Holland by bike - 2

Rather foolishly, perhaps, when we first planned this holiday we took no account of the fact that it would begin precisely as the Easter holiday period was starting. Even if we had, we would not have had any way of knowing how Dutch people might celebrate this, if at all. Having arrived here we now know that a trip to the coast is a popular activity here and the effect of this was that having chosen, quite randomly, a cycle touring route that started along the coast, it meant that we were competing for accommodation with the rest of Holland. Places to stay were hard to find so after pre-booking our first night in Zandvoort we decided to stay in a hostel until the holiday period was over. Our overall strategy from the start was to sort of 'wing it' by not arranging each night's accomodation until just before we needed it, our thinking being that until we know how far we can cycle in one day we will not be sure where we might end up. We wanted to avoid the stress of having to travel further than we could comfortably manage.

I am, however, writing these words in the home of Tineke, in whose Zandvoort home we were guests for our first night. And we could not have asked for a more comfortable place to stay.

The ride here took us through a National Park along beautifully smooth paths laid out just for cyclists to use. No fear from passing cars here. They were all sent on a detour around the park - and quite rightly too. We could pause for breath whenever we wanted and the only hazard was when a keen, lycra-clad racing cyclist came at us from behind and shot by in a gust of wind. Our clever navigation system (thank you Mrs Google) took us right to the door and we were delighted to have total privacy and a warm bed for our first night away.

By the time day two dawned we had planned a circular route exploring the sand dunes and the tulip fields further south.

The weather was cool but being kind to us, just a light breeze, and the sun popped out later in the day as we rode slowly along the red surfaced cycle paths that make this country so easy to get around.

Tulips and bikes says it all. At a brief coffee stop beside the route we met dozens of fellow tourists, all on big wheeled Dutch machines they had hired for the day and at each road junction the cars politely waited for us all to cross, a practice that filled us with confidence. Just how the Dutch ended up so reliant on their bikes is a story that goes back years but to us it felt like we had stepped into another world, one where the bike is king.

Our inability to speak Dutch does not seems to matter at all.

Whilst wondering on foot through a residential area we were impressed by the fresh blossom on a tree (it turned out to be a Wych Elm) and we soon found ourselves in conversation with a local man whose English was almost perfect.

I had predicted that some signage might be difficult to understand but with a little thought things generally make sense. Whilst there are plenty of signs aimed at car drivers, telling them where they cannot go, signs which restrict the movement of cycles are almost non-existent. The pavements are often shared by pedestrians and cyclists without any apparent conflict or aggression. Electric bikes are commonplace but by no means exclusive and families of all ages ride everywhere with the younger children in trailers or else balanced high on the handlebars of a Dutch bike. Cyclists here are fearless, which is of course why we are here.

Day three sees us setting off on another circular route, planned the evening before using just one of the assortment of mapping apps installed on the phone as part of our holiday preparations. The app knows we are riding bikes so it automatically directs us along cyclepaths (fietspad) which keeps us clear of main roads and only in towns are we sharing road space with the SUVs.

Arriving at the centre of Haarlem we pause for a coffee then sit and watch the river traffic from a peaceful riverbank.

My routing app then sends me across the river and along another traffic free path where we share our lunch with a very friendly pair of ducks. Just beyond this we cross the water again on a small ferry, designed for free use by cyclists and foot passengers, then weave our way through the Haarlem suburbs before joining a former tramway, a wide, smooth surfaced path leading us back to Zandvoort. The word 'path' does not do justice to what we are cycling on everywhere we go here. These are built as roads, and without the wear and tear from cars they remain smooth and undamaged. Even the cattle grids ('wild rooster' in Dutch) are designed smooth enough for bikes to ride over safely.