Holland by bike - 4

Our Rotterdam experience was dampened somewhat by the discovery, on the morning of our departure, that the rear tyre on my bike was as flat as a pancake. This was caused, so we discovered, by a tiny piece of glass, almost certainly the outcome of a careless drunk passerby in the street where the bikes were parked. We carry tools and a spare tube ready for things like this but a roadside repair on a busy street did not seem practical so we pushed it to the nearest bike shop and within an hour the repair was done.

The main aim of us visiting Rotterdam was to see our 'Dutch Daughter' who came to visit us last year. We were particularly concerned for her since a recent fall from her horse had left her with a broken arm and we were delighted to see her recovering well. But after two days here we decided we had seen enough of city life and felt we needed to get back out into the countryside. Maartje and her boyfriend, Leo, came with us on their two person electric bike to see us safely across the River Maas but what we hadn't expected was to descend in a lift then ride through a cycle tunnel beneath the river to get to the other side. Our time here is full of surprises.

Our destination after Rotterdam was Stellendam, a massive construction which serves to prevent the sea pouring into Holland. The dam is wide enough to allow two lanes of cars to pass in each direction, beside which, on either side, there is a pathway which is wide enough again for two cars. However this is just for bikes. This generous provision for cycling across motorways, railways and rivers is completely natural here. One railway bridge we encountered provided a lift to take bikes up high above the tracks then a smooth ramp to allow cyclists to whizz down on the other side.

From Stellendam our daily ride took us eastwards to Breda, a distance of eighty kilometres and the furthest we expect to ride in one day. Needless to say our bodies suffered aches and pains from this but we had recovered enough the next day to continue cycling, which must mean that our fitness level is improving. Just beyond Breda is Ramsdonksweer where the parents of our 'Dutch Daughter' live and we were delighted to be able to visit and spend time with them at their home.

We have known them for many years and Theo could be my twin! After lunch they joined us on their own bikes to ride with us to our overnight accomodation, a mere fifteen minutes away, which was in a delightful converted barn, everything beautifully laid out for us to spend a quiet night there.

We often find ourselves in conversation with random passing strangers, many of whom seem impressed when we confess to being from Scotland. Invariably they will ask about the route we plan to travel in Holland and each time we have to admit that there is no plan. We are travelling to a new destination on each ride which is planned, at most, two days ahead. The direction we go is decided by no more than 'it looks nice' on the map.

From Stellendam we were travelling eastwards (which might explain the sunburn on my right leg) but having decided first to visit the south of Holland, due to our friends living there, we changed to a more northerly direction, away from the coast, to see what the rest of Holland can offer us.

We crossed the Maas, again, and cycled onto a ferry to cross another body of water. The days are now quite hot, particularly in the afternoon, and we take care to drink regularly as well as pausing every five kilometres or so to allow our saddle bruised bottoms time to recuperate. Our stopping places are chosen at random; we either just come to a halt at the side of the fietspad or if we spot a seat then we claim this for a short while. A bus stop can have seats and provide shade from the sun too. There is also parking for bikes at many bus stops, something that seems so sensible. Of course you would want to ride to your bus stop to ensure you made it on time so why not park the bike there until you return later in the day.

Or alternatively you might ride your bike all the way to work and park it there for the day. We compare the space occupied by so many bikes with that needed for a similar number of cars. In a small country like Holland this makes so much sense... but wait a bit. Britain is a small country too so why have we never seen this many bikes parked together in our home country?

Perhaps it is because we don't have roads like this in our country, red tarmac on each side laid specifically for bikes. At home this might be called a single track road - room for just one car at a time going in either direction. The difference is the smooth bike lanes we have grown to love here. When a vehicle meets another from ahead then both may briefly pull over onto the red, but only if there are no cyclists there. Otherwise they must slow down and wait.