Almere-Zoetermeer
Door: Cassie
23 Februari 2011 | Nederland, Zoetermeer
Almere-Zoetermeer
The day started great, with the greatest breakfast. Mini-doughnuts, mini chocolate muffins, patisserie, croissants, all kinds of freshly baked bread. peanut butter, sprinkles, salmon, egg, pancakes, juices, coffees, grains, fruits and yoghurt, everything. We energised. We rested. And then we checked out. The day before, I received a phone call it would get even colder then Monday, so we were prepared. We went to the supermarket for good food and the we grabbed our bikes again at 11:30. Ron prepared to do the route of the touristic scenes today. Fine, cause actually the weather was really nice. There was a lot of sun and the wind was a lot less. Therefore it felt less cold as well. We went very very fast actually. The touristic scenes weren’t very much of a success though, and then I really wanted to just go back the same road, since I already thought of it as pretty touristic!
Ron needed a lot of breaks today. So we got to enjoy the weather more. We sat on a couch seeing a water-bird catching a fish almost as big as itself and swallowing it in 1 piece. Anyway. At a certain point we came at a spot where there was a ferry for self-service. A lot of turning brought the boat to us. We went to the other side of the water and cycled on on the other side of it. But as it turned out, the road wasn’t in the same direction as the road on the other side of the water. So we had to go back, as well by the manual-ferry. We baptised her S.S. Useless. A Jackrabbit took the effort to show us the way for a while, it kept running in front of us for a kilometre or so. And further on the trip went pretty well, knowing parts of the way back by heart. Up until a certain point.
In Weesp we did a useless D-Tour, only showing us ugly architecture. It took AGES before we found Ter Aar. When we were finally in Ter Aar I was certain we had to go straight, but Ron saw a sign telling us to go right for Alphen, which was only 4 Km. Anyway, we went straight, cause we had been there yesterday as well. It was a long road. Somewhere I had the feeling we had to cross over the road. But Ron thought we had to go straight. Then we came at a point we recognized from yesterday. This made us fully convinced we were on the right road! But after cycling a while again we passed a house with the inscriptions ‘Ter Aar’ on it. I asked Ron why the inscriptions were saying this. And cycling on a little further, a sign showed us we were in Ter Aar again, at the very same roundabout where we decided to go straight! Crap! A Huge D-Tour. So then we went to the right. Not understanding how we have recognized so many spots on that road. When we finally were in Alphen, we saw the place where I had the feeling we had to go right. This meant we made kind of a second D-tour. I just seriously do not get anything of this part of infrastructure! Dear... But we were in Alphen, Finally! Only one hour to go! We had to go to the toilet very badly though, and so we went to a hospital for this first. I was already cycling on a little when I heard Ron calling my name from behind. With some insecurity in his voice he tried to make clear he had a FLAT-Fricking-TYRE! Please, not now! But, Ron bought a pump and so he pumped. But the pump, bought at 'Action' did not quite work. What to do, what to do. So we decided to borrow a pump from a parked bike, it didn’t work on Ron’s bike either. Then we went to the gasstation. They did not had a pump over there. So we rang a bell at a house. And Fortunately we could borrow a very delicate pump from them. We were happy as normal and a little bit more that we now could go on and finish our CYCLING-trip, not having to end it with a phone call saying ‘could you please pick us up’, or hitchhiking. But after some minutes, the tyre was flat again. And since it was already dark, the idea of fixing the tyre wasn’t altogether great either. So Ron rang a bell again, and borrowed a pump again. Then in the middle of nowhere, Fortunately there was a farm with burning lights inside, and Ron rang and borrowed again. Then, after passing Hazerswoude, the tyre was too flat to cycle on. What to do! Then we came up with the brilliant idea of me sitting on the back of the bike, dragging Ron’s bike along and Ron cycling. To hold the spirit up high I sang some songs for Ron. And then, guys, Zoetermeer came in sight. Quite soon, round 20:00, we arrived in Oosterheem. Our adventure was done.
It was great.
Things I learned :
Dutch Infrastructure deserves prices!
Whiskey saved my toes!
I will never ever live in Ter Aar!
Just cycling in the pretty nature the Netherlands surprisingly still has to offer,(even quite near) can make you feel so free. It’s heavy, but still you can find yourself lucky. It frees your mind and it makes you wonder how you never came to solutions which now just jump into your mind any moment. It makes you wonder how you could ever think so hard on a solution before.
The day started great, with the greatest breakfast. Mini-doughnuts, mini chocolate muffins, patisserie, croissants, all kinds of freshly baked bread. peanut butter, sprinkles, salmon, egg, pancakes, juices, coffees, grains, fruits and yoghurt, everything. We energised. We rested. And then we checked out. The day before, I received a phone call it would get even colder then Monday, so we were prepared. We went to the supermarket for good food and the we grabbed our bikes again at 11:30. Ron prepared to do the route of the touristic scenes today. Fine, cause actually the weather was really nice. There was a lot of sun and the wind was a lot less. Therefore it felt less cold as well. We went very very fast actually. The touristic scenes weren’t very much of a success though, and then I really wanted to just go back the same road, since I already thought of it as pretty touristic!
Ron needed a lot of breaks today. So we got to enjoy the weather more. We sat on a couch seeing a water-bird catching a fish almost as big as itself and swallowing it in 1 piece. Anyway. At a certain point we came at a spot where there was a ferry for self-service. A lot of turning brought the boat to us. We went to the other side of the water and cycled on on the other side of it. But as it turned out, the road wasn’t in the same direction as the road on the other side of the water. So we had to go back, as well by the manual-ferry. We baptised her S.S. Useless. A Jackrabbit took the effort to show us the way for a while, it kept running in front of us for a kilometre or so. And further on the trip went pretty well, knowing parts of the way back by heart. Up until a certain point.
In Weesp we did a useless D-Tour, only showing us ugly architecture. It took AGES before we found Ter Aar. When we were finally in Ter Aar I was certain we had to go straight, but Ron saw a sign telling us to go right for Alphen, which was only 4 Km. Anyway, we went straight, cause we had been there yesterday as well. It was a long road. Somewhere I had the feeling we had to cross over the road. But Ron thought we had to go straight. Then we came at a point we recognized from yesterday. This made us fully convinced we were on the right road! But after cycling a while again we passed a house with the inscriptions ‘Ter Aar’ on it. I asked Ron why the inscriptions were saying this. And cycling on a little further, a sign showed us we were in Ter Aar again, at the very same roundabout where we decided to go straight! Crap! A Huge D-Tour. So then we went to the right. Not understanding how we have recognized so many spots on that road. When we finally were in Alphen, we saw the place where I had the feeling we had to go right. This meant we made kind of a second D-tour. I just seriously do not get anything of this part of infrastructure! Dear... But we were in Alphen, Finally! Only one hour to go! We had to go to the toilet very badly though, and so we went to a hospital for this first. I was already cycling on a little when I heard Ron calling my name from behind. With some insecurity in his voice he tried to make clear he had a FLAT-Fricking-TYRE! Please, not now! But, Ron bought a pump and so he pumped. But the pump, bought at 'Action' did not quite work. What to do, what to do. So we decided to borrow a pump from a parked bike, it didn’t work on Ron’s bike either. Then we went to the gasstation. They did not had a pump over there. So we rang a bell at a house. And Fortunately we could borrow a very delicate pump from them. We were happy as normal and a little bit more that we now could go on and finish our CYCLING-trip, not having to end it with a phone call saying ‘could you please pick us up’, or hitchhiking. But after some minutes, the tyre was flat again. And since it was already dark, the idea of fixing the tyre wasn’t altogether great either. So Ron rang a bell again, and borrowed a pump again. Then in the middle of nowhere, Fortunately there was a farm with burning lights inside, and Ron rang and borrowed again. Then, after passing Hazerswoude, the tyre was too flat to cycle on. What to do! Then we came up with the brilliant idea of me sitting on the back of the bike, dragging Ron’s bike along and Ron cycling. To hold the spirit up high I sang some songs for Ron. And then, guys, Zoetermeer came in sight. Quite soon, round 20:00, we arrived in Oosterheem. Our adventure was done.
It was great.
Things I learned :
Dutch Infrastructure deserves prices!
Whiskey saved my toes!
I will never ever live in Ter Aar!
Just cycling in the pretty nature the Netherlands surprisingly still has to offer,(even quite near) can make you feel so free. It’s heavy, but still you can find yourself lucky. It frees your mind and it makes you wonder how you never came to solutions which now just jump into your mind any moment. It makes you wonder how you could ever think so hard on a solution before.
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
