Heading to the Rhine - Renkum to Gendt: Oops - it's the Waal River, not the Rhine - Exploring Holland, Germany and Denmark on a Recumbent Tandem

July 17, 2013

Heading to the Rhine - Renkum to Gendt: Oops - it's the Waal River, not the Rhine

After leaving Renkum, we crossed the River by bike ferry. We are hoping to get a hotel or campsite with good wifi as we have done nothing on our journal in days. We have much to catch up on.

When we got to the village of Elst, we met a fellow tandem couple (who ride a spectacular folding Kogo Miyata Dutch hand made bike) who told us about an event going on in the area that has booked up all of the rooms within a 10 km radius. Little did we know that it was the 97th annual 4 day walk that attracts walkers from all over the world. 40,000 walkers converge on this area to walk for 4 successive days for a distance of 30/40 or 50 km per day. It is a huge annual event. We realized that we need to move along and find a place to stay out of this region.

We rode along the dyke by the Waal River with the intent of crossing over the Rhine and on to Germany if necessary. Luckily, we asked for help just outside of Gendt - the mechanic told us to try a campground on the river called Waalstrand Camping. We pulled in and of course they were full - 65 of the walkers and their families had booked many spaces for the week. However, they quickly offered a solution and offered us a small spot between 2 caravans with a view of the River. We gratefully accepted.

What a find this campground is - meticulously run and cared for, a swimming pool, great facilities, a stunning location and wonderful, helpful hosts.

As an added bonus, our neighbors, John and Corrie took us under their wing and made us feel so welcome by inviting us over for coffee and treats. As well, they insisted that we use 2 of their chairs as well as a long power cord to charge our computer, cameras, etc. For us, the joy of travelling is meeting people like John and Corrie. It is interesting to hear about their lives in Holland and we value the feeling of friendship that has happened so quickly...a lovely couple.

We spent part of the evening out on the jetty watching the boats go by - this stretch of the Waal is a very busy waterway with container ships, barges with coal, etc. Days like this make travel so rewarding and interesting.

Our nature campground was surrounded by wheat fields and wild flowers.

To camp at these Nature campgrounds, you buy a membership for 14.95 and with that you get a book which lists all of the campgrounds around Holland. These campgrounds are run by volunteers and are special places...worth a visit.

Everything we needed - showers, dish/clothes washing, toilets

But you must bring your own toilet paper - a valuable commodity!

This area of Holland has many horse farms.

Another bike ferry to take us across the Rhine.

Trudie and William came up to us in Elst to ask about our tandem....and then we saw theirs: a handmade Dutch Koga Miyata which folds in half with a hinge in the middle of the frame - a beautiful bike.

Mary Ellen has been feeling underdressed on the bike - so many Dutch women wear nice dresses and street clothes. Trudie showed us underneath, she still wears bike shorts.

The man ahead is taking a bike to the repair shop.

In Holland we have seen many miniature ponies - this brown one was very young and unsure of us.

John and Corrie, our camping neighours at Waalstrand Camping. They did so much to make us feel welcome and as if we had known them a long time.

Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 281 km (175 miles)

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