Tandem Tales

It's still dark when Kim gets up. She goes to the bathroom during which there is a little tap on the door. When she opens the door both Myer and Noah are standing outside looking up and inviting her into their rooms. First into Myers and then Noahs. They show her their toys and potential Halloween outfits. Noah even gives Kim a few of his stickers. Seems she is a hit with them.

Enjoy a coffee with Nic before she leaves for work. It has been a fun 24 hours and we are so happy we could spend it with friends. It delays the sadness we feel creeping in as the end of our cycle adventure approaches.

Gareth takes Nelson for his morning walk and we join him and then continue into their local village which is very cute. Lots of lovely shops - delis, an artisan bakery, cheese shop, boutiques and cafes. One could easily while away an afternoon here. We buy food for the ferry and have one last coffee with Gareth before we leave.

Today's cycle is 10kms to ferry. The sky is clear and a beautiful blue but it is cold! We really don't want our adventure to end but as they say all good things must come to an end. Why is that? Very pessimistic...I don't know an equivalent saying for bad things.

In no time we are at the ferry terminal. Customs and check in is quick and seamless. We are on the ferry before we know it. So fast that we didn't have a chance to take a photo of us next to the boat. We lock Polly on the bike rack and take Pacman in the lift to our cabin. We are one of the first to board. It's much more modern and cleaner than our ferry from Albania to Italy, and we have a cabin instead of a seat. The cabin has a comfortable double bed and an ensuite. Nice!


Find a table with a view of the harbour to each lunch and contemplate the end of our adventure. We have loved every minute.

Final stats

29 weeks, 130 cycle days, 66 rest days, 14 countries
Cycled 6,427kms (All our rides on Komoot)
57,270m incline and decline as we started and finish at sea-level
Spent $23,988 AUD

What did we lose

3 hex keys and 1 bag of M&Ms

What did we need to replace

1 chain, 1 front tyre, 2 back tyres, 3 inner tubes, 9 brake pads, an axle on pacman (trailer), a rear freehub, a 3-gear crank, 3 spokes, 1 bike bag for our valuables, our petrol stove to a gas stove.

Accidents

0 crashes, 5 close calls - from a truck taking up the whole road coming the other way forcing us off the road, 3 trucks overtaking uncomfortably close, and hitting a kamikaze cat that jumped in front of us.

Highlights

- The freedom of being on the road with everything we needed.
- The generosity, curiosity and friendliness of the people of the Balkans, as well as their openness to discuss their painful recent history of war and genocide.
- Meeting and staying with Warmshowers hosts through Western Europe. Making new friends. Meeting up with old and new friends.
- Our longest cycle day of 102kms testing our endurance and resilience.
- Hiking up the ladder of Kotor a 942m uphill climb with stunning scenery. Swimming in the Bay of Kotor
- Cycling through the Southern Albanian Alps feeling like the only people and certainly tourists for miles.
- Camping and swimming in the Albanian, North Macedonian, Italian, Swiss, French and German lakes.
- parkruns in Italy, Germany and Holland.
- Watching the opera Tosca at Verona arena.
- Cycling over the Gotthard pass.
- Enjoying a "nearly" Michelin star 6 course degustation meal in Holland.
- Finishing the Amsterdam marathon.
- And, of course the unlimited acts of kindness.

An adventure of a lifetime, yes, but not our last.

Would we do it again - 100% yes in a heartbeat.

We are sore and it's cold. We're snuggled up in bed and don't want to move. I woke several times during the night and tried to stretch. Kim woke at 2am hungry but was too sore to get out of bed. She's famished now so we need to get up.

Gingerly potter around to try to slowly loosen up. Coffee, cereal and start to pack. I need to adjust the gears - I think the cable has stretched to the gears on the front crank. My adjustments are not having much impact...I might need to take some slack out of the cable, but I'll look at that another time, we need to get going. Today is flat so we won't need to change the front gears. We leave just after 11:15am. It's a 1.5 hour ride and we retrace much of our route from Friday. It's cold, but thankfully there's no wind.

Arrive at Gareth’s just after 1pm. I used to surf with Gareth in Sydney. Gareth, his wife Nic and daughter Myer moved to Holland years ago. On arrival we meet Nelson their 7 year old dog, Kim falls in love immediately!

We have a quick coffee and change clothes to warm us up and then we drive into Harlem for a late lunch. We haven’t been to Harlem yet so we get a little tour of the city as this is where Gareth and Nic lived when they first arrived in Holland. Settle into a local cafe on the square and enjoy a beer and burger.

Back to Gareth's place as he needs to pick up the kids from school. Meanwhile we hang out with Nelson and try to decide on how we are getting to Aberdeen. Kim's been watching the weather. It's going to be a lot colder and wetter than Holland. That puts the kibosh on camping. Other accommodation on the route is very limited. We decide to book a night in Newcastle then we'll catch a train to Aberdeen the next day. The cycle trip is coming to an end faster than I am prepared for. We are both a little sad and disappointed but feel like it's the right choice.

Gareth returns with Myer and Noah. It's a whirlwind of bathtime and dinner before Nic gets home. Kids in bed, Gareth makes dinner and we crack open a bottle of red. Spend the evening chatting away like we saw each other yesterday even though it was the first time Kim and Nic have ever met. Before we know it it’s 11pm. Time for bed!

The forecast for today is rain, wind and cold. We are woken at 5am by the rain and wind...we stay snuggled in bed until our alarm goes off at 6am.

Time for coffee then porridge with banana, another pre race favourite that's has worked for us. Kim is nervous. She has been nervous for the last week because we have done no running training. A few 5kms parkruns don't really count when your about to do 42.2km. She is worried about blisters on her feet (she has her hiking shoes and socks not running kit), then there's her knee which always gives her grief on long runs. She hopes they both hold up until at least 30kms which would make the last 12.2kms of walking more doable/bearable. She's also been hoping for dry weather as none of her long races have been in the wet. I don't think she'll get a dry day today.

Fed, waterered, and toilet visit successful, we cycle to Castricum train station 4kms away. There are no buses this early on Sunday morning. It's still dark, and cold, but it's dry. Lock Polly outside the station and hope she will still be here when we return tonight. Buy train tickets and get to the platform 15 minutes early. We would rather be early than late. The sun tries to rise on our train journey into Amsterdam. It does momentarily before the clouds close in and the heavens open. It's an easy transfer to the metro. Now we are surrounded by hundreds of runners - all ages, shapes, sizes and nationalities. I think we are wearing the most amount of clothes though!

We alight in a throng of runners and walk to towards the Olympic Station where the race starts and ends. No marshals around so we ask a random person speaking English if they know where the bag drop is. They point us in the right direction. Strip down to our running gear - long leggings, t-shirt, merino long sleeve top, buff, merino beanie and gloves - handover our bag and head into the stadium. It's super crowded and doesn't feel very organised. Totally opposite to any other race we have done before.

We enter the stadium and the atmosphere is electric. We move straight to our wave area and within minutes we are moving towards the start line. Today's theme is "Run your masterpiece". Neither of us feel this will be our masterpiece due to the lack of running training. Finishing before the cut-off will a successful run for us. That means crossing the finish before the 6 hour cut off time or there will be no bling for us!



The countdown starts and then we are off just shy of 9:30am. The rain starts again just as we exit the stadium. Regardless we both feel good and start off faster than we planned as its crowded and we are carried along with the pack. The crowd of spectators is a few people deep and cheering everyone on. So much energy in the air. We run past canals and through the botanical gardens which provides a wider path. People have signs with "Tap here for energy" and "Pain is just bread in France". Kids have their hands out for high fives and we take every opportunity to high five them. Spectators read a runners name on their bib and shout it out as they pass. This continues right through the race.

First 10kms done and we are still feeling good. Then we hit the 20kms and Kim is starting to slow with a niggle in her left knee and blisters forming on both her big toes. We slow the pace to see if she can settle into a slower pace and help reduce the pain. We reach halfway... Kim needs to stop running as her knee is too painful. She thinks its muscular so no permanent damage if she continues with a fast walk / slow jog. It's cold, wet and windy but I can't get her running again. We have done 22kms in 2.5 hours. We have 20.2km left and 3.5 hours. We are now worried we will be cut off. Even if we don't it will be very very close. We both want to finish so need to dig deep.

We have never been this far back in the pack and we see the same faces as we pass and then they pass us. We develop a comradery, encouraging each to other on. What doesn't help is the 1/2 marathon runners start to come past at their 8km mark, there are thousands of them and they are impatient. We experience more jostling and a few bump into us as they try to get past. In Australia if someone nearly cuts you off they apologise but not once in this race. At one stage I have to walk behind Kim to ensure she is safe.

As we pass the 40kms sign Kim tries to run but cries out in pain. She looks at her watch knowing if we doesn't run soon we won't make it. Our shuffling pace quickens. At the 41km sign Kim starts to run. We are holding hands. She's crying in pain but she knows we are so close. It's raining again and cold but Kim is determined to finish. We run into the Olympic stadium and the atmosphere is pumping. We have our own marathon lane and people we are cheering us on. We are running, Kim is crying. The last 200 meters there are signs every 50 meters telling us how close we are to the end. We see the finish line and Kim gives it her all. We cross the line just before cut-off - 5 hours 59 minutes and 27 seconds. We did it! We hug and high five. We receive our medals, get a picture with the selfie frame and soak up the atmosphere. Kim can't stop crying!


It takes 30 minutes to wade through a crowd of runners and spectators before we can make it to bag pick up (again very poor planning). Change into clean tops and our puffer jackets and then hobble 1.5km to the metro - the one 300m away is is closed for works. Bad timing! At least the rain has stopped. We pass the Olympic hotel ...we wish we were staying there!

It takes us 1 hour 45 to get home - metro, then train, and finally cycle the last 4kms home. By the time we arrive at our Airbnb the sun is going down, we are freezing and hungry! Hope into a very hot shower and reflect on the day. I make spaghetti bolognese and Kim cracks open the prosecco. Bed by 8:30pm as stiffness takes hold!

Stats

Days cycled - 128
Rest days - 66 (No really a rest day but not a cycle day either)
Distance cycled - km (6284.6km)
Ascent - 0m (Total 54500m)
Descent - 0m (Total 54500m)
Money Spent - $200 AUD (Total $23895 AUD)

Friday 13 - Noordwijk to Limmen

We wake to an overcast and damp morning but at least it is not overly cold. Nel our Airbnb host sees us off and wishes us well for the marathon and our trip to Scotland.

The wind is picking up today with gusts of 50kmph... lucky they are tailwinds! We cycle along the North Sea coast and it's pure joy. Great bike paths and signage. In no time we hit the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen national park containing many animals including deer, horses, and oddly Scottish highland cows (coos)... so Kim is excited to see the coos.

The terrain changes from sand dunes to forest to wetlands then back. The path is undulating. Towards the end of the park we spot a herd of coos, they are huge and on either side of the path. We have never been so close and their horns are massive but they don't seem to pay much attention to us at all. We stop to admire them. We are not the only ones.

We are literally blown into IJmuiden. It's cold so we stop for a coffee, toilet stop and for me to check out the gears as I can't seem to change through the range we have. I do the best I can without getting out our tools but decide to keep in 3rd gear on the front for the rest of the day. Lucky its flat and less than 20kms to go!

Back on the bike we catch a ferry which is free for pedestrians and cyclists. It's not until we take off we realise its electric because it's so quiet - very cool! From the ferry its an easy 10km to our Airbnb in Limmen for the next 3 nights. We decided not to stay in Amsterdam as we wanted to store Polly and Pacman safely, and stay in a place with a kitchen so we can control what we eat before the 42.2km. That criteria was not easy to find but Kim found this one that ticked all of those boxes.

It takes us awhile to find where it is. It is number 31a. Google says that it is next to number 1 which is odd and Kim doesn't believe it, so we go down the road to number 31 to ask. they direct us back to next to number 1. We were only 15m away from it before but looking in every direction except where it is! Unpack, ride down the rode the buy groceries and then when we get back we close the blinds and put on the heater and get cosy.

Saturday 14 - Limmen - rest day - morning in Alkmaar

Turns out there is a parkrun in the next town less than 9kms away so of course we need to go! This will be Kim's 24th different parkun.
Coffee and banana and then we leave just before 8am. The remains of a pink sunrise grace the sky as we take off. It's a nice distraction from the cold! No surprise we are the first non-volunteers there! We chat to the Run Director as others arrive. It's an intimate event of 18. This parkrun only launched in June so their numbers are still small. It's nice as it's easier to chat with the locals, for us parkrun tourists. We are not the only tourists though, several from the UK including Simon from Aberdeen. Kim befriends him instantly and we agree to exchange details after the run at coffee. Since we are running the marathon tomorrow we have no intention of doing anything but walk today. Kim walks with the tailwalker who is also the Co Event Director, I join one of the other regular walkers.


It's a pretty course with 3 laps of the park. There's a little man made hill in the middle, so it's not a completely flat course. The locals who pass us all greet us warmly. Afterwards everyone goes for coffee at the local coffee shop. We spend the next nearly 2 hours chatting with our new parkrun friends! We plan to meet up with Simon at a parkrun in Aberdeen on the 4 November. We look forward to it!
We are one of the last to leave at 11:45am. Tim an expat from the UK is going our way so he cycles with us into Alkmaar. He heads home and we wander around the town. Alkmaar is famous for its cheese market which unfortunately finished last week for the year. Another good reason to return in warmer months! It's market day so people are everywhere but the town is lovely and we would love to wander more but it's too windy and cold. Buy a meat pie from the pieman for me and Kim gets some local cheese and then we cycle to Aldi before riding home.

Spend the afternoon in our cocoon resting, keeping warm and enjoying an early spaghetti bolognese for dinner - this is our standard pre-race dinner. It has always worked for us so don't plan to change it now! Lay out our clothes for the morning and we are in bed before 9pm.

Stats

Days cycled - 128
Rest days - 65
Distance cycled - 52.1km (6284.6km)
Ascent - 390m (Total 54500m)
Descent - 390m (Total 54500m)
Money Spent - $205 + $ 201 AUD (Total $23695 AUD)

Tuesday 10 - Noordwijk - rest day

Lazy morning reading then catching up on our blog. At lunchtime we venture out to the beach to make the most of the afternoon sunshine. Make sandwiches, then enjoy a long walk on the beach. It’s really windy and it has washed up several big blue jellyfish. We can't see the windfarms offshore today and so we wouldn't know they were there if we hadn't already seen them. One girl has braved the water. She barely makes it to her thighs before she turns around. I don’t think it counts as a swim since her head didn't get wet. Kim says it does. here are hundreds of people walking on the beach and in the cafes on the dunes. We later ask our host and she tells us as school holidays in Germany so it’s always this busy.

Find a place in the sun but out of the wind at one of the cafes on the beach for a beer and wine. As the sun starts to dip we wander back to our Airbnb. Spend the evening resting and reading.

Wednesday 11 - Noordwijk - rest day

Not a lot to report. We have midweek lazy Sunday. We brave the wind and walk to the beach. Enjoy some local fish before we are blown home again. The rest of the day we spent resting, drinking tea, blogging and reading.

Thursday 12 - Noordwijk - rest day - day trip into Amsterdam

Exciting day today. We are collecting our bib for Sunday's Amsterdam marathon! We registered back in May when Kim thought it would be a memorable way to end our Western European leg of our journey. She also thought once we crossed the Alps we would have more time and energy to train. It's certainly iconic, but I think she was delirious to think we would have time or energy to train for a marathon. This is why we have been having a lot of rest days this past week!

It is a 20 minute bus trip to Leiden. Its cold and raining outside but we are cosy on the bus. It's an easy transfer to the train to Amsterdam. We arrive into Amsterdam Central station at 10am. As we exit the station there are people everywhere and more people speaking English than we have heard in months. It's quite a shock to the system.

We've got plenty of time to wonder about the old town. Need a decent coffee before the expo opens. Kim has already researched her caffeine fix. As we track down the cafe we walk straight through the red light district - Kim had no idea! We nab the last table. The coffee lives up to our expectations plus they have banana bread which we share. Reminds us of home.

It's now raining outside, put on our wet weather gear to continue wandering along the canals and through the Botanical gardens. We discuss how different Amsterdam is to the rest of Holland. It's grungy and in need of a good scrub. Reminds Kim of Camden Town in London! As we walk through the gardens hundreds of people, walk, run or cycle past us even though the weather is more conducive to being inside with a cup of tea and a good book. It's just past of their culture and we like it.

We find a local vegetarian cafe for warm soup and a wrap. Both delicious and exactly what we need. It is after 1pm and the marathon expo has opened. When we arrive we notice there is a big hotel outside named the Olympic Hotel and wonder if we should have booked to stay there the night after the marathon. The expo is huge covering three sports halls. There are lots of very fit people inside. We don't feel like one of them! Find our queue to collect our bib, pick up a map for Sunday, collect our marathon t-shirt, then find our name on the runners wall! Kim is stoked - she hasn't had her name on a wall before like this. Wander through the rest of the expo, there's lots of great gear but can't buy anything as it's just more to carry! Plus the gear we have, is tried and tested even if only for a few parkruns. You should never change your gear or diet for a race!


It's still pouring when we leave the expo but we don't mind. Retrace our steps through the gardens and stop for a hot chocolate to warm ourselves up near the train station. Kim loves quaint pubs and she found one a block from the train station with over 150 beers to choose from. Would be rude not to go. We sit at the bar. The barman asks what are we after - a dark beer we reply. He recommends a trappist beer - we order two. Kim asks the percentage as those monks are known for strong beer. 10% the barman replies and Kim nearly reconsiders but its only 250ml so she agrees on just one!

After finish the first beer we decide to share another beer and ask what we should have next. A dark IPA. Another good recommendation, a little less alcoholic. Decide on one last beer to share. The barman says he has just the thing. An extra Stout. Kim is not sure about a Stout, so I suggest that I'll have the whole thing if she doesn't like it. She is pleasantly surprised. A couple of regulars are sitting next to us, and we have been chatting away with them. They order a spirit of some kind. We ask what it is. Instead of explaining he just offers to get us a short each for us. Shots are out of Kim's comfort zone but I whisper "use your Yes muscle" to her. We gratefully accept. It's a licorice liqueur. Pretty good considering I'm not a fan of licorice.

Time to go. We are hungry and a bit tipsy. Kim has found a highly rated Falafel bar not far away. There is a line out the door. When we walk in she says it reminds her of being in Israel over 20 years ago! We get a wrap each and share some hot chips. The wraps are huge and delicious.

Train and bus and bed way after Kim’s bedtime

Stats

Days cycled - 127
Rest days - 64
Distance cycled - 0km (6232.5km)
Ascent - 0m (Total 54110m)
Descent - 0m (Total 54110m)
Money Spent - $154 + $124 + $335 AUD (Total $23289 AUD)

It’s still dark when we get up at 7:30am. Looks cold outside but it’s toasty inside our little cabin. I make us coffee which we drink in bed. Call my mum for a catch up. We are in no hurry today as we don’t need to check out until 1pm.

We plan our route. It's about 40kms, so decide to take a detour from the coast inland to Leiden. It's supposed to be a nice city, home of the tulips and then head back to the coast for our home for the next 4 days.

Cycle along the coastal path with views of the North Sea. It’s grey, windy and many white caps. Luckily the wind is behind us today. There must be cattle farms along the coast as we need to cross several cattle grates. The sign for these in Dutch is "Wild Rooster", which we laughed at when we first saw them. How big are their bloody roosters if they need a cattle grate? Today we see a new sign at the grates "Glad Rooster". Maybe the rooster is has a full brood of hens to service making him glad, we surmise. In reality, it is apparently a warning that the grate is slippery.


The path changes to forest and through Scheveningen beach a suburb of The Hague. There are lots of new apartment blocks being built, it has a nice boardwalk and lots of cafes and bars. It feels like it was a forgotten fishing village which has just been rediscovered and being gentrified.

Leiden takes a bit for Kim to warm up to. It feels grungier compared to the other spotless places we've been in Holland. After an initial cycle about we find a supermarket to buy lunch then find a quiet place near the centre on a canal for our picnic. I change our route out of town via the canals and old town which helps Kim to like it a bit more.

It’s an easy ride on to our Airbnb. Arrive just after 3pm. Park Polly and Pacman in their backyard. Our room is on the 1st floor. We can't get over how steep the stairs are. Especially since our host Nel and her husband must be in their late 70's, and they're room is on the 2nd floor. We make sure to hold the banisters tight as we go up and down.

Nel makes us a cuppa tea, then since it's a nice evening, walk the 2kms to the sea. It’s overcast but clear and we can see the wind farms far out in the sea. No wonder we didn’t pass any on the land! The beach promenade is lined with restaurants, all busy. We decide on an Italian and share a pizza and pasta… cause we haven’t had much of either this trip... ha!

Stats

Days cycled - 127
Rest days - 61
Distance cycled - 56.2km (6232.5km)
Ascent - 390m (Total 54110m)
Descent - 390m (Total 54110m)
Money Spent - $202 AUD (Total $22676 AUD)

Sunday 7th

Best night sleep in ages. It was like a cocoon. We make coffee and chat to Emmanuel before leaving at 8:30am to cycle 3kms to parkrun.
On arrival we see Sue. We met Sue and Onno at Arnhem parkrun last Saturday. Sue is originally from the UK, and her husband is Dutch. They are Co-Event Directors of Zuiderpark parkrun. For parkrun tourist tragics this is one of the only parkruns beginning with a Z, meaning there are always tourist showing up to get a Z to complete their parkrun alphabet challenge.

The run starts and finishes next to a striking sportshall, then around a beautiful park for two laps. It's a completely flat course with nice wide paths. Plenty of room for the many people out cycling, skating, running and walking on this sunny Saturday morning.

Kim and I are feeling good and push a bit harder than usual. I get a PB for the year... 23min 46sec. Kim also does well with a sub 30 min time.
After we join several other runners for a coffee at the local cafe. We sit next to Jon Storey and his wife Julie from Perth. They set up the first parkrun in WA and know several of the Event Directors and organisers we know. Small world! We also chat to several parkrun tourists from the UK. It's fun, but we have a ride to get on with, so say our goodbyes at 11:30am!


The cycle out of The Hague barely crosses a road and when it does the cars have to give way to us. Mostly though it's riding along canals, and through parks. As we approach the North Sea the pastures give way to greenhouses and sand dunes. The headwinds get stronger and stronger! Gusts up to 40km/hr. The cycle paths are still amazing through the dunes. I have no idea how they keep the sand off them... they must machine sweep them every day. Cycling along the top of the dunes we finally see the North Sea. It's been a few months since seeing saltwater on the Med in Italy. We continue south to Hoek van Holland which is the official end of the EV15 Rhine cycle route, where the main tributaries of the Rhine delta flow into the sea.

We high five each other as will pull up to Hoek van Holland beach. Another phase of our adventure has been completed. We find a place out of the wind to have a picnic...pity we don't have any bubbles or wine with us to celebrate...instead we have cheese, ham, avocado and tomato sandwiches.

Lunch done we cycle about 5km north again to find our Airbnb. We had considered camping but the wind is too strong, and has a real chill to it - not much fun! When we arrive Sandra our host is just finishing cleaning our room. She greets us and shows us around our cabin for the next 2 days. It's a converted bicycle shed. They have done a great job. It's warm and cozy with a little kitchenette and ensuite. We also have our own courtyard. It's a bit out of budget, but there are not alot of options. It's comfortable and Kim is happy, so I am happy! Sandra asks if we need any laundry done - yes please that would be awesome we reply!

Settled in we walk a few hundred metres into town to find a supermarket to buy dinner and breakfast supplies. We walk through the town square, to find a classic motorcycle/moped event on. Kim loves all the Vespas of course!

Make Pork fajitas for dinner and hit the sack by 9pm. It's been a long day.

Sunday 8 - 's-Gravenzande - rest day

Not a lot to report. It's a lazy Sunday. We spent the day resting, drinking tea, blogging, reading and more resting.

Stats

Days cycled - 126
Rest days - 61
Distance cycled - 25.7km (6176.3km)
Ascent - 160m (Total 53720m)
Descent - 150m (Total 53720m)
Money Spent - $250 + $170 AUD (Total $22474 AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

Kim is awake at 5am even though it’s still dark. She wants coffee already! I doze until 7am and get up as the sunrises. It was our coldest night last night. I was toasty but Kim was a bit cold. I don’t think I am going to get her into the tent again this trip! Kim lays out our tarp and makes coffee and porridge. They both warm us up from the inside! Pack and leave just after 10am. If nothing we are consistent.

We cycle the canals out of the city. In no time we are surrounded by cows in paddocks. It’s seamless riding and we love it. We play another game of spot the windmill. I keep winning. Kim doesn’t want to play anymore because she thinks I have an unfair advantage on the front.

It’s a short ride to Delft. As we cycle past Delft University I stop the bike. "What's up?" Kim asks. You know the Hyperloop thing I talk about every so often? Well there is a team here who participate in the annual competition. I get the phone to google "Delft Hyperloop team". Google Maps shows we are only 1km away. Can we make a small detour? Kim says - Sure!

What is this Hyperloop thing I hear you ask... it's a concept for a new mode of transport - Basically a train but in a tube in a vacuum so there is no wind resistance enabling the pods to travel at up to 1000km/h between city centres, but at much lower energy cost. I know Delft University put a team in the annual competition to develop the concept.

We cycle to the universities "Hall of dreams". I walk in as someone is walking out. I later find out that I should have had a security pass to get it. I ask one of the students if this is he is part of the Hyperloop team. "No" there are a seven projects in this building. He is part of a project to enable life on the moon - agriculture systems, life support systems, that kind of thing. Whoa, that's cool. Hyperloop are at the other end of the building, I'll take you up there. As we walk up I ask about the other projects. One is a Hydrogen powered hydrofoil boat. Another is a super efficient hydrogen car. A third is a robotic exoskeleton to aid para and quadriplegics. Another is an AI project although he is not sure what exactly they want to achieve, it's all a bit secret. Wow, all amazing projects! They talk a year out of there normal degree to participate in their chosen project.

I then meet the Hyperloop team. They have just move here from another site, so sadly there is not too much to see. They start to explain their goals for this years competition. One if them asks with a smile but in a semi serious tone, if I am a spy from another team. I laugh, If I am I am a terrible one I even forgot to bring my phone in with me to take photos. They show my the pod which they used in last years' competition and how they test the components to ensure they are effective in a vacuum. Very interesting. By this time I have worked out that I am in a restricted area and so thank them for showing me about. No problem, they reply, it's great to know someone from the otherside of the planet is interested in Hyperloop, and what we are doing. Kim is waiting patiently outside.

Back on the bike we cycle to Delft town square. There's a grand cathedral dominating one end and a beautiful townhall dominating the other, canals running from the square in every direction. Picture perfect!


As we cycle about we spot this Church tower. I'm not sure you can tell in the photo, but it is on a significant lean!

We need warming up so find a cute cafe that looks inviting and enjoy a cappuccino and hot chocolate with banana bread - Yumo! It reminds us a bit of Girdlers one of our local cafes. This is another place we could return to and potter the day away. But today we have a schedule. We have 15km to get to the Australian embassy in The Hague before 4pm to vote on the Referendum.

Considering it is almost entirely urban we are hardly ever riding on or even next to a road. Mostly along canals and through parks. They even have dedicated bridges. Outstanding!

At the embassy we vote. The staff are excited to see us and hear about our adventure. They take our pictures for their social media page and gift us a little stuffed kangaroo and koala. So lovely even though Kim has been trying to get rid of things!

The wind has picked up so we find a semi sheltered spot on the canal in the sun for our picnic lunch. Fed and watered we cycle around the city checking out its beauty old buildings.

The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice, the permanent Court of Arbitration, and the International Criminal Court.

In town is a Decathlon and we love Decathlon and we needed some things. Our front tyre has worn down, threadbare in places, so we need a new one. It’s done 6,000kms, so not too bad! Also need winter gloves and another gas canister. Success all round.

Our Warmshowers host will not be home from work till 6pm so we find a bar for an afternoon drink in the sun and out of the wind. It's a short ride to tonight's host Emmanuel and his 9 yo son Arthur. Emmanuel is French but has lived in The Hague for 15 years. He and his wife did a lot of cycle touring before they split up. He shows us some of their photo books - they would have taken a lot of work to put together. Despite the divorce, he says they are great memories. It's another great experience for us - we have own room, and ensuite. Laundry on then sit down to a lovely home cooked chicken tikka masala.

Stats

Days cycled - 125
Rest days - 60
Distance cycled - 37.2km (6176.3km)
Ascent - 460m (Total 53560m)
Descent - 460m (Total 53570m)
Money Spent - $141 AUD (Total $22054 AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

Coldest night camping so far. It was windy for part of the night, then it rained a bit even though it wasn’t forecast to! This could be the last night we camp!

It’s a lazy morning. The sun is rising later and so are we. It's toasty in our sleeping bags. Finally we get up at 8am. Kim makes coffee while I lube Polly’s chains - it has been awhile!

Kim thinks our long life milk has gone off. She gives it to me to try. I spit it back out - definitely off! Black coffee today. It's peaceful watching all sorts of boats pass on the river - cruise ships, container barges, pleasure craft. Ducks waddle past our feet and geese are swimming in the shallows. Grateful we are here.

We are out of food or our pantry is bare as Kim likes to say. So once packed up we cycle to the nearest supermarket. Find a park bench, enjoy our muesli and people watch. It’s a surprisingly busy village givens its small size. It has a lovely feel to it and we like it instantly. Like we have most places in Holland.

It’s an easy cycle to Gouda the home of Gouda cheese. The town square is huge with beautiful buildings.

The market is on so it’s buzzing with activity. We enjoy some local fish and buy 2 year old Gouda cheese. It is similar to Parmesan in look, taste and texture and except it’s more orange in colour. Delicious!

From Gouda we cycle the canals most of the way to Rotterdam. Again we are amazed by the fantastic cycle infrastructure of this country!

It’s late afternoon when we arrive at the Municipal camping. It’s surrounded by highway but we are assured by the guy at reception that the traffic becomes a background noise in no time just like being at the sea with the waves crashing. We are skeptical!

Since the sun is out Kim decides she wants to camp. I am in shock. We are not the only ones camping so maybe that tipped the scales for her. We camp in the middle of the field to maximum the sun today and tomorrow. We make a late lunch/ early dinner of spaghetti bolognese and are in bed by 8pm. The guy was right the traffic had become white noise and we no longer noticed it.

Stats

Days cycled - 124
Rest days - 60
Distance cycled - 44.7km (6139.1km)
Ascent -340m (Total 53100m)
Descent - 350m (Total 53110m)
Money Spent - $80 AUD (Total $21913 AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

Up at 7am to say goodbye to Simone before she leaves for work. Breakfast with Tim and gift him our Eurovelo15 guide book. This makes room for Kim’s new slate cheese plate. We leave just after 9am - Early for us! It’s cold but the sun is trying to come out.

More riding along dykes and through pretty villages, but we have a strong headwinds which make the ride a little less fun. Kim is cold so she is wearing lots of layers almost as much as when we started in April. Her cycle pants, leggings, merino t-shirt, long sleeve top, her Australia cycle top and her jacket. I suggest she just pedal harder. I get a punch in the shoulder for that.

We need to cross the river today and have 3 ferries. The first is a short chain ferry straight across.
The second ferry is a longer one. It's not straight across like the chain ferries, this one has multiple stops. It takes passengers, bikes and motorbikes. No cars. We need to scan the timetable QR code to buy tickets. Lucky we have data on the mobile to do it! 13 mins after boarding we arrive in Gorinchem. It's a pretty town. Cycle up and down the streets a bit until we find a cafe in the town square and stop for a soup to warm us up. Nowhere near as good as yesterday soup but it does the job.


The last one is across to Schoonhoven.

Our campground is on the riverfront about 1km from the ferry. It’s a beautiful location but the wind is howling. We pop into their cafe "Fausto" for a hot chocolate to warm us up. Then on with the job to find as sheltered a place to camp. Decide the best option is behind one of the permanent safari tents. We had the whole place to choose from as we are the only ones in a tent! There are about 1/2 dozen Motor homes. Using the safari tent as a windbreak works well, so it isn't too much of a drama putting up the tent.

Camp set up we walk along the river to a local bistro to escape the wind and catch up on the blog. As the sun goes down we amble back to our tent and are asleep in no time.

Stats

Days cycled - 123
Rest days - 60
Distance cycled - 55.4 km (6094.4km)
Ascent -230m (Total 52760m)
Descent - 240m (Total 52760m)
Money Spent - $147 AUD (Total $21833 AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

Great sleep and we don't get out of bed until 7:30am. Have breakfast all together at about 8. Simone and Tim are going to show us their town. They loan us 2 bikes as it will be easier to ride and park in the city. The sky is grey and threatening to rain but we have a booking to make. Our wonderful friends have organised tickets to climb the scaffolding on the City Cathedral. They are currently replacing the slate on the roof and the tickets are to help fund the work. It’s an easy 15 minute cycle into the city centre. We store our bikes in an huge secure underground bike garage for free, only 100m from the Cathedral. Amazing!!!


We arrive at St John’s cathedral right on time. This unique experience allows the public to walk up the scaffolding to 50m. As we climb to the first viewing platform we pass statues, plinths and gargoyles. It's interesting seeing them close up. Tradition dictates that no 2 gargoyles should be the same. Also when replacing one of the angel statues a few years ago the church ask the stone mason to give it more modern appeal and relevance. They ended up giving the angel a mobile phone and is said to have a direct line to God. You can't see it very well from the ground but from here we can see much more detail in all the sculptures.

The first platform is at 30m where a tour guide provides information on the history of the church. Simone and Tim translate for us. The first iteration was started in 1220 and finished 1340. It was build in the Romanesque style. When the church was later expanded the new church was built around and over the old one so parishioners could continue to attend services. The new church we build in the Gothic style completed in 1525. The old church inside was dismantled as they completed works around it. In 1584, a fire broke out in the high, wooden, crossing tower. Soon the whole tower was set ablaze, and it collapsed upon the cathedral itself, taking with it much of the roof up to point where the organ was situated. Today the church is 115 m high, 62 m wide and its main tower 73m high.

Kim gets more and more anxious the higher we climb. The see-through metal grate stairs and platforms don't help! She does a good job to get to the top. Her watch buzzes at the top, it tells her she seems a bit stressed right now and to take a few moments to relax. We all have a chuckle.

We have an incredible view of the city. As we reach the top we see the rain heading our way. Within minutes it’s raining so we have less time than we would have liked to enjoy the view. The climb has several tour guides from a local volunteer association "The friends of Den Bosch". They provide all sorts of city tours. Apparently it is hard to become a volunteer tour guide though as they need to do a lot of study on the history of the town and landmarks. It’s a wonderful experience and so thoughtful of Simone and Tim to bring us here. Afterwards we go inside the church which is grand with huge beautiful stained glass windows and high ceilings.

Simone wants to buy one of the roof slates which they are selling as cheese platters. Kim loves the idea and wants one too. We buy our first and only souvenir of the trip! Lucky this is close to the end of our trip and we are on the flat. Imaging carrying a rock over the mountains in the Balkans and Swiss Alps!

Time for coffee and to try a local delicacy - bossche bol. Best described as a large profiterole filled with fresh cream and covered in chocolate. It’s delicious but one to share is quite enough.

The rain has stopped so Tim acts as our walking guide to show us the old town. Down its laneways and over canals. We see a tour of the canals much of which is under the city. We don’t have time today but will come back for the tour as it looked pretty interesting! Today the canals are clean, but up until as recent as the 1980s much of the sewage in the old town ran straight into the canals. It would have been quite stinky!

Simone and Tim need to go to work and run some errands so they leave us in town. We decide to go to the house of the city's most famous artist, now a museum. The House of Hieronymus Bosch. The friends of Den Bosch bought the house in 2021 and have wonderfully preserved the architecture with restoration carried out with a great sense of history and sustainability. As we walk into each room a video is projected on the walls explaining the purpose of the room, and the life and times of the artist. Born in 1450 and died in 1525, his paintings are like no other on other from the period. He talent was identified at an early age, and had powerful patrons from the church and local elite very early in his career. Unlike many artists, he was wealthy and famous during his life. It is amazing that successive owners of the house didn't make any significant alterations to it in the 8 centuries since it was built. We climb the same medieval staircase that Hieronymus would have 500 years earlier - surreal. The video shows a painting of his of the town square out a second story window. It does not look much changed today. But life in the 1400's was harsh. The water in the city was so putrid everyone including children had to drink beer instead of water. Then the water became so bad even the brewery had to close!

As we leave the house it starts to rain again so we find a local cafe for lunch. Kim has Zucchini soup and I get a Burger. By the time we finish the rain has passed.

Time to see some examples of Hieronymus's art at the local art gallery containing many replicas of his work. The originals are in major art galleries around the world. So what was so special about his art? The paintings are mostly religious themed. What was unusual was the dark and grotesque monsters, demons and creatures he characterised in his work. Here are some photos I took of small sections in his paintings. Most of his paintings have lots going on in each one and it is easy to be overwhelmed by it all.

There were also some sculptures of his depictions.

And this is by another painter who has recreated the last supper with characters from Hieronymus's paintings.

It's time to cycle home as the sun is going down. Tim has made baked fish and rice for dinner. Delicious! More talking until we can't keep our eyes open and head to bed.

Stats

Days cycled - 121
Rest days - 60
Distance cycled - 0 km (6039.0km)
Ascent - 0m (Total 52530m)
Descent - 0m (Total 52520m)
Money Spent - $180 AUD (Total $21686 AUD)
All our rides on Komoot

Kim is awake at 5am. It's still pitch black. She waits till 6:30 before she gets up. Condensation on the inside of the tent has started dripping onto us. We left the vestibules open overnight to try to get some airflow through to prevent it, but it didn’t help much! The humidity is high in Holland most of the year and we have noticed on clear nights there is a lot more dew and condensation.

Kim tells me it is a stunning sunrise. She captures a few pictures of it while I am still dozing in bed. I get up and start packing the inside of the tent. Meanwhile Kim makes coffee and porridge at the campground games room opposite our tent.

Wipe down the inside and out of out tent with our chamois, them make a second coffee while we wait for it to dry. Pack and leave at 10:30am. It’s a beautiful morning! We cycle through little villages, on dykes and on country roads. We are both loving Holland!

Stop for Coffee in a cafe in Alphen. The food looks good and the coffee is great. It looks like it doubles as a cooking school.

Only a km on we have a chain ferry crossing. These ferries are only a few euros for both of us and the bike.

Arrive into Den Bosch early so we find a bar to have a beer in the late afternoon sun while we wait till 3pm which is when Tim said he would be home to meet us. It’s a lovely reunion. We had such a nice evening with them in Ravno, Bosnia. At the time they said we should come and visit if we are in the area, but we didn't think it was on our route, and so didn't think we would meet again. But having made a detour to see Kane yesterday, Den Bosch was not really out of our way any more. We spend the next few hours catching up on each others travels since Bosnia. They were going in the opposite direction to us so we had given each other some suggestions of places to go. Tim gets out their maps which helps all of us remember our routes!

Simone arrives home at 6pm. Another round of hugs. We recap on the last few hours. It’s still balmy for this time of year so we sit outside and have and nibbles and bubbles to celebrate our reunion and our 6,000km milestone yesterday! Being with fellow cyclists, they understand what that entails, their kudos means a lot to us! Tim has made an tasty vegetable stew and potatoes for dinner which we eat by candle light outside. As the night cools we retreat inside for tea and chocolates. Continue to chat till 10:30pm!

Stats

Days cycled - 121
Rest days - 59
Distance cycled - 38.9 km (6039.0km)
Ascent - 160m (Total 52530m)
Descent - 160m (Total 52520m)
Money Spent - $50 AUD (Total $21506 AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

We all sleep in until 7:30am. That’s what Sunday’s are for! Make coffee and porridge then pack and leave by 10:30am. Kal says we need to stay - awww! We get a lovely send off with the kids running through the laneways to wave us goodbye!

We cycle along the river and across the bridge into Arnhem. The bridge is the focal point of the movie "A bridge too far" a 1977 war film epic with an all star cast. It gives an account of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied attempt to break through German lines at Arnhem by taking a series of bridges in the occupied Netherlands during World War II.

The streets have a few walking tours and people hanging out having coffee.

I have mentioned the cycling infrastructure before but this is a bike roundabout under and inside a car roundabout.

In no time we are out the other side riding through little villages. It’s just beautiful riding. We stop after 13km at Doorwerth castle built circa 1300s! We walk through its grounds and enjoy a coffee in its courtyard.

From Doorwerth we cycle along dykes and through farmland for another 13km stopping to make lunch at a windmill.

Another 10km and we reach our campground on the outskirts of Afferden. Its a mini campground attached to a dairy farm. Again we are the only campers. Our motorhome neighbours are friendly and stop by to say hi as we set up camp. It’s a stunning afternoon and we could nearly stop and sunbake. But we have an appointment...we are meeting up with a high school mate.

I haven’t seen Kane since school, so about 30 years! We cycle about 5km into Druten. He is a chef at Meet and Ribs. He's working but hopefully we arrive before it gets busy, and he has time to chat. I wander in and when we arrive ask the staff if an Aussie bloke works here. They smile and say Kane has been excited about your visit all day!

He's not changed too much. It's not busy yet so he's able to sit outside with us and chat until the reservations start showing up - it will be a full house tonight. It's great that we have a chance to catch up.

Kane moved here with his son 4 years ago after marrying a local girl. He has just completed his Dutch citizenship test, so will be a duel citizen soon. He still has a thick Aussie accent, but has Dutch word sprinkled through our conversation.

He shouts us a beer and tapas. It tastes great. No wonder his restaurant is one of the most popular in the franchise. 30 years is a lot to catch up on and sadly the kitchen has started to get busy so he needs to help them out. We say our goodbyes and cycle home before the sun goes down.

Back at the campsite Kim says she thinks we are close to our 6,000kms. So we start adding up the km's from the last few days! We fall short by a about 5km on Kommot but then I realise I only put it on one way. It's 4.5km each way. We have hit 6000.1km Yay us! As we high five.

In our sleeping bags by 8pm as it’s dark and cooling down.

Stats

Days cycled - 120
Rest days - 59
Distance cycled - 37.6 + 4.5 + 4.5 km= 48.6 (6000.1km)
Ascent - 240m (Total 52370m)
Descent - 250m (Total 52360m)
Money Spent - $50 AUD (Total $21456AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot

It’s Kim’s birthday today. I wish her happy birthday and welcome her to the late 40s club! She rolls her eyes at me! For her birthday she wanted to run parkrun, eat cake and have bubbles and preferably in that order. I think I can make this happen.

Linda registered for parkrun 2 years ago, and ran once but without her barcode. So, today is her first official parkrun. We cycle through the city to the park which is on the other side of the city. It’s a lovely morning and the sun is shining.

We spot the parkrun flags and find a safe place to park Polly. As we do another bike packer arrives. Angie from Edinburgh. She's probably a more devoted parkrunner than we are as she has planned her route to make sure she can get to a parkrun every weekend. While we, only go if there is one near where we are staying. She has 5 weeks to cycle the Rhine from Switzerland to Holland. Lot's of other parkrun tourists show up and we hear lots of English conversations going on. We meet Sue from the UK but she lives in The Hague.

It’s a lovely 2 lap route through the park. There is a hill halfway through the lap it's done twice... I thought Holland was FLAT! We pass ducks in ponds, deer and cross little bridges. Kim runs with Linda. I'm feeling good so leave them and run my fastest time this year. Yay me! We get the obligatory pictures in front of the parkrun sign and then walk over to coffee with a bunch of other runners. The cafe has an outdoor area in the sun. We order coffees and cake and bubbles. Annie and Linda start singing Kim happy birthday and then the rest of the parkrun crew join in! Kim is beaming and blushing.

We are the last ones to leave the cafe and cycle home getting home just before midday! We am so lucky our parkrun starts at 7am as we wouldn’t want to give up our whole Saturday morning every week.

We make lunch and then Flo goes to his neighbours house 2 doors down to brew some beer. We drive to the local petting farm to meet Linda’s friend. As we arrive Kal calls out to the lambs - lammetjes. Super cute! The kids are off to pet the animals and play in the sandpit. We meet Linda’s friend Marissa who is from the Azores. We love Portugal but haven’t been to the Azores yet! The next hour or so flies by and it’s hometime.

At home we play with the kids while Linda pops out to buy Kim’s birthday cake. On her return we pop down to check our how the beer brewing is going and share the cake and bubbles with their neighbours. The cake is a vegan 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 orange cake. Both are delicious and of course Kim and I go halvies so we can try both. Kim is feeling very loved. Cake eaten and bubbles drunk we wander back home where Flo makes us vegan burgers for dinner. So good! It’s going on 9pm and we are all yawning from our non stop day. No raging for Kim tonight. Bed by 9:30pm.

Stats

Days cycled - 120
Rest days - 59
Distance cycled - 0km (5909.3km)
Ascent - 0m (Total 51620m)
Descent - 0m (Total 51610m)
Money Spent - $57 AUD (Total $21406AUD)
All our rides on Komoot

Good sleep last night as it was overcast so didn’t get too cold. We make coffee and porridge in camp kitchen. Kim walks around the campground taking photos as we pack. Leave by 10:30am.

Today's route is lovely. All on bike paths through a forest. We actually have little hills today so we can confirm all of Holland is not flat! After the hills we make the most of the downhill coasting which we haven’t done in what seems like weeks! In this one national park the scenery changes several times, from thick forest, to fields of heather, to pines. We were so enthralled with it we forgot to take photos - opps!

On the outskirts of Arhnem we pop in Kasteel en park Rosendael and have coffee at their La Orangierie overlooking the gardens.

A few more km down the road and we find Kasteel Biljoen.

The heavens open as we reach the supermarket so we take cover in the local fish shack and of course try their produce! Kibbling - fried fish pieces - Yummy!

We arrive at Linda’s place just after 2pm. I met Linda during my ski season in Austria and she was there on holidays. That was over 23 years ago. Last time we caught up was in London in 2009!

We meet her children Calor 3 and Sophie 6. Neither speak English but welcome us immediately. Linda’s husband Flo arrives home from and makes us a lovely vegan Asian stir fry with tofu. The tofu is slightly crunchy. It’s delicious. The secret is to bake it in the oven first! Tummies full it’s race time. We all take turns racing with Sophie up and down the street. We are running and she is on her scooter! Maybe we should have done this before dinner - lol!

Spend the evening catching up and getting to know Flo.

Stats

Days cycled - 120
Rest days - 58
Distance cycled - 44.2km (5953.5km)
Ascent - 510m (Total 52130m)
Descent - 500m (Total 52110m)
Money Spent - $45 AUD (Total $21349AUD)
This ride on Komoot
All our rides on Komoot