Day 22

 In the morning Paul and I rode our bikes to the local train station to catch a ride to Amsterdam.  Our plan. was to visit the Rijksmuseum an walk around town a bit.  The public transportation system here is fantastic.

This is bicycle parking at the train station in the small town of Limmen.  There had to be 500 - 600 bikes there.

The Rijksmuseum.  Dedicated to Dutch art and history.

The Little Street - Vermeer

The Milkmaid - by Vermeer

Syndics of the Drapers' Guild - Rembrandt

We saw many famous works of art by Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and others.  Van Gogh had his works in a separate museum.  

This is a doll house made for the wife of a local merchant in the 1600's.  It cost as much as a full size house in the nicest sections of Amsterdam!!  Remarkable detail and materials.

The museum library of art history and restoration.

Model ship room.

It was interesting to learn about this golden age in Dutch history.  During the 1600's the Netherlands was the richest countries on earth - due to their shipping and trade.  I found this truly remarkable for a nation that is smaller in land mass than West Virginia. 

Day 21 Limmen

 39 miles to my friend Paul's house.

The day started off chilly and foggy but not raining.  Woo hoo!.  I cycled 22 miles and met my friend Paul at a local cafe in Schoorldam.  Brian and I met Paul and his wife Mieke while cycling along the Danube river trail a few years ago and we have kept in touch since then.  We had some pastry and coffee and then set out to his house 17 miles from there.  We had light rain along the way but nothing like yesterday.

Cycling along a dike early in the morning.  Beautiful blue skies.

Chasing rainbows again.

Paul was nice enough to meet me along the trail and point things out as we rode to his house.  I will stay with Paul and Mieke for the next 2 nights before moving on to Amsterdam.  It was nice to see a familiar face again.

Day 20 Breezand

 53 miles to my host in Breezand.

What a day.  I got my bike from the local bicycle garage and loaded it up a the hostel.  The morning was dry so far.  However, I didn't make it out of the courtyard of the hostel before the rain came and I had to stop and put on all my rain gear.  It turned out to be the worst weather conditions I have ever ridden in.  Band after band of strong wind and rain coming off the North Sea.  I had actually planned extra miles for the day because I thought I would be at my host's home by 2pm.  But I didn't arrive until 5:30pm.

Typical Dutch breakfast of meats and cheese.  Also above you see toast with butter and sprinkles!!

Free, secure bicycle parking.

When you park your bike they put a barcode sticker on it and give you the same code on a plastic chip.  When you retrieve the bike they will not let you leave with it unless you show them the correct barcode.

In the middle of the day, in an effort to get out of the rain, I stopped in the town of Franeker and visited a Planetarium designed and built by Eise Eisinga in 1774.  It is a remarkable mathematical and engineering accomplishment, especially for that time.

My lovely, wonderful hosts for the evening, Sonny and Janneke.  I was absolutely a drowned rat when I showed up at their door and they provided the nicest accommodations.  This young couple has already some remarkable travel adventures.  It was a wonderful ending to a horrible day. 

Day 19 Leeuwarden

 Only 17 miles to Leeuwarden. 

I had planned to do some sightseeing today but the forecast put a squash on that.  So I made a bee line to Leeuwarden where I planned on camping out at the library until my host for the evening came home.  And yes it rained and was quite windy - especially when crossing those large, flat farm areas with nothing to block the wind.  Thank goodness for low gears on these touring bikes.

Below is a picture of the entrance gate to what was once a very large prison.  Now the prison has been renovated and if you go in and turn to the left - there is the library.

Inside the library they kept many of the original cells and made them into office spaces and conference rooms.

If you turned to the right when you entered the courtyard, that part of the prison has been converted to small shops selling all kinds of merchandise.  If you go straight through the courtyard you get to my Hostel for the evening (yes, my warmshowers host texted me and said he wouldn't be available tonight).

I thought it was a very novel but great use of space.

One thing Leeuwarden is known for is it's leaning tower called Oldehove.  Construction began in 1529 and the building began to sink immediately.  They tried to compensate by continuing to build perpendicular to the ground and so the building is both leaning and curved.  Construction was abandoned in 1533 and the building was never finished.  But it still stands today, 489 years later.

Here at the base you can see one side sunk into the ground.

Here is a screenshot of the next 9 days of weather.  I am thinking of stopping the trip in Amsterdam and not continuing on to Belgium.  The weather is just too nasty.  Hopefully Sue and I can come back and finish The Netherlands and Belgium by car in the Spring or Summer.

 

Day 18 Dokkum

 39 miles to Dokkum

The morning started out overcast but dry.  I noticed this rainbow in the distance and thought it might be the sign of a good day.

Unfortunately, rainbows usually come along with rain and I was heading in that direction.  At the beginning of this trip, back in Prague, I bought a can of sunscreen.  So far I've used it once!

Below are 2 pictures that represent what I've seen in so many small towns in The Netherlands - as far as housing goes.  Small, square, simple brick structures.

Below is a picture of cows grazing on a polder.  A polder is land that was reclaimed from the sea.  From what I'm told, once the water is drained and the mud dries, the soil is not good for growing much of anything but grass.  The soil in these polders is a slate gray color as opposed to the regular brown earth.  Apparently there are certain minerals in that gray soil that are good for grass - then the cows eat the grass - and then The Netherlands gets famous for making cheese.

I eventually got to the small city (one of the residents corrected me when I called it a town) of Dokkum and it was thoroughly charming.  Many restaurants, cafes, and shops lining the canals.  Just beautiful.

Later I rode a few kilometers out of town to get to my host's home.  Tonight I stayed with Siewart and his family.  He has ridden a motorcycle in the Himalaya mountains in India and also in New Zealand.  It was fun listening to his stories.

Siewart and his wife Tanya.

 

Day 17 Groningen

 40 miles to Groningen

Today I cycled to Emden to catch the ferry to Delfzijl, Netherlands.  The focus of this trip has been The Netherlands.  First to see a friend that I cycled with along the Danube a few years ago.  And second because I want to see this bicycle crazy culture.

The day started out overcast and misty, but mild in temperature.

This is the boat that took me to The Netherlands.

Goodbye Germany.

Beautiful bike lanes, protected from traffic.

If you look you can see the bike lanes, on the right, are about as big as the two lanes for car traffic, on the left.  The bike lanes also had their own barrier bars to prevent you from crossing when a train is coming.

Flag of The Netherlands.  And, yes, the wind was blowing pretty strong.

Now in Groningen

Bikes parked everywhere.

This is Martinikerk.  Named for St. Martin of Tours.  The church is now used for conferences and other events - which I was about to find out.  The church is 13th century and the organ dates to 1450.  Much of the art on the walls and the ceiling have been preserved - much of it from the 16th century.

With that history I was surprised to go inside and find hundreds of people involved in a gaming competition!!!

Beautiful preserved artwork.

This is the entrance to the University of Groningen.  One of the most historic and prestigious universities in the country.  Has about 30,000 students.  Tuition for EU students - 2060 Euros - A YEAR!!!!!