Irhoven to Slochteren
5 hours 14.6 Av. 72 kms. Total 1108 kms.
Woke up at 07:00 but due to rain we didn't leave untill 10:00, there was no way we would stay here another night. We rolled the tent up in heavy drizzle.
After asking for some route advice we were told the quickest way to Groningen is to double back to Leer were we could cross the Ems river.
The heavy drizzle stayed with us most of the day, and at one point about 15kms before Slochteren, in the middle of open fields the rain came down hard and with a head wind it made the going really tough. The scenery here is totaly flat and boring, and we have already decided to never again tour around here. There is absolutely nothing to see, only countless fields of sugar beets and corn.
We reached the camping soaken wet and the owner showed us to this huge barn were we could rest and wait till it slowed down enough for us to set up the tent. After we settled in and washed up we went to this cafe which also had kitchen and had a nice warm dinner followed by quite a few beers. After a day like today we needed them.
One funny thing though, when we got to the cafe we saw a bunch of tough looking guys standing at the bar drinking beer, unshaven, their leathers with the Harley Davidson patches on, heavy chains on their wallets and the bartender playing music from the 80's, at one point the song (cruel summer by Bannanarama) came on, and they all started singing along we really had to hold our beers back LOL
The camping was very good, clean, and cheap at 10 euros shower included. Were happy to be back on Dutch soil ;-)
1-Riding through a the very wet city of Leer.
2-We were glad to see this sign.
3-Even happyer to see this sign.
4-The happy couple, we still menaged to smile in this featureless landscape and rotten weather :-)
5-One of the very few wooded sections on this route.
Slochteren to Spier (via Groningen)
5 hrs. 15 min. 15 Av. 79 kms. Total 1187 kms.
Got up at bit late this morning, 08:00, due to all the beer yesterday ;-)
It didn't matter much because it was raining pretty hard and we took our time getting the things together and taking them to the barn were we set up our bikes. As nice as this camping is we really smell home now and think if we ride on we could make it to Maastricht in four days.
When we left it was still drizzling a bit and we made it to Groningen pretty quick.
Groningen did not impress us much, one coffee shop (hash joint) next to another, and most of the people out were the heads looking for their recreational drugs. We have heard that Groningen is much like Maastricht but that is not true, the place doesn't feel right, it's cold, uninviting and it started to rain which didn't help it much. We wanted to stop for a sandwitch but did not trust leaving the bikes alone for a minute with all those characters hanging about.
As soon as we made our way out of Groningen we began to feel beter, and it stoped raining ;-)
We continued heading south and the sky soon cleared up but after looking more closely we saw that we were under a huge,clear and almost perfect round hole in the clowds. We saw this also in Italy this spring and we knew that we were in the eye of a storm. We cycled further on untill we saw the trail end of the storm comming and we took refuge in this small village fast food were we had a couple of burgers and waited it out. The days ride went well riding along nice cycling paths and many of them without any traffic.
Spier is next to the National park Dwingelderveld and there is a lot of bogs in this area. I have never seen them before so that was a first.
We spent the night at this farmers camping, not the cheapest and definetly not the cleanest, and we were the only ones there which made us a bit nervous. At night it cleared up and got very very cold, we had to get up and put on our sweaters so we could sleep.
1-Setting up the bikes in the barn.
2-One of the streets in Groningen that we rode through. One coffee shop after another here.
3-City fall Groningen.
4-The cycling path through the bogs.
5-Another panorama of the National park Dwingelderveld.
Spier to Eerbeck
7 hours 16.8 Av. 115 kms Total 1302 kms
Woke up with the alarm clock at 06:30 but didn't crawl out of our sleeping bags untill 07:15. It was very cold last night the temperature bottomed out at +4c, and the camping did not have hot water in the sinks so we had a rude awakening.
The wet and almost freezing tent took some time to roll up as our fingers didn't want to move. On a good note the weather did stay dry for most of the day and we did do some kms and at 16.8 Av. we pushed a bit hard. We just followed the cycling paths and kept our compasses pointed south. The whole day we rode through farmland and city suburbs, very nice but a bit boring. We just realised that being Octomber and Monday, most campings will be clossing. If it was Thursday or Friday we might have a beter chance they would stay a couple more days open for the weekend. But according to the maps of this area there are quite a few campings about so we were sure we would find one open.
The further South we go the beter the city's and towns seem, warmer with friendlyer looking locals. We saw this especialy in Deventer, even with its coffee shops and red light district, it still had a warmer feel that Groningen.
The last hour of riding it started to rain again so our moods got low again, all this rain and cold is really getting to us now. Tomorrow is also going to be a long day as we will try to get near Venlo which is about 100kms from Maastricht.
The camping in Eerbeck was OK, not so cheap, not so clean, and too much noise from the road, about the only good this was the beer was cheap, and the hosts friendly.
1-Riding through the woods before Hoogeveen.
2-Taking a break in a quiet wooded area after Ommen.
3-Crossing the Ijsser river by Deventer.
Eerbeck to Wellerlooi
7 hours 15.7 Av. 108 kms. Total 1410 kms.
Woke up at 07:15 and on the road by 08:50. Very gray and cool morning but our tent seemed to be almost dry (first time in about a week).
We started out on the Apeldoorns canal heading for Dieren, that this nice lady pointed out to us but about a km down we saw a cycling route network that went through the National park Veluwezoom.
Now this was a very nice ride through some very beautifull contryside, even with this dark gray sky it still seemed very nice, a real pleasure to ride through (highly recomended). About half an hour after the park (in total contrast) we were fighting the traffic trying to get out of Arnhem.
Arnhem was a very nice city but we didn't care to hang out and see all of it, the weather has gotten to us and we just wanted to get home, we just have to do a round of Holland sometime in the future. Being so flat, maybe after retirement ;-)
We rode through Elst than on to and past the very busy Nijmegen.
After Nijmegen it got a bit beter and we followed the N271 to Wellerlooi. We had to get off it a couple of times because the road became a dual carriage way. Nice ride but it just seemed long, very very long.
The camping at Wellerlooi, Heide Hof is the best we have seen so far on this tour. It's situated in a small National park, and everything was really thought of, reasonably priced, with music in the showers, super clean, TV room, coffee room, childrens playground, small animal farm, 60 cents a beer, 50 cents for soda and you placed the money in a box above the fridge, the box even had the key in case you needed change. Talk about being trustfull. And the hosts were super friendly. We hadn't stop at a super market on the way there so we had nothing to eat and the lady of the house sold us some fresh eggs from her chickens and some bread so we could have dinner. Needless to say we highly recomend this place.
1-The beautifull landscape from the cycling route in the National park Veluwezoom.
2-Another vista from the same cycling path a few kms further.
3-Great riding through the woods with all the leafs on the ground.
4-We took a rest next to this lake near the end of the park.
5-Crossing the Rhine again, Nijmegen is on the far bank.
6-Monique having a beer and trying to send a message at Heide Hof camping.
Wellerfooi to Maastricht
6 hrs. 10 min. 16.4 Av. 101 kms for The Grand Total of 1512 kms
Got up with the help of the local rooster(s) at 06:00. We did try to get some more sleep in from all the beers we had the night before (with this very nice couple from Rotterdam) but no use, the rooster(s) would not let up. LOL
We got on the road by 08:30 with the promise of some showers in the afternoon, from the radio station in the washroom. There was a lot of mist this morning but the temperature was a nice +18c.
We rode on the nice but boring N271 and blew by Venlo and contninued South with the strong sense of getting home as soon as possible.
At Roermond we stoped for a burger at McDonalds and thats when we got our first shower. From Roermond we continued on the now familiar route to Maastricht. We have done this route many times before, practicing for our tours. Roermond lie's about 50kms north of Maastricht so we practice riding there and back home on loaded bikes.
We got rained on three more times before we made it home for some beer "with pizzas this time" ;-)
We had a great tour and enjoyed it greatly. We have also learned quite a bit about riding in the rain for many days in a row. But we will not be riding in North Holland and North Germany for some time now, because its just bloody boring. LOL
1-Riding on the dirt road after leaving the camping.
2-Heading for the N271.
3-Pink flamingoes in a backyard near Roermond.
4-The sun trying (but not succeding) to peak through the heavy clowds. It was a heavy drizzle when I took this picture.
5-Finally made it home. At least it dryed up for the last 25 kms.
6-I also had to get in one of the pic's ;-)
I can't say much yet but we are looking to Spain and Portugal.
But you know us by now, we always change our plans :-)
We like to wish you all the sun in your face, and the wind on your back.
Safe travels.