We started the day with the typical massive breakfast spread which I have used to power my ride. Typically a variety of good cheese and ham to make a sandwich as well as pitcher of plain yogurt to drown the muesli, fresh rolls & croissants with real butter, hard boiled eggs , juice, coffee, tea and so forth. We chatted briefly with some Aussies from Canberra visiting here for their daughters wedding. They said that just before the formal reception, local towns people streamed in to enjoy drinks - apparently a Dutch custom
We headed out along an endless dike beside the Rhine. Saturday morning and the locals were out tending their yards in the very crisp morning air. Eventually we rode up and on to a ferry which did a little staggered crossing of the Rhine soto avoid being run down but the massive motorized barges.
Once across we left the Rhine and proceeded out into the little lanes running for miles with only the company of waterfowl particularly nesting swans as well as cattle and sheep - clusters of lambs racing around at play. The Dutch system of polders makes for a paradise for the birds and it's simply an endless grid of canals.
May 12 is special day in Holland - windmill day when the old mills are set running and so it was that I had planed the tour to visit Kinderdijk. ( http://www.kinderdijk.com/ ).
This in world heritage area and with sun breaks a great place to have you camera. We spent some time there and then as the crowds gathered headed out. We stopped at a little cafe in the country and enjoyed tomato and potato soup along with some toast sandwiches ( Tosti )
Energized we pushed hard with head / cross winds as we zigzagged the polders until reaching Gouda. It appeared to be a very interesting town but we had a train to catch. It took us to Rotterdam where we changed and then on to Hoek van Holland - starting point of the GR5! Yes that's right, the big walk we are going to take!
We'll see the starting point tomorrow and cycle along it a good ways before rejoining it at last at Bergen op Zoom.
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