Day 7: Lawersoog to Uithuizermeeden: Shooting the Shit

July 25, 2013

We slept all the way to 7:00 a.m. , something we felt necessary after too many late nights fooling with the blog. Last night we sat in the campground restaurant until almost midnight to get it done. There are so many inefficiencies involving the tablet, the keyboard, Android, the system for emailing in photos, and the local wifi that even this modest narrative can eat up hours. For example, it took 35 minutes - yes 35 minutes - for our email to transmit, and during that time you do not know if the wifi went down or is just being pokey.

Ready to leave our resort lakeside campgrouund

Leaving the campground by the lake, we followed bikeway signs towards our next towns. The way at first was a paved single track through a wood, but it came out at the dike. In the wood, we noted the sign, hopefully shown below. We interpreted this to mean "warning, crappy ground". Look, if yesterday we were watching out for aggressive berms, why not?

After a bit a man and his daughter approached on bike. He called out to us that this was a military establishment for shooting, and that he was beating a retreat.Ah, so "Schiet" does not mean shit but shoot! So, being unarmed, we all retreated togehter, until we came to two grandparents and two kids, going the other way. They said they were sure we would not be shot today, that if so, there would be a flag. So all eight of us went back into the battle zone.

As we cycled, with spoke to the perhaps eleven year old, on vacation with his grandparents. He spoke excellent english, mostly learned in school. We were impressed, and the grandparents were proud.

We discounted this sign - typical Grampie error!

Military conference - we decided to all charge forward

For a while we proceeded along the dike, thankfully protected from the stubbborn sheep by a strong fence! The knopuunt maps by the roadside showed our choices: either hightail it down the dike or dawdle through the villages. We chose the villages. Note that I used the word dawdle here, whereas yesterday was all about noodling. Noodling is actually more descriptive, I think, but yesterday Dodie demeaned my vocabullary, taking as her text the overuse of the word "quaint". Hmmm, how quaint.

The dike way (above) and the dawdle way (below)

Wind turbines - seem to be one per farm. BC Hydro needs to study how this is organized

Black and white swans. There are often moats around bigger houses and lots off ducks and geese

Look Violet - an Eenhoorn (and psychiatric help for everyone else)

By noon we arrived (dawdled into) the village of Pieterburen. We ffound a kind of amusement area, with a restaurant, ice cream parlor, playgound, and go karts. There were many covered picnic tabbles, all unoccuupied. We took a seat with the intention of trying out their dutch pancakes (7 euros each). But the waitress said we could not also eat our grapes or cheese at the table. So we flounced off in a huff. Cultures are different but the rules of capitalism are clear - lose the sale, get no revenue!

Another universal is competition. We went across the yard and arranged to sit at an even shadier table by the ice cream - having purchased a kiwi milkshake (3 euros). So there!

Capitalism in action - ice cream stand foreground and restaurant in background

We found a post office and fresh juice in this SPAR market

We spennt the afternoon following the bike routes from point to point and town to town, along the north coast of Groningen province. If earlier I groused about where are the beautiful photogeniic Dutch houses, well they are at least here. We passed houses with exquisitely detailed brickwork, and almost every dwelling featured immaculate and beautiiful gardens. Many houses and neighbourhoods were an easy mmatch for what is found in the "classy" parts of Victoria, and we looked in vain for any sign of what might be recognized as "poverty". If it is here, it is very well hidden, and no doubt any poor people are extremely tidy about it. Similarly, there was no sign of any abandoned business or house, and the tractors, cars, and equipment we saw were all in great condition.

Not a giant mansion like some we have seen, but fancy enough.

For Startrek fans, this map legend seems like a good guide

eight part instructions. I like the "Doet U Dat"

There are lots of camping places around, and we made our way with just a bit off direction asking to one just beyond Uithuizermeeden: Camping Lentemaheerd.. Now as Canadian campers we are born tough - able to sleep with bears on barren mountaintops and suchlike. But no need of that. This farm type camping has it all - semi-private grass spot, free wifi, small restaurant, large shelterr with lights, power, and tables, shower building with hot and cold water at all spots, immacuulate tile andd wood construction, free washing machine with soap, etc. The level of construction and houusekeeping is actually higher than what we have at home. And the cost - 10 Euros! This all makes us so relaxed and happy we could purrr!

We are at the blue dot, poised to go to Germany

As you may make out from the map, we are nearing Germany - Emden. So already we will scratch one country off our list. On the other hand our six country tour became seven, when Dodie figured out we will be in Austria for half a day, at Bregenz. So, that is still six to go!

Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 355 km (220 miles)

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