are planning similar next Spring.
Hope you enjoy yourself.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Firstly I must tender my apologies for absence.

Feck that! Welcome back! Looking forward to reading your interpretations of familiar places.

I'd also like to explore the country and see it more intimately than from the seat of a coach or train.

It's interesting.... you've been to NZ on a bike tour ...... but not NL!

To evangalise (and go off on a tangent) NL is a fantastic place for people to consider for their first "foreign" tour.
It's "foreign" but just about everyone will speak English. Often better than we do!
The cycling infrastructure is simply fantastic. There is no shortage of routes, there is a national directional system for bikes (knooppunten), a series of "long distance" routes but bike options everywhere so we can just follow our noses and not have to worry.
Towns, never mind the bigger places that we all know, are interesting in their own ways. And proud of themselves. There's always something of interest to find. Lots of history, perhaps to do with the war, perhaps to do with trade and colonisation, or engineering - there's no shortage of dams either.
Special mention goes to the ferries that crisscross the waterways. Some big, some small, some with a fee some free. I've always found catching a ferry to be a bit exciting, even of only across a little river.
If camping is your thing, campsites are great, excellent facilities, and most (especially the non-resort ones) are incredibly familiar with bike tourists showing up without a reservation. They can have a tendency not to provide toilet paper, though!
Trains, that pretty much all have place for bikes and stations that make loaded bike access straightforward mean that fallbacks always exist or ranges can be extended easily enough.
Finally, on the bike we really get to see the real NL. It's genuinely amazing if used to car travel (big jams on the motorways), train travel (jam packed a lot of the time) or the cities (jam packed) to leave all the people behind and head into the countryside. I recall being amazed riding through a patchwork of fields, crossing loads of teeny, tiny canals and being utterly charmed at the rurality of the scene. However, if I stopped and looked left and back a bit, Amsterdam was looming straight up out of the ground. Two worlds in one view.

(None of that is meant to suggest that the more experienced will be bored or unchallenged)

Apologies for the diversion

At 11:30 I managed to get about 10 metres from the end of my driveway before spotting I'd failed to load my bar bag.

The joys of starting from home!

They even did a great job with the squeeze gates

Don't get me started! There were the bane of my life when was in that part of the world!

Even though this isn't a cruise ship, there's still plenty of entertainment for those seeking it - bars, cinema, shows, live music, retail.

I've been on that ferry! They had ads for a "mini-cruise", an overnight over and back, with dinner and entertainment etc. that seemed pitched towards pensioners. An interesting diversion, I thought.

The last time I tried my Dutch on a native speaker, they told me I sounded like a German, speaking Dutch!

When I first moved to NL properly, I would engage in duels with shop assistants and the like, me starting in my best Dutch they responding automatically in what they figured was my native language - normally English. However, more than once the reply was in German! In fairness, I had just moved from Germany. My Belgian nieces & nephews used to love giving me books to read to them so they could laugh at my pronunciation. Despite being excellent at lots of foreign languages, like most people, they will appreciate and respect an attempt to try their language. Being a practical people they will switch to yours but the appreciation and respect will stay.

Anyways, great to read you're back in the saddle and really looking forward to your interpretations. Not the biggest fan of Dutch forests but at your time of travelling some of them can be glorious in their Autumn dress.

 

[scragend]

I recall being amazed riding through a patchwork of fields, crossing loads of teeny, tiny canals and being utterly charmed at the rurality of the scene. However, if I stopped and looked left and back a bit, Amsterdam was looming straight up out of the ground. Two worlds in one view.

When I read this my mind immediately went to a photo I took earlier this year which encapsulates that concept perfectly. Amsterdam on the horizon, cows in the foreground (plus one particularly grumpy bull).

 

[T4tomo]

I used to stay out in the Hague, well Voorburg one train stop away, 3 or 4 nights a week whilst working out thee for a while. I used to borrow the hotels bike and have a ride up and down the local bike paths / tow paths etc most evenings to amuse myself before dinner.

 

[Gwylan]

Watch out for "Karnemelk" . It's sort of butter milk. Choose milk in the supermarket with caare5.
Then again you might like it.

 

[IaninSheffield]

To evangalise (and go off on a tangent) NL is a fantastic place for people to consider for their first "foreign" tour.
It's "foreign" but just about everyone will speak English. Often better than we do!
The cycling infrastructure is simply fantastic. ...

Thanks for the welcome back and also thanks for the comments. The above absolutely nails it, as I'll hopefully unpick a little more in subsequent posts.

 

[IaninSheffield]

When I read this my mind immediately went to a photo I took earlier this year which encapsulates that concept perfectly. Amsterdam on the horizon, cows in the foreground (plus one particularly grumpy bull).

You're right. That photo gives a good sense of what I experienced ... minus the cows and bull of course.
And of course he's grumpy! So near and yet so far!

 

[IaninSheffield]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding ...

I drafted this journal whilst out on tour and consequently the tense in each post might imply I'm in the midst of it. However, I'm now back home and creating posts when I have the opportunity.
Thanks for reading.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 2, Rotterdam - Den Haag
22nd Sept., 46 miles

To say I awoke early would be to misstate the facts; I barely touched base with slumber the whole night through. It wasn't the gentle rolling of the ship; I barely noticed that. I think it was a combination of the background whine of the air conditioner/heater duct, the rumble through the bed from the engines far below, and the weight of the duvet - much heavier than I'm used to. At least I was up and moving early enough to precede any queues down at the coffee shop where the americano I bought was distinctly below par. Shan't make that mistake on the way home. The view through the windows gave little impression of what the day was likely to hold, it still being a little too dark to gain a good sense. Down in the hold and back at the bike, I was able to help out a chap amongst a group of cyclists who was struggling to pump a narrow, high pressure tyre with one of the small, back pocket style pumps; I prefer to carry something with a little more capacity so was able to save him a little time and effort. After finally gaining our berth some twenty minutes late, the state of the skies took on a more significant meaning as I rolled down the steep access ramp in the company of a dozen or so of the other cyclists. We weren't released before the cars nor were we held until they had all gone; we were simply directed to disembark in turn. The ominous clouds seemed to wait until we left the shelter of the ferry before releasing their load onto us. Passing through immigration took no more than a few moments then it was onwards towards Rotterdam along the amazing cyclepath network I'd come here to enjoy.

Zwartewaalse Brug​

After twenty minutes or so, the rain eased off and, now my vision was no longer obscured by my tightly drawn hood, I could get a better sense of my surroundings … at least when I wasn't having to pay such careful attention to the act of cycling in a new (to me) environment. Now given that Europort is such an enormous and extensive area - many, many square miles - and that all this is given to industry, freight and commerce, one could hardly describe it as pretty, but for me this was all fresh. Mostly I was cycling parallel to the waterways, chasing down enormous barges pushing into the wind and against the flow.

Botlek Brug​

After yesterday allowing myself the satisfaction of marvelling at the scale of the Humber Bridge, I was now impressed on an altogether different level. The Dutch clearly know how to do infrastructure. This bridge spanned the Maas, carrying four lanes of road traffic, two wide cycle lanes and a rail line, yet if shipping required it, the whole deck could be lifted to allow vessels to pass. Wow!

The route into Rotterdam, whilst hardly describable as picturesque, nevertheless fascinated me. Although I've been to the Netherlands previously, on none of those occasions was I as intimate as cycling allows. Becoming familiar with the infrastructure and how locals propel themselves along it occupied most of my mental capacity, especially as I came closer to the centre of this huge city. Yet I also tried to make time to absorb the different nature of this country a few miles across the North Sea.

Erasmus Brug, Rotterdam​

Rotterdam itself was an incredible mixture of old and new; some amazing modern architecture sitting alongside properties and districts with history and stories to tell. I'd like to say I passed smoothly through staying true to the route I'd planned, but of course that wasn't the case. There were a couple of diversions I was obliged to find my way around, that is until I spotted that signs specifically for cyclists had been erected showing the alternative route. I didn't mind; it just gave me the chance to see more of the city. There were also a couple of occasions at busy locations and intersections where I was paying more attention to what was going on around me than the directions the Garmin was giving and consequently had to do a little doubling back. Dutch cyclists of course have years of experience, so navigate at speed what to me are complex interchanges requiring me to scan forwards, backwards, left and right, multiple times before I feel secure to proceed. Perhaps I'll get better as the trip goes on.

P&O Ventura, Rotterdam​

Almost all the route proved to be industrial, urban or suburban until perhaps ten miles north of Rotterdam when I found myself in an all too brief rural environment, rural that is if you discount the vast acreages of glasshouses on either side of the road. Then before I knew it I was entering the wider area of Den Haag and being obliged to mix it with school children from across the age ranges making their way home. I wonder at the injury-free expectancy of youths riding hands free whilst reading or tapping out on their mobiles. The 'miles left to travel' on the Garmin ticked lower and lower until, just after negotiating another closed path section (I just followed the example of the Dutch folks and ignored the signs!) I found myself at the entrance to Camping Duinhorst, the site where I'd be staying for the next week or so.

Camping Duinhorst just north of Den Haag, my home for the trip​

The chap in Reception swiftly processed my registration and explained how things worked. Perhaps it's the way campsites operate on the continent, but if I wanted a hot shower (I did!) I'd have to buy a token giving me six minutes for 50c. WiFi was also extra at 1€ per day. With only the most basic data plan for my phone I needed that too, but perhaps that needs rethinking for any future trip. Although I'd intended eating at the site restaurant, to book a table (and I figured as this was Friday that would probably be necessary) you needed to do so through What's App which I don't have and hope never to need. So I headed out to find a supermarket to pick up provisions for my evening meal; I'd need milk and something for breakfast anyway. My wooden cabin is quite well appointed, having a kettle, coffee maker and induction hob, so sorting out a hot meal hardly presented a problem.

On returning with a bag full of goodies, I first took my shower then cooked up a nasi goreng (very Dutch!) … OK I reheated the pre prepared meal I'd just bought, accompanied it with a salad and finished it off with a chocolate pud. I type this with the rain beating down on the wooden roof of my cabin. There's a certain smugness you get from sitting in shelter whilst the weather does its thing. Especially since it held off for most of the day and I could enjoy rather than endure my cycling. Hope it rains itself out before tomorrow.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 3, Hoek van Holland
23rd Sept., 41 miles

It rained on and off throughout the night, but whether it was that, or my sleeping bag insulating me just a little too well that gave me a troubled night's sleep I'm not sure. I think I was also fretting a bit over how I'm going to manage the switch over tomorrow from this cabin to the next - I wasn’t able to book the same cabin right through. Such a small thing really and I ought simply to worry less and let things unfold. If Reception can look after my bags while I go for a ride, great. If not then they'll go on the bike and I'll carry them with me.

It was still raining as I took my breakfast so after checking the forecast it looked like it would be showers all day. Back home I'd probably sit it out and read a book but I've crossed the North Sea to explore the Netherlands and explore I shall do. A bit of rain doesn't appear to keep Dutch cyclists indoors so nor shall it me.

Binnenhof​

I figured I'd first head into the city and briefly check out a couple of the classic sights; if it belted it down at least I'd be likely to have plenty of options for shelter. If it wasn't too bad then I'd pick up the route I'd planned down to the Maeslantkering, across to Hoek van Holland, then back up the coast before cutting back inland to Duinhorst. The ride into town was mostly through wooded parkland so I got plenty dripped on from the trees whether it was raining or not, but by the time I'd reached the Binnenhof, the seat of the Dutch parliament, what few showers there were tended to be brief and untroubling. On the way I almost got entangled with some sort of protest rally; but fortunately managed to sidle past without antagonising the significant police presence.

Mauritshuis​

After briefly negotiating hordes of international tourists I headed over to Paleis Noordeinde, the home of the Dutch royal family. I'm neither a monarchist nor a republican, but here I was trying to link together locations in a storyline in a novel I've just completed - ‘Termination Shock’ by Neal Stephenson. One of the central characters is a fictional Dutch queen (of the royal kind as opposed to LGBTQ!) and the Maeslantkering, the Binnenhof and Paleis feature in the plotline. I like being able to put places to what were merely names during the reading.

Paleis Noordeinde​

With the rain still poking its nose in every so often I headed out of town in the general direction of the wind. What has also struck me about Den Haag is the number of superb sports facilities serving sportspeople from a wide range of different disciplines. Sure there were plenty of five-a-side football pitches, but there must have been an equal number of similarly sized hockey fields; it seems to be big over here.

Once more passing swathes of glasshouses, and after passing through Naaldwijk, I was soon in what I might describe as a more rural area; not quite farmland, but wide open expanses of … I’m not sure how to describe it. Not heathland exactly, nor fens, but perhaps a cross between the two. Over a large dyke and less than a mile away I could just see the bridge of a large barge making its way inland. As always, you're rarely far from a significant waterway around these parts. What I hadn’t appreciated was that this vessel was making its way up the Maas. I’d arrived at my target sooner than I’d expected and cresting another dyke I realised I was within spitting distance of the Maeslantkering.

Maeslantkering sea defence (hard to get a vantage point which does it justice)
​

The scale of this sea defence has to be seen to appreciate it. In the event of “unprecedented’ weather conditions in the North Sea, coupled with flood tides, the huge gates of the Maeslantkering can be rotated into place, sealing off and protecting inland areas, including Rotterdam, from potential disaster. I know this from the aforementioned book and from the displays in the Keringhuis visitor centre - they were in Dutch but I picked up the gist. Side note: as I asked the lady on reception for an adult entry ticket in my faltering Dutch, she asked if I would prefer to speak in German! Where did I get this accent?!

Alongside the waterway and receiving the full attention of the sou’ westerly, I slowly made my way towards the Hoek, keeping a look out for somewhere to stop for lunch. Unfortunately, my new strategy of not passing by a potential source of grub proved a poor one when I picked the first place I encountered. It was a little … basic, but I did get a smoked salmon ‘boterham’. The fish was nice but the bun it came in was sweet, like some burger buns. Sadly, from here onwards I seemed to be passing much nicer eateries of varying sorts every couple of miles. Some you win I guess.

P&O Ventura ... again​

Approaching the Hoek I was caught by the Ventura cruise ship I’d seen in Rotterdam yesterday, I later saw it out in the open sea heading south for the Channel, bound for who knows where. At the Hoek, unsurprisingly, given that ‘Hoek’ means ‘corner’ in English, I turned the corner to head northwards and should therefore have begun to benefit from the wind that had been blasting in my face thus far. Alas it was not to be since most of the coastal stretch was largely amongst the dunes which thoughtfully kept the wind from boosting my northwards passage. At least the folks out kiting or kite surfing got some benefit.

Kite surfing in an inshore lagoon​

I was impressed by the degree to which the community draws on the coastline and the dunes in particular as a resource for all. Of course there were cyclists and walkers, each having their own dedicated paths, but so too were horse riders - they have their own networks of paths. Although I only saw one rider, I did encounter two horses drawing traps which needed the paved surface of the cycle path rather than softer horse-specific paths.
I struck inland for the final few miles towards Duinhorst and having overcome the novelty of spending so much time on segregated cycle paths, recognised that some of the roadways given to block paving in residential areas can actually be quite uncomfortable to ride upon. Perhaps it’s similar to what the racing cyclists in Belgium refer to as ‘pavé’, but whatever the case, the bum prefers smoother tarmac.

Back at base and after a post-ride cuppa I headed for the shower, 50c in hand, which I successfully exchanged for a token. When I deposited said coinage into the hot shower controller, it consumed my payment but steadfastly refused to either switch on the hot water or give me the token back. Aargh! Do I go back to collect another 50c or trudge all the way to Reception and seek advice. Or do I get it over with and have a cold shower. Brrr! At least I felt warm afterwards. Now, as I sit in my warm, cosy cabin having had my evening meal, as I type these words, somewhere outside someone’s playing thump, thump music at a volume that penetrates even these thick walls. Glad I’m not in my tent.

My wooden tent, which on this site they call a Sparretje (Spruce in English)

 

[GuyBoden]

My Brother-in-law has lived in Delft for the last 15+ years and I have visited many times.

I enjoyed visiting Leiden too.

The Nord Zee above the Hague is very seaside resort(ish).

 

[HobbesOnTour]

if I wanted a hot shower (I did!) I'd have to buy a token giving me six minutes for 50c. WiFi was also extra at 1€ per day. With only the most basic data plan for my phone I needed that too, but perhaps that needs rethinking for any future trip. Although I'd intended eating at the site restaurant, to book a table (and I figured as this was Friday that would probably be necessary) you needed to do so through What's App which I don't have and hope never to need.

They do love their tech! I recall checking in to a campsite there, a biggish one, and the check in process required the issuance of a credit card type thingy that was to be used for hot water. Better, in some senses than a coin - no unexpected switches to cold water - but a real PITA. There were two of us, (do we need a card each?) the minimum amount on the card was €5 (we were only staying one night) and check out the next day was a real PITA because it was sooooooooo sloooooooooooow as everyone was reclaiming the credit on the cards. Of course, for more enthusiastic early risers than us, it would have meant the loss of the credit to leave before reception opened. As a Yorkshireman, you'll appreciate the horror . And with all that high tech - no TP

Where did I get this accent?!

Yorkshire, I think?

so too were horse riders - they have their own networks of paths

You'll see (or saw) "stop" buttons on the traffic lights much higher than normal - not for the horses but for the riders!

In your first picture of the Ventura, the three odd looking skyscrapers to the left play tricks on the eye as we move along, merging and separating.