Barbecue and deer...

After a cosy night in the tent it is a surprise to find it is so cold outside! We break camp quickly and pedal to the bakery in the nearby village for coffee and buns to wait for the sun to warm everything up. Then we are off north East, taking some sandy wald-weg ( woodland tracks ) where we spot a tiny new deer hiding in the leaves very near us. Then dedicated cycle paths through rolling countryside of big wheat fields and potato farms.


We complete 77 miles to our hosts, who live in a big house in a little village, but are originally from Berlin. They have young relatives also visiting from Berlin, and we enjoy a very convivial barbecue, discussing that city we know quite well. Home made beer goes down a treat with the mackerel and bratwurst.


Miles to date 1022

Location:Hamelsee to Barum

Eggs and camping...

With half a dozen hard boiled eggs from our host Petra's chickens added to our supplies, we follow undulating farm lanes. The beautiful farm buildings 3 storey high, timber framed and inscribed with the names of ancestors, going back hundreds of years. This is a public holiday, so the roads are quiet, with walkers and a few cyclists. In villages there are groups of lads pulling trolleys full of booze and barbecue equipment. They tell us they are going to the canal to eat, drink then meet with the girls when they have "Dutch" courage. The whole of the day we meet similar parties.


After an undulating 80 miles, more than half on dedicated cycle lanes, we reach our campsite, by a big lake in the forest, and down two beers and 4 bratwurst to celebrate.





Miles to date 945

Location:Melle to Hamelsee

Wandering woods and fields...

We leave our host's house by 7.30, leaving the two girls to go to school, Dirk to cycle to his office, and us to enjoy the early morning sunshine. The asparagus workers are already in the fields, adjusting the plastic sheeting over the growing spears, each one to be individually picked by hand.
Again we startle hares and are watched by a deer standing in a green barley stalls. We have discovered that all little local bakers shops provide at least take-away-coffee, or a little table to sit at; very useful.
On the map it looked like we were going to tackle 600 ft hills on unmade forestry tracks, but they turn out to be tarmac; the road of the trip, car free and through sun-dappled beech forests. The tidiest farms yet, timber framed with huge tiled roofs, the barn roofs covered with solar panels. Ponies, horses, llamas, and dark sheep and lambs in meadows. A schloss is impressive.


Yet another group of "older" cyclists sweep towards us, all on E-bikes.


Miles to date 865

Location:Münster to Melle

Asparagus...

We stay near Rheinberg in charming little Orsoy, with Ralph, a kindergarten teacher and musician. He introduces us to the local delicacy, juicy white asparagus. The next morning we get the small car ferry North then pass through asparagus fields and paddocks of horses. It is 77 miles to our next host, Dirk, who lives in Handorf on the outskirts of Münster. The cycle route there is brilliant as it avoids all the busy areas, instead taking us along the riverside and canal , through woods and around fields, off-road but with good surfaces. Dirk cooks more of the fantastic asparagus with hollandaise sauce.











Miles to date 816

Location:Orsoy to Münster

E-bikes...

From the dyke path we spot a Spoonbill and several Black Terns. Many of our other fellow cyclists are on electric bikes. The only indication that we have entered Germany is a customs man sitting in a marked car, and the smooth tarmac turned to brick paving. The very full Rhine is busy with coal barges and cruise boats, and the path busy with heavily laden touring cyclists.
Our destination is Rheinberg, as there is a War Cemetery we want to visit. At the cemetery a book tells us exactly where to find the grave of my Uncle amongst the 3000 others. He was shot down near here, whilst on a bombing raid in 1943.


As always, we find the cemetery and graves are all beautifully looked after.


Miles to date 738

Barges and bridges...

On an evening walk with out hosts Dick and Sandra around the Eco-village we discover they recycle the grey water to form the natural ponds that are scattered amongst the communal gardens. A big pole with an artificial storks nest has for the first time been occupied this year. There is a web-cam so we can watch their progress. We also check on the live cam of the peregrine on Norwich Cathedral.


A perfect Sunday summers morning as we cycle passed orchards and through an arch into pretty Buren, then on to Nijmegen, over the most fantastic double lane new cycle bridge attached to the side of the railway. The is a small amount of the ancient city centre remaining but most was bombed in WW2 because of the strategic bridge. Lovely WS host Annmieke is a bus driver in nearby Bemmel. We wander the locality together in
the warm evening along the dyke, with views of the thatched farm houses and big barges along the river.


Miles to date 678

Location:Culemborg to Bemmel

A fair wind...

After an evening sampling beer and good Dutch food in canal side hostelries, we depart from Matt and his flat mate on Saturday morning ( both of them were up ! ) The birding really kicks off as we pass canals and ponds - Great Reed Warbler and our first White stork of the trip, geese and every waterway home to cheeping ducklings, cygnets and mini-coots.
There are lots of traditional working windmills and we watch as 2 blokes struggle to pull the sack clothes over two of the sails to catch the high winds. Like on a boat, the material is furled to half its area as it is so windy. Despite the high winds the ancient ferryman has not gone to the pub, but takes us, his only passengers, across the Rhine in his brand new bike/foot ferry.


The strong winds are on our backs today, easing the ride to our WS hosts who live in a unique Eco village in Culemborg.


Miles to date 633

Location:Leiden to Culemborg