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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 28
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Spaarne 52.38739, 4.6462252°23’15” N 4°38’46” E
Haarlem, Amsterdam
June 19, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
We caught a train to Haarlem, about 20kms from Amsterdam. We arrived just as a huge storm was covering the whole of Harlem. Luckily it passed and we got to see Harlem's cobbled streets and winding waterways, ancient buildings, Grote Markt, the square and Grote Kerk, a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral, and lovely inviting cafés and shops before heading off to hire bikes.
We rode a loop trail that took us through a small section of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and through kilometres of sand dunes spotting a few highland cattle along the way before stopping at two beaches, Strandslag Parnassia and Bloemendaal where we had lunch. Bloemendaal is a busy beach. There are a couple of permanent restaurants right on beach and hundreds of temporary sheds and activities set up for the summer holidays - impressive. We then had a short ride back to Harlem. It was a great 20km ride!Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 29
Thursday, June 20, 2019
☁️ 17 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Zwethkanaal 52.01158, 4.3570752°0’42” N 4°21’25” E
Delft - Amsterdam
June 20, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Today we took an hour's train journey to Delft, where we visited Royal Delft, the only remaining, original Delftware manufacturer from the 17th century. Donna and I toured the Royal Delft museum and factory while Alan and Wayne explored the city centre. Both choices were enjoyed respectively. Donna and I still had time to see the beauty of the city centre and all the wonderful canals and bridges along the way. The square of Delft is called 'de Markt' and the day we were there was market day so there was cheese, fish, vegetables, bread, nuts, and other foods as well as clothing, leather bags, bicycle accessories, electronic gadgets and much much more.
The Nieuwe Kerk, a Protestant church is located on the Square opposite to the City Hall Stadhuis), a Renaissance style building. We climbed the Church Tower's 376 stairs for fantastic views of Delft. Around the market, pubs and open-air terraces are plentiful and they are very friendly. We loved Delft so much, we stayed for dinner before returning to Amsterdam on the train.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 31
Saturday, June 22, 2019
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Gogerpolder 52.21443, 4.6402752°12’52” N 4°38’25” E
Oude Wettering
June 22, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Today we started our bike barge adventure travelling Amsterdam to Brugge. We were expecting to be two Aussies out of a group of maybe 30 cyclists from all over the world - we are two of 11 Aussies...and that is the whole group! They are a lovely group so it should be a great eight days together. We only travelled a short distance before stopping at our first night's destination - Oude Wettering. On this short trip we went through many lochs and raised bridges - it was Saturday and half of Amsterdam were out enjoying the water - such a relaxed lifestyle here. We went for a practice 12km ride after dinner just to iron out any bicycle issues before the bigger ride tomorrow. It was an uneventful but pretty ride, everyone happy with their bikes and keen for tomorrow.
The boat we are on is very comfortable and the crew of three are welcoming and friendly.Read more
TravelerI hope your Lycra shorts are padded 😜
6/24/19Reply
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 32
Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 9:00 AM
☀️ 19 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Gouda 52.01152, 4.7104652°0’41” N 4°42’38” E
Gouda, Netherlands
June 23, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Destination Gouda! A 45km ride from Oude Wetering! We set off at 9am and arrived at 3pm. Our first ride of the trip was wonderful. It was a perfect day around 27°-30° sunny and blue sky. We had a very relaxing ride stopping often to take in the beautiful surroundings.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 32
Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 8:00 PM
⛅ 26 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Gouda 52.01152, 4.7104652°0’41” N 4°42’38” E
Gouda
June 23, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
We walked around Gouda after our dinner tonight. Gouda is known for its namesake cheese and seasonal cheese market, regularly held on the medieval Markt square. Anchoring the square is the 15th-century town tall, a Gothic building with red and white shutters. Also on the square is the 17th-century Goudse Waag, once a cheese-weighing station and now home to the Gouda Cheese Museum.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 33
Monday, June 24, 2019 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Netherlands Kinderdijk 51.88374, 4.6330951°53’1” N 4°37’59” E
Kinderdijk Netherlands
June 24, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Today started with a short sail before disembarking for a short ride to Kinderdijk famous for its iconic 18th-century windmills. Its water-management network features 19 mills and 3 pumping stations, plus dykes and reservoirs that control flooding in the polder (low-lying land). Waterways, footpaths and bike trails crisscross the area, leading to the main visitors centre where we got to go inside a preserved working windmill. This was our main stop today as we had about 50kms to ride by 3:30pm to where our boat was waiting to set sail again to reach our final destination for the night - Willemstad.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 33
Monday, June 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM
⛅ 30 °C
Altitude: 12 m
Netherlands Willemstad 51.69195, 4.4379151°41’31” N 4°26’16” E
Willemstad Netherlands
June 24, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We had a chance to walk around Willemstad after dinner. It has a beautiful port with a lot of expensive boats - our barge fitted right in....well almost!
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 34
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at 9:00 AM
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 29 m
Belgium Torhout 51.06498, 3.1015751°3’54” N 3°6’6” E
Torhout / Antwerp, Belgium
June 25, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Today we rode from Willemstad to Antwerp, a port city on Belgium’s River Scheldt. It was an unbelievably hot day reaching 37°. It was a long hard 50kms to our destination but we made it....a little later than planned because we lost one rider along the way! Luckily his wife noticed he was no longer with us. A panic-stricken tour guide and the only other two men set off in various directions to find him. About an hour later he was found! For the men this expedition added a few kms to what was already a very exhausting ride - for the women, it was a very welcome pitstop to relax and revive!
We had an almost unnoticed crossing of the border from Holland to Belgium until our guide pointed out a big insignificant concrete block at the side of the path!!
Our lunch stop today was Kasteel Ravenhof (Ravenhof Castle), a castle in the centre of Torhout, West Flanders. The city's park surrounds the castle which now serves as a museum and tourist centre. The promise of Belgian waffles at the café here kept everyone in high spirits....and they didn't disappoint. They were by far the best waffles ever tasted - light and delicious!Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 34
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at 8:00 PM
☁️ 27 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Belgium Antwerp 51.21945, 4.4024651°13’10” N 4°24’9” E
Antwerp
June 25, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest in the world, ranking second in Europe. The city is also known for its diamond industry and trade.
We walked into the city after dinner to look around. We went to the top floor of the Museum aan de Stroom for some great views of Antwerp.
We continued into the old town and into the main square, the Grote Markt, with its extravagant city hall (which was sadly covered up while being renovated), its 16th century guildhalls, and many restaurants and cafés. We picked a nice pub in the square and had a drink before heading back to the boat. Antwerp old town is a very easy to walk around.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 34
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at 9:00 PM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Belgium Antwerp 51.21925, 4.4022551°13’9” N 4°24’8” E
Old Town Antwerp
June 25, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
It was very quiet when we were in the old town!
Also threw in a picture of the Museum aan de Stroom to show some modern architecture - this is the building the previous photos were taken from - 10th Floor.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 35
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 2:00 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 12 m
Belgium Vondelbeek 51.02548, 4.1019551°1’32” N 4°6’7” E
Dendermonde, Belgium
June 26, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We left Antwerp via its 572 meter long tunnel, which is located 31.57 meters below the ground, and is called the Pedestrian Tunnel by Antwerp residents. Since 1933 it has connected the city with the Left Bank , in other words the older with the newer Antwerp. Both sides have a lift for 40 people or a maximum of 3,000 kg, and two authentic wooden escalators. It was a very "cool" experience (sorry, I couldn't think of a better word!). Our ride today was a mere 52 kms (look who's getting cocky now!). A beautiful day of about 24° which was such a welcome change from the previous day.
Today's destination is Dendermonde. We made great time due largely to it being about 10° cooler but also because we travelled mainly on a dedicated bike trail. We had time to stop often for coffee and tea and still got to Dendermonde ahead of schedule.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 36
Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 2:00 PM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Belgium Kanaal Gent-Brugge 51.05434, 3.7174251°3’16” N 3°43’3” E
Gent (Ghent), Belgium
June 27, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Today is our last riding day! We rode from Dendermonde to the old city centre of Ghent, about 43kms, where we locked up our bikes and walked around the old town for about three hours.
Ghent is a port city at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. During the Middle Ages it was a prominent city-state. Today it’s a university town and cultural hub. Its pedestrianized centre is known for medieval architecture such as 12th-century Gravensteen castle and the Graslei, a row of guildhalls beside the Leie river harbour.
Our three hours disappeared - there was so much to take in. We did, however, make time to enjoy a piece of warm apple pie and cream which is a specialty in Belgium - it was delicious!
We then rode a further 7kms to the boat where we said goodbye to the bikes that had taken us on this journey - some 260kms over the past 6 days. I will miss the riding and camaraderie but perhaps not the aching backside!Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 36
Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 5:00 PM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Belgium Kanaal Gent-Brugge 51.05434, 3.7174251°3’16” N 3°43’3” E
More of Ghent
June 27, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
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Day 37
Friday, June 28, 2019 at 9:00 AM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Belgium Het Brugse Ommeland 51.20935, 3.224751°12’34” N 3°13’29” E
Brugge (Bruges), Belgium
June 28, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
The cycling part of the tour is over so today we have a free day in Brugge. Our guide got us there by bus and train, after which the day was ours to spend as we pleased.
It was a sunny 25° with clear blue skies. We had a lovely day wandering Brugge's cobbled streets, admiring its medieval buildings, and crossing its many bridges and canals. We took it easy as we were returning here on Saturday for a couple of days so it wasn't necessary to race around like a mad tourist.
Just a sample of Brugge in this group of pics...more to come!Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 38
Saturday, June 29, 2019
☀️ 28 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Belgium Het Brugse Ommeland 51.20935, 3.224751°12’34” N 3°13’29” E
Brugge
June 29, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Today, we farewelled our fellow cyclists on the bike barge tour - four headed back to Amsterdam, one to Ghent, and the remaining seven of us shared a taxi to Brugge. It was a scorching 34° in Brugge yesterday! Plans to climb the 366 steps of the Belfry of Bruges and cruise the canals were postponed to tomorrow understandably. We had a very relaxing day keeping cool. There was a triathalon in Brugge today...of all days! We watched a little of it earlier in the afternoon and then watched the end. Even at 10:30pm when the last competitors staggered in, it was still about 30°!!Read more
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Day 39
Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Belgium Het Brugse Ommeland 51.20985, 3.2315251°12’35” N 3°13’53” E
Brugge
June 30, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Today is our last day in Brugge. It is a very pleasant 21°-23°. We woke up to bells ringing and it wasn't long before the canal tour boats started cruising past our windows. Our accommodation is right on the canal - water lapping at the windows and the ducks paddling by, sometimes stopping for a biscuit crumb from Alan. The Belfry of Bruges - 366 stairs up and 366 stairs down was our first challenge for the day after which we cruised the canals. Both gave us a different perspective of the landscape of Brugge. We then revisited the Wall of Beer so Alan could drink one of the 1,915 varieties of beer they have. Beer aside, this is a fantastic place. It has about 6 break-off rooms where they sell associated items such as cheese, souvenirs, bicycle gear, specialty liqueurs and other alcohol, and tin tin and smurfs merchandise (both created by Belgians), plus plenty of space to sit and drink including a beer garden on the canal with great views.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 39
Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 5:00 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Belgium Het Brugse Ommeland 51.20935, 3.224751°12’34” N 3°13’29” E
More of Brugge
June 30, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
More pics....
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Day 40
Monday, July 1, 2019 at 9:00 PM
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Denmark Copenhagen 55.6761, 12.5683455°40’34” N 12°34’6” E
Copenhagen, Denmark
July 1, 2019 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We are in Copenhagen for two whole days, three nights. As we have been here before, we decided to pick some places away from Copenhagen but managed a few hours walking to see buildings and places we had not seen before...or we had forgotten! Temoeratures here are surprisingly cold - a high of 17° and very windy - back into the jeans and jackets!Read more
Roslyn BrownA little more sunshine than the day we got drenched in the rain
7/3/19Reply
TravelerEnjoy your trip and have a memorable time
8/1/19Reply
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 41
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: 12 m
Sweden Västra Hamnkanalen 55.60498, 13.0038255°36’18” N 13°0’14” E
Malmo, Sweden
July 2, 2019 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Day 1 We took the train to Malmo which means crossing the amazing Öresund Bridge to Sweden. The bridge is a combined railway and motorway across the Øresund strait between Sweden and Denmark. The bridge runs nearly 8 kilometres from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The crossing is completed by the 4 kilometre Drogden Tunnel from Peberholm to the Danish island of Amager. It was as cold and windy here as in Copenhagen! We didn't venture far - just looked around the city centre. There happened to be a bicycle race on so we cheered on the riders until the finish, took refuge from the wind in a coffee shop then got back on the train. Short and sweet!Read more
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Day 42
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 11:00 AM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 32 m
Denmark Elsinore 56.03079, 12.5921356°1’51” N 12°35’32” E
Helsingør, Denmark
July 3, 2019 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Day 2 We took the train to Helsingør, also known as Elsinore, a port city in eastern Denmark. Staff at Central Station recommended this trip to us. It was a lot bigger than we expected. Overlooking the Øresund strait, the 15th-century Kronborg Castle provided the setting for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Nearby, the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark illustrates 600 years of Danish seafaring history. On the pier is “Han,” a polished steel sculpture of a man. Lots of clothes and jewellery stores and cafés - lots of tourists too, but not enough to be uncomfortable. It is a beautiful port and well worth the visit. It has a regular ferry service to Sweden which we were tempted to take but we thought you probably needed to show passports and we didn't have ours with us. It only takes about 15 minutes to get to Sweden - you can see it from the port. It was a lovely day for our last day in Denmark, cold and windy again, but lovely!
Tomorrow, we make our way to the Cruise Terminal to begin our 9-day Baltic cruise.Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 42
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 2:17 PM
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 32 m
Denmark Elsinore 56.03079, 12.5921356°1’51” N 12°35’32” E
2
More pics of Helsingør
July 3, 2019 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Roslyn Brown I see Al has another friend!
7/3/19Reply
Traveler They have very similar builds 😜
7/4/19Reply
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 42
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 11:00 PM
⛅ 13 °C
Altitude: 11 m
Denmark Copenhagen 55.6761, 12.5683455°40’34” N 12°34’6” E
1 1 1 1 1
Al in Denmark!
July 3, 2019 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Roslyn Brown And more friends🤣
7/3/19Reply
Roslyn Brown And now yet another darling friend😅
7/3/19Reply
Roslyn Brown And more
7/3/19Reply
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 43
Thursday, July 4, 2019 at 5:00 PM
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: Sea level
Denmark Stubbeløb 55.71417, 12.6196355°42’51” N 12°37’11” E
Copenhagen
July 4, 2019 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
It has been a rainy start to our cruise but we are happy to just sit back and relax. We have two days at sea before arriving at St Petersburg, Russia, and there is plenty to do on board this enormous 16 storey ship! It will take us two days to find our way around! There are approximately 4,000 passengers and 1600 crew on board. The logistics of feeding that many people is mind-boggling! Alan is happy because he has located the two ice-cream self-serve bars! Life is good!Read more
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Europe2019 Beverley Smith
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Day 45
Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 6:00 PM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 12 m
Russia National Library of Russia 59.93428, 30.335159°56’3” N 30°20’6” E
St Petersburg, Russia
July 6, 2019 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Arrived St Petersburg, Russia around 6pm Saturday night. It was a long process to get through the Russian Immigration process when we left the ship for our first shore trip. There was no smiling from any of the officials - very serious business! However, all went without problems!
We went to a Russian Folklore Extravaganza that night where we were treated to very energetic dances of Don Cossacks and Russian, Ukranian and Gypsy songs. I enjoyed it but it was a little too repetitive for Alan. Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos.Read more
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Day 46
Sunday, July 7, 2019 at 9:00 AM
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: 12 m
Russia National Library of Russia 59.93428, 30.335159°56’3” N 30°20’6” E
St Petersburg
July 7, 2019 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Today we joined a "Rasputin, Romanovs and Spilled Blood" tour. It started with a canal tour, then went to Yusupov Palace, one of 57 palaces in Russia (four in St Petersburg and were owned by Felix Yusupov). It was in this palace that Grigory Rasputin was assassinated. After a very tasty Russian lunch we visited the magnificent Cathedral of Resurrection (or Cathedral on Spilled Blood built on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. If the exterior is not amazing enough with its distinctive cupolas, the interior is decorated with different marbles and several thousand square yards of mosaics. Sad that we only had one short day here but we managed to see quite a lot, especially on the canal tour.Read more
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