Our first day in the Netherlands, and its orange in colour - for the World Cup celebrations.  People in orange wigs, orange tshirts,orange flags on their bikes,  

orange horns etc to toot on their bikes ...    

A music festival was just starting as we cycled through the coastal town of Scheveninge.  We'd cycled up this way on out Black Sea cycle trip, but missed the harbour area somehow that time - so great to see it this time - and what an atmosphere.  A boat was cruising up the waterfront area as we arrived - full of a large group of woman with what looked like hair nets like you wear if you work in a food factory - but when we got closer could see they were in traditional costume.  The festival was opened by some probably famous person, a very effective PA and TV system used - then the group on the boat (which included men which we'd missed) started singing - again the TV cameras were used to good effect and the sound was stunning.  I loved the fact that the vast majority of people had arrived by bike - explained perhaps why the cycle tracks had been so busy - but were equally as busy for the whole o the weekend as we headed further north.  Bike parks had been created for the day as well.  At the edge of the festivities there was a giant blow up Croc show - very effective advertising for the Croc Shoe Shop that was there - couldn't miss it.  Janet had mentioned when we saw her last weekend that you can buy flowers and other decorations to put in the holes on the top of the crocs - so went had had a look for myself- you can have a very pretty and colourful garden or zoo on your feet if you want.

A busy and well supported sponsored walk being held through the sand-dunes a little further on - but there was room for everyone, even with the rush hour cycle traffic, the runners, the horse-riders, the dog walkers, the mobility scooters, and the motorised bikes that occasionally use the cycle ways.  There were dedicated horse paths, in (deep sand) and also dedicated walking paths that criss crossed over the dunes in different places to the cycle track, crossing over it from time to time.  When you use the cycle tracks and they cross the road for any reason, many of them have right of way over cars - the same at roundabouts and crossings etc - cars stop as a matter of course for you - difficult for a Britisher, used to the ways of the Brit to get used to - a bit of an act of faith to cross a road when a car is coming along!!

The walkers finished at the town of Katwijk aan Zee, where Roger and I cycled to from the Rotterdam ferry on our Black Sea trip - stopped off at the camp site we nearly lost our tent in a gale when here last - and filled up our water bottles - and then cycled past the walkers getting a musical fanfare as they finished their walk plus a wrapped rose - then they all walked another mile or so to the carpark where all their bikes had been parked.  his was just over the bridge that takes the cycle route over the old Rhine river exit to the North Sea - which is where we followed the river from up stream to Switzerland tree years ago, before  heading off to the Danube to follow it across Europe.  As you can see from the photo, it's not a very impressive exit for the Rhine into the sea - there are other exits for the river into the sea - this one is very silted up.

More cycleways through the sand-dunes, then the next seaside place up the coast is Noordwijk aan Zee - photo below.  As you go up the cycle path, every now and then there is a cycle park, full of bikes - and a footpath up over the sand dunes to the beach and the sea - the only way to get there is by bike as there are no roads to them. 

The wind had really got up now so all the kite surfers out in force - must have been 50 or more kites in the air - a spectacular site.

As I explained in my last blog posting, we eventually found the campsite at Zandvoort and camped at the very busy site over the road from the beach.  A cold night once again, not much lingering outside the tents by anyone.

Sunday morning was overcast, grey and cool.  Loads of teams of cyclists out for their training run - whizzing down the cycle lanes at a vast rate of knots along the promenade in Zandvoort. 

Some lads cycled out from the camp site just ahead of us - each carrying their gear in a different way- a circular 'throw up to erect' tent slung over his bike - would move very well if the wind was in the right direction but not much use in a head wind as acting like a sail, another had a large heavy rucksack on his back, another had a large carryall bag stuffed to the ginnels slung over his shoulder, another had a large wicker shopping basket on the front of his bike stuffed full of bags and the last had a bike that looked like an old fashioned butchers boy bike, with a large carrying area at the front for deliveries - or in this case his camping gear.  Bikes are so much part of the culture here, they get used by everyone for everything - and no one but the very fast teams of cyclists wear a helmet.  Even very young children sat on a child's seat up front of mum or dad.

The route took us north through more sand dunes to Ijmuiden, where the North Sea Canal (Nordzeekanaal) that connects the North Sea to Amsterdam needs to be crossed.  There isn't a bridge here - a free ferry runs continually back and forth across the canal - takes cars as well, but on a Sunday morning at least it was mainly cyclists of all varieties.  The photo makes it look as though the ferry is empty - it wasn't by the time it left a few minutes later.  Roger and I have a bet on how many ferries we will have been on by the end of the trip - I said 30, and Roger had to then decide whether to go higher or lower, so went for 29.  Will be frustrating if the final figure is 29 as there should have been the ferry at Cromarty that wasn't running when we were there.... - but perhaps I'll be able to use the Wingfield Castle - the ex Humber River ferry boat that we looked around at the museum in Hartlepool!!!!

Ferries to date:

1. Aberdeen to Lerwick, The Shetlands

2. Lerwick to Kirkwall, The Orkneys

3. Orkney to south Hoy

4. north Hoy to Orkney

5. south Orkney to John O'Groats, Scotland

(Cromarty ferry) xxx

6. North Shields to South Shields

7. Felixstowe to Harwich

8. Harwich to Hook of Holland, Netherlands

9. Nordzeekanaal ferry, Ijmuiden

The rest of the day was more of the same - cycle paths meandering their way northwards through the belt of sand dunes that are being revegetated by grass - a wonderful area for the people of the Netherlands to use for recreation, that stretches from the sea to many miles inland all the way up this part of the coast - once in a while a road goes across to a seaside resort on the coast, usually looking windswept and a bit one horse townish as you arrive from the sand-dunes, but is usually a busy place, windswept, with lots of tourists and large hotels.

Roger getting frustrated again by the up and downs of the sand dunes, especially when we got to the dyke by  the sea and were cycling into a head wind.  Found a lovely campsite below the sea dyke, with a well wind-sheltered little area for small tents.  After tea went for a walk up and over the dyke and along the edge of the sea to the beach.  The dunes that were originally here were washed away in the Middle Ages, and the dyke was originally built in the 1800's to keep the sea out and the land reclaimed - known as Polder land.  There is a large three wheeled structure that sits on the sea side of the dyke at an angle - not sure what the purpose of it is other than it is used to observe and monitor the dyke and the sea.  Roger was fascinated by it - he reckons that perhaps it can drive into the sea - but you can't see from the photo but i is a steep bank down into the water - ???? - not sure how you get up to the cab area up top - but I did comment that if we'd lived there as kids, I'm quite sure my brother Laurence would have managed it at some point - that's if he'd survived living in a village so close to the sea with easy access via the long dyke behind the houses......

The campsite had a TV lounge, full of blokes watching the World Cup - there was so much orange on parade over the day I presume Holland were playing  - why I wonder are they not known as The Netherlands, rather than Holland, which is a region of the country rather than its name - it's a bit like calling England Lancashire or Essex and meaning the whole country.  The toilets and showers were very smart - thought I'd share the sign for the Ladies with you - plus the experimental 'Lady Pee' urinal - including the instructions!!!  We were on an Aeroflot flight from Bishkek in Kyrgystan to Moscow and the pictorial instruction for the loo on the plane showed someone squatting on the toilet (as if using a whole in the ground toilet), but with their feet on the toilet seat rather than the floor - with a big X through it - to say this was not what you did with a western european toilet.

The spot we were camped in had a backdrop of colourful flowers, with a great variety of different birds to watch and listen to.

Monday morning found us cycling hard and furiously to get to the ferry at Den Helder over to Texel island, pronounced Tessel by the locals.  The notes I had from research done over 6 months ago said the ferry went once an hour, on the half hour.  Wanted to try and get 12.30 one, and cycling along the dyke footpath we saw the ferry coming into dock in the distance.   We were joined by a school party (they'd passed us when we stopped for a butty mid morning, and been just up ahead of us for the next hour or so) who came down the grassy dyke bank down onto the cycle way - some walking, others careering down the grass at top speed.  We all arrived at the ferry at the same time - you have to buy your ticket before you get on -managed to get in front of the kids - but as got to the gangway the gate was shut and the ferry pulled out.

So, another ferry trip:

10. Den Helder to Texel

Texel is one of a chain of islands along the coast of Holland and Germany - or should I say, sand-banks that are surrounded by stone small dam like groins to try and preserve and protect them from the sea.  Large areas of sand dunes once again that are being encouraged to revegetate.  Roger and I cycled on the island nearly 20 years ago in 1991  - our first cycle camping holiday, 2 weeks around the Netherlands, 650 miles and two very sore bottoms later - Roger only agreed to the trip then if we went to Holland - because it was flat and because it was cycle friendly -only he'd forgotten to factor in the wind!!!!  The tear after this we graduated to 2 weeks cycle camping around the Ring of Kerry and Dingle - at the end of September and in torrential rain much off the time, rounded off by a severe gale on the way back as we arrived at Dun Laoghaire on our bikes - another long tale......

On our last trip to Texel we managed to get stuck at the top of the island in a rain storm with no cash - and the bank didn't open until 3 days later (twice a week for an afternoon)and the money exchange place wouldn't cash our travellers cheques - in the early days of our travels we were always getting caught out with no ready cash - I could boar you to death with all the tales.... Anyway, because we were broke we had to sneak on and off the campsite without paying and cycle all the way back down the island to get some cash - and so didn't continue along the chain of islands to the next one along to Texel, Vlieland (pronounced so it sounds like Vleeland) but instead went back onto the mainland and cycled 20 odd miles across a causeway in a headwind to Harligen.  Even after 19 years we both remember the pain of that cycle ride even now.....

Didn't want a repeat of last time, so went into the main town not too far from where the ferry gets in and got some more Euros out of the hole in the wall, then went food shopping.  

exel is known for its sheep - lots of different craft varieties of them for purchase in the very touristy town - they did blue ones as well!

Got to the final village on the island, De Cocksdorp, and ito the wind the final 2km or so to where the ferry goes across to Vlieland - my planned itinerary of suggested night camping spots had a note that the ferry left at 5.15pm - so went to buy the tickets but discovered that it only ran on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays - and today was a Monday - drat- we had been a day ahead of schedule, but now we would lose this cushion.  A campsite not far up the road, about a quarter of a mile from a photogenic lighthouse - wondered why there always seemed a crowd of cyclists and people just beyond - walked up and discovered there was a lovely sandy beach up and over the sand dune by the side of the light house, and a large beach type cafe, and lots of people enjoying the each.

Next day we wondered over the san-dunes to a beach type area near the campsite - saw the ferry going off on its morning run to Vrieland - full of foot passengers going over for the day.  They are collected in the evening - which is when the cyclists are allowed to sail over - there isn't room for the cycles in the morning - and most of them only go one way as you get a different ferry off the island to take yo back to the mainland at Harlingen.  

Enjoyed our day off from cycling - spent 6 Euros on the crappy internet access at the restaurant at the campsite - the key board had a moving ball in it rather  than a mouse which was really difficult to use - made worse because it was so slow in responding so you'd done something else by  the time it reacted, so went past where you wanted to be -  so frustrating.  Very windy, but if you could find some shelter was actually quite warm- there were various old seats dotted around outside the ferry office, a couple of which were very well sheltered, so sat thee for much of the afternoon - Roger reading and me listening to an audio book on the IPod - I've finished all the paper books we have now - still some on the notebook pc but not very practical for reading while waiting for the ferry!!  I also had the luxury of taking the panniers off and cycling back to the supermarket at De Cocksdorp - thought it was wonderful - 20mph plus - couldn't believe how fast I was - up and down the dyke bank - until I overshot the road into town off  the cycle way and turned round and realised I'd had a strong wind blowing me along.... was still much easier though without the panniers.

11. Texel to Vlieland ferry

An interesting experience going over on the ferry - there were 14 cycle campers in total - including another English couple, older than us who have been cycling the North Sea route in sections for years now, going B and B. I'm impressed with the dedication and planning required to do it this way.  Had to wheel the bikes over the sand and along a rickety gang way high up over the sand and then down a very steep plank onto the jetty - it was low tide which was why it was so steep I presume.  Then had to manhandle the bikes on board which were stowed around the outside of the boat in the leg room area where passengers would normally sit - there was no cover so a good job it wasn't raining.  Set off to go the relatively short distance to the other island - fairly choppy and lots of wave spray to soak the bikes and the unwary cyclist. 

As we got near the giant sandbank that makes up the island from this direction, we saw the party of tourists that had gone over earlier that morning walking along a similar rickety jetty to that on Texel.  It made me think of a hostage exchange for some reason - us cyclists in return for those tourists!!!  The tourists all got onto the jetty area before we started unlading the bikes - it was a good job that the group going back were so obliging - as getting the heavilly laden touring bikes and panniers up the real steep and slippy wood ramp to the walkway across the sand would have been impossible without them chain ganging them up the slope as we pushed them up.  

Along the walkway across the sand - till we came to the back of a truck that would take us and the bikes about 10km across the sand to the start of the island proper. 

The bikes were loaded in, and off we set - felt like you were riding on the tube in London - fun with all those heavy bikes when it finally went up the very steep sand dune at the end of its journey...

Equally, fun getting the bikes off at the other end - but have built a docking station that the vehicle reverses up to to make it easier - not sure why it had to be quite so steep though!!!  Those heavy tourers don't half go down fast and take some stopping.

Now we were off the truck could finally go to the front of it and see what it actually was - a ann truck, with an extra wide back conversion to allow the easy transport of both bikes and passengers.

Noticed that one of the back wheels had mirror letters cut out on the tread - the name of the company, used for advertising their name in the sand as the crossed over the sand.

A totally different feel to this island compared to Texel - empty, no traffic, more trees - a gentle cycle to a naturist campsite - no,not a nudist one - just one that is off the road and usually used by hikers and bikers.  A lovely spot that we both enjoyed.

Next day, lovely blue skies but windy - cycled up to the town on the island - delightful cycle tracks ...

... and  a delightful main street ...

... a great variety of bikes to be hired by the tourists arriving for a day on the island from the mainland - at least two different sorts of tandems - the traditional ones and then ones with a child's seat as the cyclist at the front, with the adult sat behind.

a personal favorite of mine are the ones with the barrows at the front where the kids go...

The local kids have bespoke cycles, with their names painted on ...

12. Vlieland to Harlingen, mainland ferry

 

The boat is a large one, and the bikes are left on the vehicle deck like on a cross channel ferry.  Takes nearly 2 hours - has to take a convoluted track to avoid the sand banks.

Very cold wind on deck - but the sun was out if you could find any shelter it was very pleasant - until a cloud came along...

You can take the Lancashire lad out of England, but you can't leave the Lancashire (or should that be Yorkshire) behind ....

Harlingen was a lovely town, very Dutch feel to it.  The wind was a northerly, force 4 - and yes we were heading north - did about 23 miles after landing on the mainland about 1.30pm - another great campsite - a biker/walker type once again.  Two of the cyclecampers that came over on the little ferry last night turned up as well just after us - we have kept bumping into them all day - they speak no English so we just keep smiling at each other.  Our favorite campsite to date.

Two goats in a small paddock behind where we were camped - this morning they were both stood with their backs to me, staring in the direction of the house.  I made the mistake of taking to them - asking them if they were waiting for their breakfast -like you do! - then they both started yelling at the top of their voices like they do - what a` racket - anyone not already awake soon was.  They didn't shut up until the camp owner came out to feed them.

Cycled past a window - ? a shop or a workshop - or even a house -no sign - full of old toys,including a traction engine similar to one` Roger has -but in better condition.  

Today and yesterday we have been following the sea dyke, usually full of grazing sheep and lambs.  Most ignore the bikes - well used to them, but every now and hen you get an older one that has attitude and stands directly in the way of the bike and stares at you - playing chicken with you....

A monument to the final completion of a ring of sea dykes around the Weddel sea - with grass on the top - who mows it? as it's a nicely cropped length??

Only I know that this is a carefully composed photo overlooking the reclaimed Polder land beyond the dyke - so as not to show Roger taking a pee on the hidden side of the dyke!!!

A very welcome break to go into the sheltered village out of the non stop head wind, and go supermarket shopping.

A very old church and a monument to the wives of the fishermen in days ago - they would catch the lug worm, put them on the hooks (1,000 at a time) for their husbands, and if the fish they caught were not sold in the Dutch auctions at the port when they landed they had to walk to the local town and hawk them.

Final destination of the day - and a sheltered campsite - full of bloody schoolkids but internet wifi for 6 Euros for a day, so made the very most of it - computer just about to run out of charge now, so must post this before it dies.  The wind id forecasted to continue at force 4 - 5 in a Northerly direction for the next 3 days at least, with some rain by Sunday - will be in Germany by then.