The Netherlands by Bike

This post is mis-named as I will be staying in Leens, South of Lauwersoog. Today is a transfer day where I leave the LF9 and go the the start of the LF14 at Lauwersoog; actually near the start as I stop in Leens.  The day starts with a flat tyre which must have happened towards the end of yesterday. As the sun is shining I repair the inner tube before refitting it. It doesn't take long and provides the opportunity to clean and lubricate the chain while the glue is setting and check brake pads eith the wheel out. The pads now look worryingly worn despite being checked before the tour as things always appear more critical when touring. A bollard is ideal for applying a patch. Blue skies. Despite using a Komoot generated route the cycling is as good as it has been over the last six days in the Netherlands. More windmills. This is a swing bridge which rotates 90 degrees on the horizontal plane to create an opening; we have them in the UK....

This morning as I was cleaning my teeth I realise that my standard "index" image for my index page was too universal if I was to keep on using it so I asked ChatGPT to create a more suitable one. I was pleased with the result. As the Netherlands is a watery country I often hear a comical frog chorus in the morning and that was especially true this morning.  The first photo I post automatically gets picked up and used as the cover shot for the post so I try and vary them. A scan of posts should then offer a representative sample and not be simply windmills. So let's start with scenery today.  I noted earlier in the tour that the Netherlands has imported the Dartmoor pony. You might get able to see in the two photos above that some cycleways are constructed from concrete slabs. These are laid to provide a smooth surface and if an 8mm lip is created due to tree roots someone will grind down the concrete so it is smooth. The cycling is a joy.  There ar...

Today, with a day off in Arnhem, I publish the apple pie research I promised in the first week. It is Day 17 with 16 of those spent in the Netherlands so it's true that anyone conducting a peer review might suggest my sampling is too narrow. I will attempt a bottom up approach to my findings though the variation in pie construction means this can never be strictly adhered to. Here goes. Before I get inundated with concerns about naming (pie or tart) I am using apple pie as my name here though yes, in Dutch it is  appeltaart . Samples were randomly bought from cafés chosen for their bike parking and their location being 20 miles into that day's ride. The geographical area covered was to the north of Arnhem which means the north of the country. Cafés, brasseries and bars were all used though high class establishments and patisseries without coffee and seating were omitted.  The foundation or substrate is the pastry base and the integrated pastry side. I will address ...

Today starts with a scientific experiment. I rode 5 miles into a headwind and noted my average speed. I then turned around and rode 5 miles with a tailwind back to where I started, again noting my average speed. With a 15mph wind the difference on my average speed in each direction was 6mph.  Today I blindly followed my satnav and did an extra 10 miles.  Which of the two statements above is more likely to be correct? In any event it provided me with a 100km day. Before I started my science experiment I rode through Appelscha old town to get pictures with blue skies though a stubborn single cloud wasn't playing my game. I pause ready to do my extra 10 miles. When the barrier dropped I was off and nothing, not even common sense, was going to stop me. My extra 10 miles provided a clear view of the flat expanse that is part of the Netherlands. Back on track it was a different story with winding back lanes and even windier paths throu...

The football World Cup is about to start and I am looking out for  Oranjegekte . Oranjegekte - or Orange Craze - is a really big thing in the Netherlands where the entire country turns bright orange to celebrate major sporting events and events related to the royal family. I have already seen glimpses of orange bunting and expect that to grow by the day. My first task this morning is an anxious peer through the window of the Chinese Take Away where my bike spent the night. I left it there to be secure but then omitted to lock it so I was worried that the last customer might ride off on it. Breakfast at the local bakery consists of a coffee and two excellent croissant. The bakery reminds me of a typical French bakery and the croissants were good. Well, time to see if I can extract my bike from the Take Away.  When I do get going I need to divert as the route changes as follows with the numbers being nodes: " LF9 south-north At junction 67 at the foot of the Nijkerkerbrug, foll...