Alphen Aan Den Rijn was a very nice place to stay last night, and as I (Patti) write this I am remembering the fabulous Mushroom Risotto I ate for dinner.
While we’ve been cycling we’ve been seeing lots of funghi on the sides of the road and, in fact, we rode past a gentleman foraging for mushrooms in a field in the middle of nowhere in Northumbria a couple of days ago. When we’re travelling we definitely try to “eat local” and I’m especially happy to “eat seasonal” when it comes to autumn foods. Here in Holland, it’s pumpkin season as well, and Dutch pumpkins are gorgeous! So orange. (Obvi.) In addition to the pumpkins in roadside stands, lots of people have roadside tables with signs for free “perens” (pears?)
Our breakfast this morning in Alphen Aan Den Rijn was a very Dutch – i.e. not British or Scottish – protein rich breakfast: Fruit. Slices of ham and cheese. Delicious bread. Boiled eggs. Coffee. And my favorite: sprinkles. Chocolate sprinkles. I could eat them by the handful.
The 53 km ride from AAdR to tonight’s stop – Gorinchem – was uneventful. We had clear skies, warm sunshine, minimum wind, lots of cows and sheep and goats, windmills, and zero hills. (You’ll see that from the ride profile.)
We rode along mile after mile of canals so it was flat, and again we marvelled at how well cyclists of all ages – 5 to 85! – are accommodated with cycling paths and great signage. Drivers are careful, and pedestrians know to stay out of the way! (Honestly, the Dutch cycling style is maybe a little aggressive for my tastes but it works.)
We stopped for a delicious sausage roll and some substantial coffee in Schoonhoven – a seriously pretty, canal-rich town literally dripping with flowers and twee shops. (Most of which were closed because…. Monday.)
We noticed two or three small groups of cycling tourists (Australians, Americans) stopping at the same cafe, and then we saw the same groups further along at the ferry-hop-skip-and-jump we arrived at a few minutes later.
It makes complete sense: that cycling path is extremely beautiful, and scenic villages are fairly close together. It was a relaxed hang in the sunshine, bikes waiting along the canal while we savoured a delicious sausage roll and espresso. (I had to resist buying a jar of addictive Stroopwafel Kaneel because I don’t have room in my pannier.) (Also, there was a small part of my anxiety-ridden heart that envisioned our bikes’ brakes failing and the bikes sailing into the canal and…. well, it’s not always easy to be an anxiety-ridden traveller with a good and dire imagination….)
We were blessed with a very warm day, brilliant sunshine, and our hotel here in Gorinchem is really funky, built on the ruins on a former building. We unloaded the bikes, showered, and set out to walk the town. Many restaurants are closed tonight – it’s a Monday night in a shoulder season, in fact, today is the last day of summer. We’ve made note of a ferry that’ll save us quite a few kilometres tomorrow. We happened on a model railroading store so we bought a souvenir set of three cyclists for John’s layout at home. (And had a delightfully nerdy conversation with the store’s owner. Details available upon request.)
A few steps further led us to an icecream store, so ….
Gorinchem is famous for some great organs in its churches, but we weren’t able to get into any of them so we consoled (get it?) ourselves with listening to the chimes from the churches on the hours.
I should mention the bicycles here. Obviously, there are great cycling networks. But the heavy duty bicycles – the ones you don’t even have to pedal – are being ridden by really young people – some as young as ten, I would say, no helmets, and no discretion. If you, as a pedestrian, were ever hit by one of those heavy machines at the speeds they’re being ridden, you would be toast.
Having said that, we had a really sweet encounter yesterday while we were riding alongside the Tyne River in Newcastle: a group of three 14?-year-olds inadvertently almost cut us off, stopped and gestured for us to play through, and then one of them noticed our flags and did the “yo, shout out to you, Canada!” It was completely endearing.
Walking further along, we happened on some Stolperstein. (“Ten-centimetre concrete cubes bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name the dates of victims of Nazi exterminations or persecution.”) Take a look at the ages of those victims. Heartbreaking.
We walked back to the hotel, downloaded photos, checked bike battery levels, and we’re about to head out for dinner.
Tomorrow we ride to Breda where we will meet up with our old pal from the seventies in Scarborough, Nicholas Bardach, for a happy reunion at a campsite where he’ll be in his newly kitted out van.
Sprinkles?? On your eggs
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