We shared the camping field by the canal with another couple who had cycled from their home in Groningen. Camping here was blissfully quiet and picturesque.
The only down-side is that the condensation is becoming heavier everyday. We can't remember a time when our tent is so drenched inside and out in the morning. It feels like the ground has taken so much water this summer/spring that anything that touches it is wet.
It was one of those days, that despite the sunshine and good riding, we were tired and lacked motivation. Music helped to get us going. Bringing our ipod loaded with music is one of Barry's good ideas.
We had a very nice ride today with vibrant interesting villages. This made us reflect on one of the reasons that France did not work for us this year. The region of northern France that we were travelling in has little of interest in the villages. Few young people live there and the businesses that defined village life have closed down...no bakeries, corner shops, butchers, etc. In contrast, the Netherlands offers so much to a travelling cyclist as each village has an infrastructure to cater to you and services that make your day interesting.
As we were riding in the countryside, we noticed some storks feeding on the grass. We counted at least 24 in one section. Soon they all soared together above us - it was quite a sight.
We saw a number of "Rust" stops and stopped at one. It was delightful....coffee, tea, fresh apple juice, cakes...whatever you like. And best of all, a toilet was available for us including toilet paper.
We haven't been in a good sized city in a while - we seem to be mostly in rural areas and villages, which we do prefer. However, in the Netherlands, the cycling routing is so well done, that it is never difficult to enter or navigate a city. There was a festival in full swing when we entered Kampen. The streets were lined with vendors, musicians and artists - crowds were huge - so we carried on and didn't explore apart from walking our bike through the crowds. Kampen did look interesting with well preserved old buildings and huge parks.
Riding in to Elburg, we could feel the history of this area which used to be the site of fishing villages along the open Zuiderzee before Ijsselmeer Dyke was completed in 1932. . The history of this ancient Hanseatic town is so evident in its narrow cobbled lanes, medieval walls and portals, old wooden boats in the harbour and 250 listed buildings. It is charming.
The Nature Camp is an oasis within the town with wonderful amenities in the clubhouse and spacious, verdant areas for campers.
A good camping spot for us, once again. The Netherlands continues to provide us with excellent camping. We are getting to the point however, where we are having trouble remembering where we are or the name of the town where we've been. For the life of me, I am having trouble remembering the name of the village nearby.
At one point we counted 25 storks soaring overhead. A few moments earlier they were in the field by the trail, and then they spontaneously as a group took off. It was quite a sight.
Who couldn't stop for these delightful faces? certainly we do. The one on the left was so curious and affectionate. We couldn't help the other one overcome his shyness, but he stayed close.
Trike velomobiles make good companions for Seavo. It isn't often that another bike dwarfs our tandem. Seavo actually looks quite compact in comparison.
