Antwerp - Almere 180 km
It has been my longest time on a bike so far and my shoulder is soar. After just one kilometer at the end of my street I fell. I didn't feel any pain then but after 50 km the shoulder started to hurt, not too bad though and I decided to go to my final destination Almere 180 km, 11hours on the bike. 2 river crossing and some beautiful road to cycle.
The first part between Antwerp and Breda wasn't too bad but for practical reasons I took the N1. Breda was celebrating the carnival like all the catholic areas of Holland and until Gorinchem (pronounce Gorkem if you ask your way) I could see funny people and confettis in all the villages. It was fun to see these colorful persons everywhere.
There is one ferry to cross the river to Gorinchem, 1 euro 50 wich save you from cycling on the busy bridge a few kilometers down the road. Gorinchem is a nice fortified city, I will probably come back in this area to know more about this city at the historical Catholic Protestant border. The guy at the tourism office told me that it was one of the only city were Carnival was celebrated on the protestant side.
North of Gorinchem to Utrecht, i found the Dutch country side quite nice and cycled along a few canals until Utrecht, very relaxing with the wind in the back and the little sun coming out.
After crossing Utrecht I took the wood road from de Bilt untill Hillversum through a place called Lage Vursche, I was looking for the shortest road to Hillversum when a nice guy offered to cycle with me for 20 kilometers. Most of the people on bike or on foot are quite helpful in Holland, you just have to chat a little bit and you'll find out that it is easy to meet nice people. Sometimes you just have to open a map to attract interest. A little trick wich attract sympathy is my yellow Jersey that I wear for security, I write some of the major destination I have been to for the last 6 months, Amsterdam, Bordeaux, London, sometimes I wonder if I should write down the kilos I've lost in this 6 months.
After Hilversum the last 30 kilometers were difficult, I arrived at night fall but happy.
The day after, no bike, I visited Almere, an interesting city if you are interested in Architecture. There is a place called Casla were the staff is incredibly nice, they explained me the developpement on the city, present and futur projects. The visionary vision of developpement of a city and the experimentations of developpement are right now suffering from societal changes due to the online business. All the businesses are going through changes that transform the city of Almere, for instance a big project of shops and appartements won't happen any more, despite the fact that it was planned many years ago, the concept of having retail stores to attract people in the city is sufuring from the online retail and expensive parking spaces in the city.
Ferry crossing to Gorinchem
Almere - Alphen aan de Rijn 78 km
After cycling through Hilversum, I went through the polders around Mijdrecht. At one point after cycling below water level for kilometers I reached the river Kromme Mijdrecht, the highest point around, very nice ride. I went to De Hoef where I stopped at the Make your own cheese shop in De Hoef, all you need to make your own Gouda is here.
After De Hoef I followed the Aarkanaal until Alphen but there is also a very busy road so I would advise to find an other route perhaps.
Alphen aan de Rijn is one of these modern dutch city surrounded by polders and crossed by the Oud Rijn. Not my favorite city.
Alphen aan De Rijn - Antwerpen 125 km
After Alphen I followed the Oud Rijn untill Gouda then Rotterdam and the cycle path from Essen until Antwerpen. Very urbanised ride, passing Rotterdam and it's suburb on the east and South not my favorite route.
However Gouda is a city worth cycling through, when reaching the city from the North don't follow the signs indicating Rotterdam, it is a long route around Gouda, just cycle through Gouda and enjoy a nice coffee in front of a canal the follow the river Hollansche Ijssel until the Nieuwe Rijn. You cycle on top of an other polder wich was devastated by a flooding in 1953, a fantastic sight wich give you an idea of amplitude of the devastation. This area can also look murky sometimes with all the Quick sand sign along the road.
Then I reached Rotterdam and arrived in Antwerp through the FietsStrade between Essen and Antwerp.
Some quick sand signs around The Ijssel area.
This river broke here during the 1953 flooding
Antwerp - Brussels 50 km
Usual ride along the N1 then Rumst along the canal. After Mechelen towards Perk then right after the airport you'll find some nice cycle path going to Brussels.
Brussels - Dinant 95 km
The ride starts in the forêt de Soignies towards Genval through the woods. Then I followed the road towards Ottignies and went through a few hilly ways towards Mont St Guibert then Gembloux. Small roads, not many cars, no cyclists either.
From Gembloux I quickly reached Namur on a busy road. Namur is a city worth visiting, the shopping street was extremely crowded.
I then cycled along the canal on the right side of the river Meuse in the direction of Dinant. Nice and pleasant ride that I recommand, lots of bikers, I then reached the small village of Lustin.
Final leg of my journey along the Meuse river, unfortunately the Ravel is under repair so I couldn't bike on the cycle path for the last 25 km
Nice ride along the Meuse, though could be busy during the week, lots of heavy industries along the river, mostly cement, stones and sand extraction in the cliffs bordering the river, on a Sunday everything was shut so I didn't see any trucks, my guess is that it can be a problem during week days.
I passed Dave on a sunny morning ; )
