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To Amsterdam and beyond
  • AliceAlain
May – Jun 2023

To Amsterdam and beyond

A 48-day adventure by AliceAlain Read more
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  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Live enhanced sculpture
    There are sad remnants of the war in many placesNot my photo but showing the saltlandsDuckling creche. Looking out to the isles.Ferry for cyclists (and island supplies)Island shoreLoads and loads of spoonbills1DunesGreat campsiteWater waysMudflats at low tide

    Waddensee and Schiermonnikoog

    June 5, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Schiermonnikoog means grey monks isle and is a small island/national park/ nature reserve off the North Dutch coast. The Wadden sea stretches from North Holland across Germany and to Denmark (so I have a way to go) and is a protected marine environment. It includes a string of low lying islands along the coast,of which Schiermonnikoog is one, separated from the mainland (thus far) by mudflats. I am resting on the island and have quietly fallen in love with it. Its gentle and soothing rather than dramatic but its such a nice place to stop for a little while. There are mudflats and huge sandy beaches, waves and birds, cycle trails and almost no cars. I could be tempted to stay longer.
    The waddensee dyke runs alongside the mainland protecting the land from the sea. The sheep graze on the dyke and the seaward side feels like the sea (unlike the sea dykes earlier in my voyage).    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    60 metre high turbine (not including blade) with sheep for scale
    Ems estuaryLooking to GermanyFinally the bridgeLeerCycle path on railway bridge (best not to use when there is a train)Ps emergency hug delivery from home!!

    Demoralized in Germany

    June 9, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    At the moment I am a bit demoralized.. The highlights are on the thin side so its a lot of not much excitement pedalling alongside modestly busy roads or through relatively uninspiring flat green or lightly industrialised areas. With the odd exception, I am still into a headwind (as for the last 3 weeks). As its still pancake flat it means I never get to freewheel.
    My entry into Germany was a bit marred as both ferry crossings of the Ems river are out of service. I headed south inland to find a good old fashioned bridge. But as I was not too impressed at the industrialized shores I decided to then cut across inland. One can saturate on a coastal dyke. It at least made for a slight change of scene. I was feeling a bit under ressourced and needed to stock up on maps and information having only brought stuff for the trip as far as Amsterdam. I am still learning how to travel with less paper (not yet mastered).

    Hopefully by the time I find wifi and you read this I will have perked up    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Sunset on the sea side of the Dyke
    Warm showers in NetherlandsOrchard campingWarm showers in GermanyDog!The sluice

    Warm showers under the Dyke.

    June 9, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I have been trying out another reciprocal cyclist accommodation scheme. I spent my last night in the Netherlands with a charming and generous retired organic farmer couple, camping in their orchard and dining with them. Last night I camped just next to the coast route with absolutely delightful hosts including an incredibly friendly dog. They live just under the sea dyke in the old dyke keepers house. Its below sea level. You have to climb the dyke to get to see the sea/mudflats and salt marshes. Just next to it are the sluice gates (keeping sea out and allowing river water out) and the pumping station for when that is not enough. Its really very touching to receive such kindnesses not to mention trust. And its very nice to meet locals. But I also find it strangely quite hard. Feeling indebted and trying not to be in the way and to be on best behavior.Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Transporter bridge
    Ferry to BremerhavenBremerhaven U boatBad bederkesa burg (has moat)A dolmen!Elegant church

    (Very) Small hill found!

    June 11, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Yesterday afternoon I visited the museum of Emigration in Bremerhaven (highly recommended by the guide book). 7 million Europeans passed through this port on their way to US, South America and Australia. It was a thought provoking and well designed museum.
    Today I found a small hill (yeah!), quite a bit of off-road, a dolmen (on the hill), a « burg » and I used a transporter bridge.    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Bridges should be horizontal!
    Bike tunnel with lift to go under the canalAnother transporter bridge (also the railway bridge)Nord Ostsee canalNot all rural....Separate church belfrySee, its not flat

    Diversions

    June 13, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Yet more road/bridge/ferry closures. Yesterday morning I had an additional 10 mile circuit to circle back to 100 metres away on the other side of the canal in order to reach the ferry to cross the estuary - the canal bridge was vertical for repairs.

    Next was crossing the Nord Ostsee canal which is a big shipping canal that connects the North sea to the Baltic sea. I crossed using a bike tunnel only to discover a rather more classy transporter bridge just down the road.

    Then, today they would not let me along the lake side road i had planned. Sigh. As I debated with the workman-guard how far I needed to divert, a local cyclist arrived and took me under his wing using a short cut path through the woods ( I had to pedal frantically uphill to keep up with his electric bike) and then offering me a cup of tea at his home and optimizing the route for the rest of the day for me. My initial annoyance actually turned out to be a little blessing.

    Its gone from cool to pretty hot ( the butter melted and I am no longer wearing everything in bed ). And finally there are more woods and fields and I am coming out of the pancake zone.    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Yet another ferry. Do obey the signs pleaseThe map is splatted with turbines (and they are many to one)The kind caretaker let me in!Woodland pathsSummer flowersThe baltic coastFlenburg

    Moin moin

    June 14, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I have been trying to decipher the local German greeting: Moin moin. I thought it was a softened Morgen (morning) but got confused when it applies all day. My camper cyclist neighbour explained that moin moin (definitely not pronounced french style) does derive from Morgen and is used any time of the day.
    Today was the end of germany and was more varied and engaging than the rest. Yet again there were wind turbines everywhere. I reached the Baltic coast which was a delight after all the sea dykes.    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    1Wild camping by the sea
    Idyllic but ferociousSønderborg

    Dinner in Denmark

    June 14, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The marvelous thing about Denmark is that is has official wild camping sites. I slipped across the border at the end of yesterday and found an idyllic site just a few km further on. A sheltered spot in the beech woods, it did not take me long to realize that the locals were very pleased that their « take way » dinner had arrived. Tonight was a spot on small cliffs above the sea and with a breeze. Its absolutely lovely here.Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    Glorious poppies
    Medieval castleMoated tithe farm3A new bedtime friendHistoric bathing hutsFrom the top of the islandBurial moundAeroskobing street

    Aero

    June 16, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Aero is one of the small southern Danish islands. Its gentle and quiet and pretty and I was very happy to crash out here for a few days and do some catching up after the hard work. It’s almost the end of the holiday. I am hoping to head back by train this week. How though, will be an interesting question.Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler
    The LadbyDragen Reconstructed Viking ship
    SvendborgDanish thatch styleNice churchesMy ShelterThe bigger shelters (kids cannot resist)Viking burial mockup. King is in his bed at the end with (dead) animals in frontImprint of the burial shipWhich included 11 horses and 3 dogsOdense, home of Hans Christian AndersonOdense

    Vikings

    June 20, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    I have spent the final 2 days of my tour on Funen. I decided I should try out a Danish shelter. In this region they seem to be more attached to a village rather than away from everything so I was not as enthralled as by the tenting version I tried earlier. Plus I was a bit put out when the adjoining playground was noisily mown at 6am this morning. Later a school party could not get the better of their curiosity. Two nine year old girls managed an impressive English conversion with me.
    Next was a visit to a rare and striking viking ship burial. Mostly what is left is the imprint of the ship -the outline of the planks and nails can be seen- and the skeletons of the animals that accompanied this king on his after life journey. Finally I pedalled into Odense (pronounced Ohensay) home of Hans Christian Anderson. Tomorrow I will start leg 1 of my experimental rail journey home.    Read more

  • AliceAlainTo Amsterdam and beyondTraveler

    The Slow train experiment

    June 22, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The plan for this trip was to see how far I got and then figure out how to get home. Actually the figuring out was not that easy. Somewhat reluctant to try to deal with flying from Copenhagen (and the obligatory finding and transporting a box for Maisie on my own), I was hoping a rail trip home was possible. Sadly its almost impossible to book a bike on a long distance international train on the fly. Alain generously pedalled into the Geneva rail station office to try in person on my behalf, but for want of an electronic means of sending a bike ticket, it too was No Go.

    So I decided to try the slow approach to rail travel. So far we (Maisie and I) are on train 9 of 11. This train makes 26 stops so if you do your sums i must have stopped at quite a sizeable proportion of German stations. My favourite train had the whole downstairs of one compartment given over to bikes - and it was needed.

    Now (later) on the final train :-) I have only once had to dismount panniers and only once been forced to use the stairs. I will have spent almost 24 hours on trains (plus an overnight en route). Luckily I am tired from all the pedalling and have done reasonably well at both being patient and navigating all those stations and trains. Still it was quite an endeavor and I am proud to have given it a shot. And anyway, the fact that it was such a long trip home does rather underline just how far I pedalled.    Read more

    Trip end
    June 22, 2023
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