Amazon traffic jams & epic bike stores.

Stupidly early flight coupled with easyJet sending an email warning of delays meant an early morning / late night start. Squeezed in the car - a Jumbo bike box meant seats were as far forward as possible. Thankfully Liz was the hero on both counts getting up at stupid o'clock & driving. Rain on the way didn't bode well. Also a bit jittery about the sheer quantity of stuff crammed in the bike box - official guidance states nothing but a bike. Banked on the taped up box and queues discouraging investigation as has been the case previously & so it proved. Security negotiated relatively painlessly. Similar leg room on the flight to the car but at least I had an aisle seat. Struggled to stay awake though turbulence helped. My first experience of Brexit tourism didn't help my mood - look at what you could've won - EU passports sailing through the automatic booths and massive queues for the stupid.
Once done, Bike was there ready to be assembled. Minor panic when my pump exploded - nothing a bit of gaffer tape couldn't botch tho. By the time I'd assembled the bike the rain that followed me had passed. Just the small matter of cycling through the midst of an international hub served by numerous motorways. No worries - Holland has it sorted - 20m away from where I was sorting the bike was a superb bike lane that would proceed to guide me off road pretty much all the way to Delft. Even incorporated a lift to access a bridge. Couldn't do anything about the Amazon warehouse - took a while to get past the endless stream of Amazonia departing. Excited to see the first windmill but that quickly dissipated. Loads of windmills but no shops. Eventually found a supermarket at the halfway point in Leiden. Had lunch admiring a particularly historic windmill. For once this was in an urban setting rather than by one of the numerous canals. Pushed on and spits and spots gradually got worse & worse. With 6 miles to go the waterproof was called for. By the hotel all was damp to say the least. Checked in & was directed to the station bike car park. Never have I seen so many bikes - most of which were the Dutch tank like versions. Quick wash, explore Delft. Popped into the Jumbo supermarket - as in Jumbo Visma Cycling - living the high life.Read more