Knooppunt zero

Yesterday rode out to Marken, northeast of Amsterdam along the lake created when the ZuiderZee was dammed and the land reclaimed, creating polders: flat, below sea level meadows.

Got caught by the showers in the distance -- first time riding in rain since Skye.

"Knooppunt" means junction, and for biking it identifies locations on the Dutch bicycle path system where different routes intersect. To find your way you just need to write down the sequence of KP numbers you need to follow, assuming you have the bike map showing routes. For the most part the paths are marked, but not always clearly, missing signs or with obscurely placed ones. True to form I manage to get lost in Dutch cities as readily as in English ones.

But today I was able to navigate to Schiphol airport to box up my bike in one of the boxes they sell there and leave in storage overnight until tomorrow's flight.

And so this knooppunt marks the final entry, the terminus for this blog.

Cycling Dutch

I expected to be impressed by the Dutch approach to bicycling, but the experience has been overwhelming. Everyone cycles, and, it appears to my overly cautious eye, they all are so nonchalant about it. The madcap flow of bikes in Amsterdam requires constant vigilance if you are an unwary tourist, on foot or on bike. But even when sharing the roads with cars the Dutch go right ahead as if they own the road, which effectively they do, since if a collision with a car occurs the motorist is automatically at fault. And many cyclists seem to be focusing more on their cell phones than their surroundings, at speed; sheer mayhem when you throw in all the motorbikes zipping along in the same lane.
Madness, but it works, because the Dutch have built the infrastructure to make it all so reasonable and apparently safe, given how many kids I see on their own bikes or the younger ones riding in all sorts of carriers on the parent's bikes. Nirvana.

Shelves with bike ("fietsen") maps and guides.

Signs for bike paths; the numbers refer to junctions where the next sign post will be.

Bike lanes on rural road, squeezing the car lane.

A bike storage "breadbox" design

Barges for bike parking in Amsterdam

Multilevel overflow parking outside train station's underground garage for bikes

Bike shop featuring kid trikes 

And another colorful display

Arnhem and Nijmegen

Eastern Netherlands actually has some small hills, and important bridges -- as in World War II and a bridge too far. Several museums commemorate this mess of a battle, the overly ambitious 1944 attempt to seize river crossings and swing north around the Siegfried line into Germany and possibly end the war quickly. Instead, the Arnhem Rhine bridge proved too far, the Allies were stopped with great casualties, and Dutch civilians suffered another 8 months of occupation and the "hunger winter" -- their punishment for welcoming this potential liberation.

On a happier note Nijmegen has the Velorama National Bicycle museum with an amazing collection of antique bicycles, tricycles, quadcycles, and even 19th century rollerblades. Astounding design and material variations, with evolving emphasis on cushioning the ride  -- earliest bikes were called boneshakers after all. 

Ladies Bentwood model from 1897.

3 person quad, 1890's.

North of Arnhem is a large national park of forest, barren heath and even sand dunes, with bike and walking paths. This being the Netherlands, the park has 1700 bicycles available to use for free.

In the middle of this strange landscape is the Kroller-Muller art museum featuring a large collection of modern European art, particularly Van Gogh, and a large outdoor sculpture garden. 

Haarlem

Haarlem has a great brewpub in a former church, the Jopenkerk.

Ok, Haarlem also has more than beer: the Frans Hals museum, housed in the former almshouse Hals lived in during his destitute last years.

And the gothic Grote Kerk, with a spectacular organ instead of beer fermenters.

And a funky print shop.

Delft

Favorite town so far. Tower of the old church is truly leaning, but stable. Noticed a few bikes decaying in the shallow canals; the green is not scum but rather cress-like plants eaten by the ducks.

View from "new" church tower, 376 steps.

Zeeland, Netherlands southwest coast

Flood control barriers, end point of a stage in the Tour de France in 2015.

Spanish frigate and swans.

Dutch snapshots

This is such a lovely, friendly, wonderful, fun, flat country, and even the weather is cooperating. Now down on the southwest coast after 5 amazing days in Amsterdam. Too much to say about it all, and only my first week.

Princess Seaway

This is last night's last view of England.
Right now I'm drinking early morning tea watching the sun rise through a rain squall, still several hours from Amsterdam.
Yesterday took the train from Haydon Bridge to Newcastle, meeting Clive with his folding Brompton bike. He's a broadcast engineer, but used to do some
tour work with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Chrissie Hynde, some stories there. But he had trouble with his electronic ticket and some laughs with the conductor about it.

Clive recommended the Hub bicycle cafe on the Newcastle quayside, so I stopped on my way the 10 miles to the ferry port out the river Tyne.

My cabin aboard this huge ship, slept well, quiet passage.

I might be putting this bicycle blog on hold for a bit as I shift into a more touristy/pedestrian mode in Amsterdam.
Ta ta for now.

Haydon Bridge, Northumberland

Yesterday rode the 66 miles from Dumfries to here, flat until the afternoon when I got near Hadrians Wall, then 14% grade wake up call. Went to Vindolanda, excavated fort and village where discoveries are still being unearthed. Or should say unmucked -- wet clay anaerobically preserved fabric and wood fragments, as well as bones, pottery, metals, etc. Impressive display of shoes and even a child's sock, from 1,800 years ago. Most important are the small "tablets" -- thin pieces of wood with Latin writing in ink, including military reports, personal letters, and even a birthday party invitation.

Bath at Vindolanda

Today I did more of the wall, on

 the road paralleling it. Housesteads is the largest and best preserved fort, high on a hill, great views. Perfect day to visit, cool and sunny.

View of gate with the wall running to the east.

Tomorrow to Newcastle and the ferry to Amsterdam. Finishing off my last real ale, a Black Sheep best bitter. Sweet.

Dumfries, Scotland

Yesterday's train ride was memorably scenic: steep valleys, austere peaks, barren and remote, not even many sheep. Did see an antlered deer as the train rolled through this desolate area.

Glenfinnan viaduct was a marvel.
And it was fun to talk with my seatmates Dave and his mother Tracy, returning to the Lake District from hiking and camping on the small islands off Skye.

The train was delayed due to a problem with the swinging bridge over the canal near Fort William, which meant I missed the connection in Glasgow I'd hoped to make, had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the next train to Dumfries, ended up riding at dusk to my B&B outside of town. The friendly "land laddie" host, Ewan Maxwell, has been a finalist for landlady of the year. A very thick accent adds to his charm.

Today I rode a 46 mile loop to Castle Douglas and back on farm roads and bikepaths, warm murky day, buggy, more cows then sheep on rolling pastures. Tomorrow Hadrian's wall.