Prepping for mountains
7 lipca 2024, Holandia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
This year I will be heading south. My default country to go to has been Norway, but since tourism has discovered Scandinavia it has become busy and on my last time there, I was a bit overwelmed by Czytaj więcej
It begins
14 lipca 2024, Holandia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Today it begins. First a 4hour trainride to the south of the Netherlands and then we start with some hills in the Ardennes. Weather seems ok south am looking forward to get going.
I already found Czytaj więcej
Not really anything special
14–15 lip 2024, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Starting the trip with a 4 hour trainride (plus some delays) I started to ride in Maastricht around 14:30. A bit late to start the day, but also I felt like I already had a journey behind me and Czytaj więcej
Crossing borders
15 lipca 2024, Belgia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Today I started just north of St Vith in Belgium and followed the “Vennradweg”. It is an old railway line turned into a cycling path. Very nice.
After that it got a bit more hilly and finally I Czytaj więcej
Follow the shortest route
15 lipca 2024, Luksemburg ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Sometimes avoiding hills and following the river doesn’t mean it’s a smooth path. Even though my routeplanner was for cycling.
A hiker with a dog lane from the other way and told me: “It’s a Czytaj więcej
Hot and fast day
15 lipca 2024, Luksemburg ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
After Echternach pretty much all the road was sort of flat following first the river Our, then Mosel, then Saar and at diner time started looking for a campsite and got a weather warning… it was Czytaj więcej
3rd day beginnings
16 lipca 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
As a kind of a rule the 3rd day of a bike tour usually is where things start to hurt and doubts creep in.
Starting on a cloudy day with wet roads and lots of broken branches reminded me that opting Czytaj więcej
3rd day endings
16 lipca 2024, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Well, after the incredibly filthy and way to expensive coffee in Saarbrücken I moved on and somehow found some nice French scenery. Stay away from the bikepaths along rivers and canals though. Yes Czytaj więcej
Route info
16 lipca 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
For people who want to check the exact route:
Here is a link to a Komoot collection. I think I made it available te view for everyone: https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/collection/2918858…
Rhein by night
16 lipca 2024, Niemcy ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
Just before going to bed (or mat), I wanted to check out the Rhein is still there.
New day, new river
17 lipca 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
With the mixed success of following rivers (especially the Saar was disappointing) I try my luck today following the Rhein upstream. I stay on the German side for now, because it makes ordering coffee Czytaj więcej
Wishing for head wind
17 lipca 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Today was hot! Very hot. A bit too much for me eventually. I mainly followed the river Rhein on mostly gravel tracks with some Fords along the way. Most of them were dry, but one of them actually was Czytaj więcej
Leaving Europe
18 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Following the last bit of the river Rhein it started to look a bit more like a young river. A bit wilder, a bit faster and no place for the floating elderly homes I saw on the river between Czytaj więcej
Luzern (bring on the tourists)
18 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Yes. Me too. The most famous wooden bridge has now officially been crossed (by me)
Some scenery
18 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Not too bad… some gravel, some climbing, some scenery. A wooden bridge in Olten… all good so far 👍🏼
And my first glimps of real mountains (behind the lake on the final photo)
Familiar route, unfamiliar roads
18 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
I know this route and all the towns along the way from driving through Switzerland to get to Italy. The last time I was here in the middle of the night just counting down kilometers and looking Czytaj więcej
Good morning lakes and mountains
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
I just love the view of water and mountains in the morning.
Grosse Scheidegg
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Pretty tough climb, but a real beauty. Quiet road, fantastic views, but steep pretty much all the way.
Brutal beauty (part 1)
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
It is too much to photograph really, but here is an impression of the first part with the Brünnigpass.
Beautiful but steep climbs.
Halfway up
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
This is too much to photograph. Around every corner there’s a postcard.
Uphill soundtrack
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
This is what it sounds like
Downhill thrills, finishing uphil
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Coming down from Grosse Scheidegg into Grindelwald was nice and fast. Grindelwald is a tourist mekka I was glad to get through quickly. The last time I was there must have been at least 15 years ago Czytaj więcej
Waarschijnlijk 1995 met mij? Toen we meteen maar van Kleine Scheidegg naar Grindelwald afdaalden, ongetraind. Het duurde lang voor de pijn dragelijk werd. [Hermien]
Promt for ai: delete camper vans
19 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
It is getting a bit windy and there is some thunder around. Forecast promises not where I am at.
I can still se the sun, so all will be fine, I guess
Good morning
20 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Come on… starting the day with a downhill and views like this…
The road
20 lipca 2024, Szwajcaria ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Today I am taking it relatively easy. I think I built a nice route with nice and quiet roads. A lot of up and down though and I discovered the following: the smaller the road, the steeper the climb. Czytaj więcej
PodróżnikYou will meet campervans ia am afraid. Maar tof plan. WNneer vertrek je?
HugmybikeNiet op de gravelpaden, vermoed ik 😊. Ik ga zondag.
Veel plezier! Aan de fiets zal het niet liggen 😊 Ik ben erg blij met de mijne. [Jan van der Meij]