© E. Heijn 2012  Life is like riding a bicycle;to keep youre balance you have to keep moving Albert Einstein

Heijn’s Bicycle Site Next Foto's Back

Thursday, 04-07-2013


This morning I was up at six; I really thought it was seven oclock, so I grumbled that the toilet building was not open yet. After I washed I had breakfast and broke up. The result was that I was packed around half past eight. I first said goodbye to the other guests on the field.

Around ten hours I came to the Benelux tunnel. At first I thought there was only escalator like in Newcastle, but luckily there was a lift. At the bottom of the lift the tunnel went down. The maximum speed was also over 40k/h. You were only 30 k/h allowed to go max.

After the deepest point it was cycling up again. That went much slower. Although, with the new bike it is easier than with the previous ones. At the end of the tunnel there was another elevator.

Then I continued along all kinds of waterways. Around twelve hours I was at the ferry of Puttershoek. The sign at ferry said that the ferryman had a lunch break, so I decided first to lunch.

I was just sitting with my lunch, or the ferry came already.

I lunched at the other side in Puttershoek. The route went in the direction Dordrecht.

At ‘s Gravendeel I had to pass under the Dortse Kil through the Kil tunnel. Again a steep slope down and also up again.

The route passed south of Dordrecht and eventually along the banks of the Nieuwe Merwede.

I was cycling to to the ferry ' the head of the country ', to Werkendam.when I drove in the back of large group of recumbent riders. They were clearly not used to riding a recumbent and I over took them all. At the head of the group they were waiting and I had a chat and made a picture. The bikes were all rented in Dordrecht in a recumbent bicycles shop ‘Maya’. (just Google; they do exist)

At one point in the route I had to go to the ferry and they had to go back to Dordrecht.

In Werkendam I did some shopping at the AH. Then I came through some picturesque villages.

Near Hank I crossed the Bergsche Maas over the ' old ' bridge.

I went through Raamsdonk to go to a ‘polecampsite’.

I found the campsite, but the path dawn the dike was only dangerously steep. The dike is about 3 feet tall and narrow and the path runs straight down. I noticed that there is some sort of work road at the foot of the dyke. I first went looking if there is a less steep access, but it was nowhere to be found. The only option was the steep path. I' was very gently slipping down.

I put the bike against the pump/pole and went looking for a place for the tent. The only more or less free place I  chose.

There I put my tent. I then fixed some problems on the bicycle. The seat had dropped by a few bumps in the tracks and the upper steering rod was a bit to lose for my taste. Again it is good that I have so many tools with me.

After that, I started the cooking food.

Now I sit typing next to the tent while the birds around me really do their best. I'm standing here all alone. The first farm is at a distance of 500 meters as the crow flies. Every now and then there comes a hiker or cyclist over the dike.