Another damp start greeted us, must be something to do with most of Holland being below sea level!
Drama strikes, I lost my cycle computer. We spend ages looking for it, but it has gone. A loss already and its only day 5!
Slightly later than planned because of all the searching we head for the Dutch/German border. We bypass the Large town of Tiel and follow the northern bank of the river Waal through several villages all the way to Nijmegen. With tired legs we head into the city of Nijmegen with the plan once again to find a useful map. Nijmegen is Holland's oldest city and the whole surrounding area was the scene of fierce fighting towards the end of World War II, as the allies pressed onwards to Germany.
With not much luck from the tourist office, we eventually bought a road map of the upper Rhein from the ANWB (much more useful tourist office and map shop than the VVV).
With thanks to a helpful local who led us out of the city centre and pointed us in the right direction, we carried on through university campus land and by now quite hilly forestry tracks towards Groesbeek.
The detours into city centres have cost us a huge amount of time, we have been finding that 4hrs of riding is taking nearer 7hrs with the stops. The idea of 100kms a day is at the moment looking unlikely. It has to be said that the sticking to cycle paths has occasionally taken us on quite a meandering route.
Deciding that we would stop inside Holland and then cross into Germany tomorrow, we located a camp-site on our map and went to check it out. If you find yourself in Grafwegen, don't bother with the camp-site. A hasty made up price of 20 Euros, by an unfriendly owner was more than we were willing to pay. Unfortunately the alternative was up a very steep hill, which is not what you need with a very tired Debbie at the end of a long day (plus Toad is still refusing to pedal!).
At the other camp-site (on Klein Amerika for those interested.) we were met by a very friendly farmer who had no idea of the price (possibly 8,9 or 10 Euros) and said he would send his wife round later., but pitch where you like in the mean time.
His wife was equally helpful, although we stared to worry that we would be asleep before she came round. 10 Euros later, we settled into the tent for the night.
With hindsight pitching on a slope wasn't the best idea, that and the huge thunderstorms above our heads, didn't make for an exactly restful night.
Good news! My cycle computer turned up, it was in my sleeping bag?!
glad you found your cycle computer. My Brother had a similar panic the other week when he lost his cycle light that he uses for night bike riding, that turned up rolled up in the tent after our last camping expedition!!!
ReplyDeleteKaren x x x