Tuesday 20th May - Day 1
Home to Harwich
Time for the off!
Bikes basically fettled, a couple of test rides, but apart from that we haven't ridden our tourers since getting home from “European Tour 2019 – Year of the Headwinds”. A worldwide pandemic, Brexit causing changes to our lifestyle, moving house, and each of us having cancer got in the way, so here we are five years older, even less fit preparing to hit the road once again! Janet is now 58, and I am 65, still riding the same Revolution tourers as previous trips.Picked up a hire van in town, and drove it home where we loaded the bikes, eight panniers, two rack bags, and two bar bags in the back and drove off to the hire van depot in Clacton, where we unloaded everything from the van, and loaded up the bikes.
It was an afternoon ride from here to Harwich, quite nasty B roads, some bridleway, and some walking where the bridleway was unrideable. Hard work on loaded tourers for the first time in years, and a moderate headwind all the way.
Arrived at Harwich in good time, and had a meal in the Brewers Fayre near the ferry terminal. At the port later several cyclists waiting for the overnight ferry, most with considerably lighter loads than us. For some reason bikes boarded last, and had to cycle up and down a very steep ramp to get onto the ferry. A couple of beers on board, then retired to our basic cabin for sleep.
26km
Wednesday 21st May – Day 2
Hook van Holland to Katwijk
Docked in Hook of Holland before we woke, and at 8am disembarked – on the Dutch side cyclist treated much better, first off the ferry, seperate lane to passport control, so we were straight onto the good cycle trail before most of the motor vehicles were even off the ferry!
We rode in morning hazy sunshine, stopping at a cafe for breakfast pastries and a coffee as we left Hook. Then it was northwards, along good undulating surfaced trails through dunes and heathlands. We stopped for more pastries at Ter Heide, then carried on, in nice sunshine, but with a fresh headwind. Through Scheveninghen, then lots more dunes, actually quite hilly, but on good surfaces to Camping Nordduinen at Katwijk.Got the old F10 Xenon 2+ tent pitched, then rode to a nearby Lidl for supplies. Cloudy and quite breezy for the evening.
50km Total 76km
Thursday 22nd May – Day 3
Katwijk to Near Haarlem
The wind was blowing hard all night. We cooked a good breakfast, packed away, a bit slowly as out of practice, and were away, into the teeth of a gale by 10am. Lovely dune trails, into the fierce headwind led us to Nordwijk where we bought elevenses pastries, and some bread rolls for lunch. Onwards on more undulating dune trails, a picnic lunch just before Zandvoort, where we found a small supermarket for food supplies before carrying on into the gale. Stopped fairly early at Camping Zeeweg where we put our tent on a nice secluded, sheltered pitch amongst the sand dunes. Had a couple of beers at the site bar before returning to our pitch to cook dinner. Couple of evening showers, but mainly fine.
Short day riding due to the horrible wind, and our unfitness!
35km Total 111km
Friday 23rd May – Day 4
Near Haarlem to Egmond
Wind and rain all night, raining as I cooked breakfast, but stopped long enough to pack away. Rain started again as we set off, very cold squally showers and a ferocious headwind again. Rode firstly on a sheltered woodland “Bergweg” hilly trail, then into Ijmuiden to the ferry across the Nordsee canal (free for cyclists). Got sausage rolls just before the ferry, which we ate sheltering from the weather at the ferry terminal. After the ferry it was more horrble rain and wind to Wijk Aan See. More dune trails, rain stopped long enough for a picnic lunch, then onwards against the wind to Egmond where we found a supermarket for supplies, then to Camping Marklees.
Tough day against the wind and rain, made worse for me by the discovery that I had left my cycling waterproof in my mountain biking rucsack in the wardrobe at home!
39km Total 150km
Saturday 24th – Day 5
Egmond to Hoorn
Rain and gales overnight again, dry but grey in the morning with a strong SSW wind. We are leaving the coast today to head towards the Ijsselmeer, so wind direction was okay for a change. (on our 2019 tour coming the other way the Afluitsdijk was closed to cycles, needing a bus, a I gather it is still not fully open so we are going a different way).
We head east towards Alkmaar, good riding, nice hot sausage rolls from a bakery for elevenses, then find a Decathlon where I buy a much needed cycling waterproof! Back on the bikes and the rain starts almost immediately, heavy and horizontal. On across open polders to De Goon, then on to a campsite at Hoorn, near the shore of the Ijsselmeer. Pitch our tent in heavy rain, so as it's there we have a nice meal in the site restaurant, particularly apt, as tomorrow is our 40th wedding anniversary, and you never know if there is going to be restaurant for a meal out.. This wet and windy weather is making our comeback hard work, and is especially frustrating, as prior to departing on this trip it had hardly rained for months!
38km Total 188km
Sunday 25th May – Day 6
Hoorn to Kouden
Rain and wind overnight yet again, didn't ease until 8am so a bit late up. Packed away in reasonable conditions, cycled east through Hoorn in a heavy wet drizzle, fortunately the wind was behind us though. Then across polders, alongside ditches, through villages to Enkhuizen, where we were in time to get the 12.45 ferry across the Ijsselmeer. We had a krokketten in a roll, and a beer onboard for lunch, as it was a rather rough 80 minute crossing to Stavoren.
On disembarking the weather was a bit better across more polders to Kouden, where we found Camping Coudron, which unusually for this part of the world had free hot showers. The rain returned in time for us to go to sleep to the sound of it hammering on the tent.
34km cycling, plus 25km on the ferry Total 222km cycling
Monday 26th May – Day 7
Koudem to Haarlingen
Dry by morning so cooked a good breakfast, packed away, and out into the howling gale! First few kilometers were a desperate grind against the wind, then it was part sidewind, part headwind to Workum, and on to Makkum where we stopped for sausage rolls.
Onwards in the gale,sometimes sidewinds sending us careering, sometimes headwinds bringing us to a standstill. We fought our way onwards to Harlingen, and feeling drained by the fight stopped at the first posh holiday campsite. Pitched the tent, then went into town for supplies. Returning to the tent it the wind was still howling so we retreated to the rather nice site bar/restaurant for a couple of beers and a nice meal.
37km Total 259km
To be continued!
Home to Harwich
Time for the off!
Bikes basically fettled, a couple of test rides, but apart from that we haven't ridden our tourers since getting home from “European Tour 2019 – Year of the Headwinds”. A worldwide pandemic, Brexit causing changes to our lifestyle, moving house, and each of us having cancer got in the way, so here we are five years older, even less fit preparing to hit the road once again! Janet is now 58, and I am 65, still riding the same Revolution tourers as previous trips.Picked up a hire van in town, and drove it home where we loaded the bikes, eight panniers, two rack bags, and two bar bags in the back and drove off to the hire van depot in Clacton, where we unloaded everything from the van, and loaded up the bikes.
It was an afternoon ride from here to Harwich, quite nasty B roads, some bridleway, and some walking where the bridleway was unrideable. Hard work on loaded tourers for the first time in years, and a moderate headwind all the way.
Arrived at Harwich in good time, and had a meal in the Brewers Fayre near the ferry terminal. At the port later several cyclists waiting for the overnight ferry, most with considerably lighter loads than us. For some reason bikes boarded last, and had to cycle up and down a very steep ramp to get onto the ferry. A couple of beers on board, then retired to our basic cabin for sleep.
26km
Wednesday 21st May – Day 2
Hook van Holland to Katwijk
Docked in Hook of Holland before we woke, and at 8am disembarked – on the Dutch side cyclist treated much better, first off the ferry, seperate lane to passport control, so we were straight onto the good cycle trail before most of the motor vehicles were even off the ferry!
We rode in morning hazy sunshine, stopping at a cafe for breakfast pastries and a coffee as we left Hook. Then it was northwards, along good undulating surfaced trails through dunes and heathlands. We stopped for more pastries at Ter Heide, then carried on, in nice sunshine, but with a fresh headwind. Through Scheveninghen, then lots more dunes, actually quite hilly, but on good surfaces to Camping Nordduinen at Katwijk.Got the old F10 Xenon 2+ tent pitched, then rode to a nearby Lidl for supplies. Cloudy and quite breezy for the evening.
50km Total 76km
Thursday 22nd May – Day 3
Katwijk to Near Haarlem
The wind was blowing hard all night. We cooked a good breakfast, packed away, a bit slowly as out of practice, and were away, into the teeth of a gale by 10am. Lovely dune trails, into the fierce headwind led us to Nordwijk where we bought elevenses pastries, and some bread rolls for lunch. Onwards on more undulating dune trails, a picnic lunch just before Zandvoort, where we found a small supermarket for food supplies before carrying on into the gale. Stopped fairly early at Camping Zeeweg where we put our tent on a nice secluded, sheltered pitch amongst the sand dunes. Had a couple of beers at the site bar before returning to our pitch to cook dinner. Couple of evening showers, but mainly fine.
Short day riding due to the horrible wind, and our unfitness!
35km Total 111km
Friday 23rd May – Day 4
Near Haarlem to Egmond
Wind and rain all night, raining as I cooked breakfast, but stopped long enough to pack away. Rain started again as we set off, very cold squally showers and a ferocious headwind again. Rode firstly on a sheltered woodland “Bergweg” hilly trail, then into Ijmuiden to the ferry across the Nordsee canal (free for cyclists). Got sausage rolls just before the ferry, which we ate sheltering from the weather at the ferry terminal. After the ferry it was more horrble rain and wind to Wijk Aan See. More dune trails, rain stopped long enough for a picnic lunch, then onwards against the wind to Egmond where we found a supermarket for supplies, then to Camping Marklees.
Tough day against the wind and rain, made worse for me by the discovery that I had left my cycling waterproof in my mountain biking rucsack in the wardrobe at home!
39km Total 150km
Saturday 24th – Day 5
Egmond to Hoorn
Rain and gales overnight again, dry but grey in the morning with a strong SSW wind. We are leaving the coast today to head towards the Ijsselmeer, so wind direction was okay for a change. (on our 2019 tour coming the other way the Afluitsdijk was closed to cycles, needing a bus, a I gather it is still not fully open so we are going a different way).
We head east towards Alkmaar, good riding, nice hot sausage rolls from a bakery for elevenses, then find a Decathlon where I buy a much needed cycling waterproof! Back on the bikes and the rain starts almost immediately, heavy and horizontal. On across open polders to De Goon, then on to a campsite at Hoorn, near the shore of the Ijsselmeer. Pitch our tent in heavy rain, so as it's there we have a nice meal in the site restaurant, particularly apt, as tomorrow is our 40th wedding anniversary, and you never know if there is going to be restaurant for a meal out.. This wet and windy weather is making our comeback hard work, and is especially frustrating, as prior to departing on this trip it had hardly rained for months!
38km Total 188km
Sunday 25th May – Day 6
Hoorn to Kouden
Rain and wind overnight yet again, didn't ease until 8am so a bit late up. Packed away in reasonable conditions, cycled east through Hoorn in a heavy wet drizzle, fortunately the wind was behind us though. Then across polders, alongside ditches, through villages to Enkhuizen, where we were in time to get the 12.45 ferry across the Ijsselmeer. We had a krokketten in a roll, and a beer onboard for lunch, as it was a rather rough 80 minute crossing to Stavoren.
On disembarking the weather was a bit better across more polders to Kouden, where we found Camping Coudron, which unusually for this part of the world had free hot showers. The rain returned in time for us to go to sleep to the sound of it hammering on the tent.
34km cycling, plus 25km on the ferry Total 222km cycling
Monday 26th May – Day 7
Koudem to Haarlingen
Dry by morning so cooked a good breakfast, packed away, and out into the howling gale! First few kilometers were a desperate grind against the wind, then it was part sidewind, part headwind to Workum, and on to Makkum where we stopped for sausage rolls.
Onwards in the gale,sometimes sidewinds sending us careering, sometimes headwinds bringing us to a standstill. We fought our way onwards to Harlingen, and feeling drained by the fight stopped at the first posh holiday campsite. Pitched the tent, then went into town for supplies. Returning to the tent it the wind was still howling so we retreated to the rather nice site bar/restaurant for a couple of beers and a nice meal.
37km Total 259km
To be continued!
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