Monday 20 August 2012

HEADING OUT OF THE NETHERLANDS

We have really had a blast cycling in the Netherlands, with it's wonderful cycling paths and flat countryside, but one of the highlights will forever be a visit we made with a friend to see something called the PANORAMA MESDAG in The Hague.
Photos are not allowed there, but even if we could have taken them, there would be no way that you could even begin to pass on the experience.
If you are interested, check it out on Google, but better still if you get the chance and are anywhere near The Hague go and check it out!!!!   Thanks again Friedel!!

We left the coast of the Netherlands and started on our long journey South.  The coast had been really good but it was nice to get back into the country side with its canals and lovely little bridges.
and not all the canals had running water but still were beautiful!
As we got further out into the countryside we came across mile upon mile of Glasshouses
And we all know that glass gets dirty, so someone has to clean it...........
or something!    The inventor had to be a glass cleaner in another life I think....... and it looks like this machine has it's work cut out as it's just on row 1......
The laws re riding bicycles over here are different to Aussie and it was nice to feel the breeze riding without a helmet for a change - ok for the cycle paths!
And we have found lots of unusual  shops specializing in one thing only.  In this case Cigars!
We have also passed some lovely little farms on our travels, and the scenery is so nice - especially as the weather has been so greatsince we crossed the channel to Europe..
Dave continues to enjoy all the different boats that we come across in the rivers and canals and this great old Tug boat caught his eye ....
And we really need to take some lessons from the Dutch when it comes to providing for cyclists.. how is this for a way to get from one side of the freeway to the other - just for cyclists..
 Dave has done a massive job of navigating us all round the place and always finds interesting trails...
In the Netherlands we have tried where possible to camp in 'mini camps' or 'small camping' places, which usually means where a farmer has set aside a portion of his property for camping and has provided toilets and showers.  These are usually a lot cheaper than the large camping parks that are more like holiday resorts and cost a lot more.
Some of the little camps are pretty basic but this one we stayed in one night also had a museum of all sorts of old things including bicycles...
And the very next camp had something even stranger just sitting out in the field...........
Dont ask!        
We loved this spot and it provideda really good place to take a day off and just relax.  Especially as we were the only tent in the place!
The house at this campground was also a B&B and had a small bar so it was nice to relax with a glass of wine and chat to the owner about the place.  When I asked her how close we were to Germany she said not far....
"See that house over there?"  "That's Germany!"
So next morning we headed off again and very soon reached the border!!!!
Where I was divided---literally --- one foot in Netherlands and one in Germany........
Where the story continues...........

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