Day 1 Antwerpen - Roosendaal - Rotterdam - Noordwijk 162 km
I left Antwerp at 7:45 while the city was still asleep and headed to the orange light of the port that I intended to pass through. Unfortunately one of the bridge was up and I had to make a detour to reach Ekeren. I don't advise to go through the port, better to take the cycle path around the ring and directly reach Ekeren or Kappellen. From Kappelen follow the bike path along the train tracks, pay attention to the signs the cycle path crosses the train tracks several times. It is a nice path giving access to the woods of Kampen, plenty of cyclists.
In Roosendaal go to the city center, you'll see a post sign Rotterdam, just follow that direction and it will lead you to the bridge crossing the Haringvliet, an impressive bridge long and windy, beautiful view of the rivers. Unlike in Belgium where they wildly use the knoppunt system wich is more for a leisury use of cycling, in The Netherlands they have post sign with directions for bikes in red letters. The Dutch pragmatism and organisation has some advantage, you always know the shortest way from A to B. Sometimes they indicate alternative routes in green letters, always with an indication of the distance to the next point. The second advantage is the dutch use their bikes, whenever you are lost, Dutch locals will always know which route to follow with your bike and give you accurate distances or time travel.
I reached Rotterdam after a light lunch in Oude Gestel, I crossed Haringvliet and the Maas river through a tunnel. Rotterdam is a big city, 8 km from the sign Post Rotterdam to the city center, I passed 2 markets, on saturday mornings, traffic is crazy in the center, pay attention to the cars parking and opening their doors on the cycle path, the pedestrian and the other bikes. In the city center, the sign post will indicate the direction to go to, this time Zoetermeer.
No this isn't Dubai
It is Rotterdam and the Erasmus Bridge, beautifull Dutch Architecture.
Between Rotterdam and Zoetermeer it is quite densel and nothing After Zoetermeer though it is a typical Dutch countryside with flat fields, canals and windmillls, I took an alternative route towards Leiden through Vlietland and a Polderpark. Leiden is a city woth visiting where I lived 16 years ago I went through the shopping street towards the train station where I cycle the last 10 kilometers towards Noordwijk. I arrived at 17:15.
Day 2 Noordwijk - Amsterdam - Almere 82 km
From Noordwijk I went to Sassenheim then headed to Amsterdam along the Hoofdvaart canal, I passed Schipool Airport and had lunch at the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam.
Nice exemple of Dutch architecture
A plane is passing by
My bike surrounded by tourists
After touring Amsterdam I went to Muiden, a nice fisherman village with Skutje boats. then I passed the Hollandshe bridge to Almere.
Lots of headwind, I cycled along the polders to Emners then headed to Lage vuursche through a nice forest and to Utrecht. Pleasant ride in the woods despite the wind untill the suburbs of Utrech where I took the train home.
Through the forest
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