Amersfoort to Hoorn
So that was another place ticked off we had not visited before and definitely recommended for a return visit. As with so many of the towns and cities we cycled to there was often a feeling we would one day return to explore a bit more, the problem of course is having the time to do so, already we have had to miss 2 families we stayed with in year 1 and 2, in fact we got an email from one of them asking if we were coming. Clearly it is going to be impossible to see everyone we like when we come back in the future. Today was another goodbye to yet another nice family, I hope we can return one day.
Tonight there was another new place not visited before although 2 years previously our very first stay with Vrienden op de Fiets had been at Alkmaar, just 9 miles from Hoorn, today's destination. The obvious route would be to go via Amsterdam but we rarely do obvious, that would be too easy, instead I had decided in my infinite wisdom that it might be fun to ride across the Houtribdijk, a 27km dyke that runs from Lelystad to Enkhuizen. Two years ago we had ridden from Alkmaar to Leeuwarden across the Afsluitdijk so we had some experience in what to expect. Did I consider the wind direction in my plans, er no.
Up until now the weather had been the best we had ever experienced touring, really exceptional and although we are racking up the miles the wind on the whole been very kind to us. No great surprise then that today it was blowing from the north west, a bit more effort was going to be required, oh well. As we cycled off the sun was again shining and once more we were heading north, first however there was the little matter of stopping at the first supermarket to stock up for the day.
We usually took it in turns each day to go in and select what to eat, luckily we have the same tastes so Vla is always a must, plus something sweet and bread with spreadable cheese of some sort..
Back on the road Flevoland was not too distant, a very unique place, it was once the bottom of the sea! First we picked up a cycle track that ran alongside the stretch of water that separates Flevoland from the mainland. Cycle paths here are almost always silky smooth and wide enough to accommodate several bikes side by side, we managed to find one that was decidedly narrow, so narrow in fact that passing other cyclists coming from the opposite direction when everyone had panniers required skill and nerve, naturally the dutch never batted an eyelid, it did however restrict us to a very slow pootle when we got behind a traffic jam of bikes.
From here we crossed to Zeewolde and had our elevenses by a harbour. At some point we would cross last years route but today it was to be directly into the wind, north west to Lelystad. Long straight paths that made it difficult to get lost, just crossing an occasional road, but these were few and far between. Ahead we could see a roadie, the only other cyclist we had seen for a while going the same way as us. The temperature was probably in the high twenties and the speedometer was reading 18.2 mph into the wind, I gathered this might be a bit of training thrown in to the touring holiday, it certainly felt that way when we overtook the roadie who must have got the fright of his life, I just smiled and shrugged at him apologetically while at the same time trying to project a look that said 'nothing to do with me, I'm just following". He did try to stay with us but the gap gradually grew until he was a distant red speck behind us.
A big chunk of Flevoland is forest, so it was with some relief that we entered the shade of this huge tract of woodland criss crossed by cycle paths.
Not far now to Lelystad, but not advisable to ride through the centre unless you knew it well, we had done this last year with an unwell dr_pink and got thoroughly lost [I need to finish that diary off]. Sensibly we headed for the coast and at one point cycled up a stretch of road we had ridden last year when we had stayed here. Staying on the coast we stopped for a sorely needed lunch stop opposite an unusual ship.
I think I ate more than usual as I knew what was coming, 27km into a headwind on just about the most exposed road you could find anywhere, this is a picture from Google
and another
The start of the dyke was only a few hundred metres from where we were sat so it was with some interest to see how many other cyclists were riding up on to the bridge that marked the start of the dyke. The answer was none in the time we were sat eating. Quite disappointing and a bit worrying.
Our typical lunch.
From the bridge and the start of the dyke we couldn't see the far side, just a ribbon of road disappearing across the sea into the distance, quite surreal.
And this amazing giant sculpture.
Not a lot to say about the ride across because it was head down and give it everything, watching the speedometer tick off the miles on mine and the kms on dr_pink's. I think I would have preferred kms! Only saw one other cyclist going in the other direction with a tailwind, grrr. A very brief 2 min stop at halfway just to see what was there really.
We didn't even climb off the bikes, just kept going. Eventually after what seemed like hours a smudge of land appeared in the distance and the town of Enkhuizen began to materialise, resplendent with hundreds of yachts moored in front. I think we may have set a record for touring bikes with panniers into a head wind for the crossing, 56 mins!
What a relief to now have a side wind as we cycled along the N506. When we saw a sign for a cafe at Broekerhaven we turned off into a delightful small harbour area where a restaurant / cafe looked out over the boats. It was too hot to sit outside but the huge glass of sorbet ice cream and fruit washed down by a beer [coffee for dr_pink] made the heat bearable.
The last 15km to Horn was a relative pootle as unsurprisingly we had made good time to this point, it was only mid afternoon.
A bit of a faff finding the address as the street of that name was a very long meandering one, but eventually we found our address in a very nice residential area.
After showering and washing clothes which were hung out on a small balcony we walked into Horn. Unfortunately a huge fairground had taken over a huge area of the town which prevented us from seeing many of the historic streets and buildings.
Some pictures of the town.
Don't ask, no idea what this was about
Many of the buildings were leaning alarmingly
Ship boys
We ate as usual el fresco, in fact every evening it had been warm enough to eat outside, tonight was slightly different in that only 20 metres in front of where we sat were the flashing lights and noise of fairground rides, completely obscuring the lovely old square. After the meal our routine was to explore a bit on foot, the city maps on the phone helped enormously in this respect, enabling us to find our way back without getting too lost.
Total mileage
So, 66 miles for the day with only one more full day of cycling left in our adopted country.