Cycling with a buddy into the Netherlands



1st May 2018

 So today I was riding with my old school chum, Tony, who is joining me for the next 2 days.  Tony and I used to walk home from school together, nattering and putting the world to rights.  We have seen very little of each other since those days but it was like old times as we chatted away the ride, all 98 miles of it.


It was flat and we had the wind pushing us along Belgian and the Netherlands fantastic cycle ways and lanes and yet it was still hard work with endless junctions and tricky route finding.  Not grumbling though, it was fun, apart from a puncture at Tilburg.  Even that wasn't too bad as we fixed things in the sunshine beside a cafe.


The only way we knew we had crossed into the Netherlands was the change from B to NL on the car number plates along with confirmation from a bunch of motorcyclists.

Meanwhile Jackie, and Tony's wife, Helen, were visiting Utrecht.  This was after arriving trying to gain entry to a supposed Park and Ride only to be politely informed they had come to a business park.  They then want on to discover that it was a bank holiday and the buses weren't running.  So Utrecht was visited by means of a 2 mile walk into town and back.  I gather it was well worth it though.


We joined Tony and Helen at their hotel, where we had been permitted to park for the night.  A great evening and end to a full day. (hence the delay in today's post)



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