Ride Across the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, bikes travel in style

Since 2007 I've dreamed of cycling across the Netherlands. In 2010, Tim and I decided to celebrate our milestone birthday (this year!) by doing the trip - and then we found out we would be living here, which made it so much easier. Accordingly, we spent the past 7 days cycling more than 500 km from Den Burg on the island of Texel to Maastricht. If you look at a map of the Netherlands, the route bisects the country from the northwest to the southeast.

We acquired a new tandem for the trip, made in the Netherlands by Multicycle. It's a Dutch style bike and very comfortable and easy to ride. I named her Marie Claire, and she's shown riding in the designated bicycle car of the train above.

Our trip began with a four hour train trip to the opposite side of the country. Our journey had a rocky start as the first train (from Venlo to Nijmegen) stopped in between stations, with a long announcement in Dutch. We still don't understand enough of the language to catch the gist of the message, so we asked another passenger. He explained that there was a problem with the tracks and the train would return to the last station where everyone would be bused to Nijmegen. Good for everyone else, but bad for us because bikes are not allowed on buses. We were at least 30km short of Nijmegen but we got out the map to figure a route. No one got off the train, however, and eventually it continued all the way, arriving only 20 minutes late. We saw our connecting train depart from the station but weren't able to wrangle our bike to the platform in time. Luckily, the train to Den Helder leaves every 30 minutes so we were only 30 minutes behind schedule. Just enough time for a kopje koffie (little cup of coffee).

Arriving in Den Helder, we rode a couple kilometers to the ferry dock for the trip to Texel. The ferry to the island takes about 25 minutes, and there were quite a few bicyclists. Rolling off the ferry we opted to ride along the sea wall to the village of Oudeschild and to the Texels Brewery.

Typical Texel view: sheep, sheep and more sheep

After a tasting session on the terrace, rain started to fall so we moved indoors for a snack and a glass of the Best Bock Beer in the Netherlands, for 2010 anyway. We returned to the bike and cycled past quite a few sheep (Texel is famous for lamb) to the main town, Den Burg. Our overnight destination was a sheep farm just outside Den Burg, where Vrienden op de Fiets hosts Mireille and Frank made us feel welcome in their guest "pipowagen" caravan.

This thatched brick barn houses the guest bathroom

We cycled back to town (only 7 minutes away) for a delicious dinner of cockles, minestone soup, lamb and sea bass, with yummy vegetables like turnips. Shower in the barn and then bed, tomorrow is a big day and we anticipate headwinds.

Arnhem Open Air Museum

These Molens (windmills) were moved to the Openluchtmuseum

Another beautiful holiday* weekend. We drove to the Nederlands Open Air Museum near Arnhem for a walk through Dutch history. We especially enjoyed learning about the technology of the past, such as this horse-powered commercial laundry:

We watched many craftsmen at work, including a wheelwright, a blacksmith, a baker, a brewer and a miller as well as other, more homely crafts. The weaver was absent on the day we visited, but we saw her handiwork:

For rail buffs, the park is worth a visit just to ride the tram, which runs as an alternative to walking through the sprawling grounds of the museum. There is an authentic tram station featuring a completely restored tram car originally used in Arnhem, until after WWII when the system was replaced by buses.

There are also many historic bicycles, including some rubber-wheeled penny farthings for kids to try, and this cheese and butter factory delivery fiet:

Imagine how difficult it would be to pedal this with cans full of milk!

Making our way to the Protestant Church, we learned that a concert was about to begin, featuring baroque music played on period replica instruments. With a dispensation for a later meeting time from our daughters, Tim and I sat down to 45 minutes of beautiful music performed by the Zutphens Barok Ensemble.

Highly ornamented music in an unadorned setting

We capped off our day with Sunday lunch at the Herberg de Hanekamp cafe, one of several inside the museum grounds. There we enjoyed a delicious meal including many organic and local foods, and a glass of Pilsner made in the on-site brewery.

Another to add to my list

*Although the Netherlands is in some ways a very secular country, many public holidays seem connected to the ecclesiastical calendar. In this case, our three day weekend was due to Pentecost, or Pinksteren as it is known here. Sunday feast days (such as Pasen and Pinksteren) are observed over two days - Sunday was "First Pentecost Day" and Monday was "Second Pentecost Day". People seem to celebrate the bonus day by shopping (many sales are advertised and some store are open additional hours), or as we did, by traveling; the Open Air Museum was fairly crowded the day of our visit.

Special Meetings

Fellow Pieterpad walkers, near Puth, NL

Walking the Pieterpad has so far been a joyous experience. I've mostly been walking alone - Tim walked one stage with me, and Robin says she will join me for a stage or two once school is out. I feel safe, even though many parts are quite rural, and others are in the woods. I have walked for hours without seeing another person, although I see plenty of birds and many farm animals, sometimes while crossing their pasture:

A friendly cow

While encounters with other people have been rare, some have been very special. The photo at the top shows three kind souls who let me tag along for much of a rainy Thursday. We huddled under a cherry tree during an intense shower, puzzled over confusing route directions, and enjoyed coffee and vlaai for a well-earned break.

Another special meeting during one of my first stages ended up in someone else's blog. Marjolein and I met in Swolgen where we finished connecting stages at about the same time - she from the north, and I from the south. The next day I met her again in Venlo as she was finishing the next stage. Turns out, Marjolein is walking the Pieterpad and then continuing to Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage route I mentioned in an earlier post. I am happy to see that Marjolein is doing well on her journey, and wish her succes!

This week I experienced another kind of special meeting when I enjoyed the hospitality of Panchita, Paul and Fay of Gangelt, Germany. We connected through Vrienden op de Fiets, an organization that facilitates homestay accomodation for bicycle and foot travelers (fietsers en wandelaars). Their friendly and gracious hospitality was most welcome at the end of a 34 kilometer walk, and I will long remember them with great fondness. Dank U wel for the wonderful conversation, comfortable bed, and lovely breakfast!

A breakfast to remember