The first official day of winter promised to be rather cold all day. Our weather ‘app’ also promised a sunny day, but which never eventuated. We were up early at 6am so Julie could be organized and ready for the taxi at 7am which would take her to Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport for her flight to London for her 2nd conference in as many weeks. It was sad to see her go. The taxi was on time, and within a minute or so she was gone into the dark cold of the pre-dawn.
I had no time to linger over breakfast, when the room opened for guests at 8am. I was packed, and loading my bike out the front of the Bicycle Hotel by 8:45am, taking the obligatory photograph as a final memory. Just as I began rolling the bike through the crowded footpath of parked bikes, a fellow came running out of the building opposite. He was calling ‘hello, hello’ to get my attention. He excitedly asked if he could take my photo, saying something about being very impressed that I was a ‘diehard’! I can only assume he was the owner of the Bicycle Hotel, because he said it was for the Hotel’s Facebook site!
Look it up – its on there! Famous!
I rolled away from the Hotel a few minutes after 9am. I watched the temperature gauge dropping rapidly as it responded to the frigid early morning conditions. By the time I had cycled the full length of Van Ostadastraat, and turned south alongside the Amstel River for the run to Uithoorn, it had settled on zero degrees. It was fresh on the face and ears. Otherwise I was quite comfortable with my yellow rain jacket over my lycra cycle shirt with a long sleeve thermal shirt underneath.
I could feel my feet responding to the cold. The rest of me warmed up nicely as I began working the bike. Trying to clear the urban area of Amsterdam was slow and stop-start due to lights and crossings. It must have been a funny sight to see a loaded touring bike in the queue of 20 other bikes waiting to take off at the lights. I tried to be as fast and furious as they were, but I didn’t match them very well.
At 5k I was clear and the road to Uithoorn opened up. I was in the mood today to really hammer the pace. I knew the way at least to Uithoorn, and decided not to stop until I had completed the 20k to the little pub in the centre of the village of Uithoorn. I opened the throttle, and enjoyed the speed of the rolling bike, holding 26-30kph all the way, except where the bend in the river put me into the strong blustery cross wind. The average rose from single figures due to the slow crawling start, to be over 21kph by the time I pulled up out front of the little pub at Uithoorn at exactly 10am. This would be the fastest 20k segment all day, but only just!
Sadly the pub was closed, being too early on a Monday morning. I pressed on, crossing to the eastern side of the river for the next 5k until the riverside village of De Hoef, where I crossed back again for some pencil straight, long sections through many kilometers of rich farmland. The sections were 1-2k long and perfectly flat and straight, allowing the bike to really fly, holding the average all day on a steady 20-21kph. I made sure I stopped frequently now to be absolutely certain of the next bikeway number. I did not want any wasted time today on back-tracking.
I was zig-zagging gradually south-west, but keeping a straight direction to Rotterdam overall. I was effectively backtracking over ground that Julie and I had come from Leiden two days earlier, at least until Alphen on the Rhine Canal, and east of Leiden. The bikeway segments were all dead straight and of good length. I was in very good form, the bike sitting comfortably in the high 20’s as much as possible, except for stops for photos and sign checking, which affects the average and takes up time as well. I was trying to knock over 20k every hour, but the photo stops gradually slowed this rate.
The sights of windmills are always arresting, they stand out like large sentries standing guard over the large fields and waterways that tracked in every direction. By the time I passed by the edge of Alphen aan den Rijn, it was at 45k and approaching 11:30am.
Since leaving Amsterdam the GPS sat steady on zero degrees, but at just after 11am it heated up to 1C momentarily before plummeting back to zero again. Effectively, it stayed on zero all day. I was feeling fine, the legs were pumping away without effort, but my feet were like frozen blocks of ice. There was no relief for them until I got into the Hotel mid afternoon.
I was still unsure about how far it was to Rotterdam. I decided that while I was feeling fit and strong, that I would just keep hammering the bike until I got there. I was at the 50k mark by 12 noon, with no signs appearing yet to show how far yet to Rotterdam.
Approaching the village of Moerkapelle, the bikeway had been cutting between large ploughed fields, but came to a T intersection a long way from nowhere, but no sign to say either left or right. A local cyclist about my age who was out for a training ride, pulled up and wanted to chat. He was amazed that an Aussie would come to Holland in winter and go cycling in zero temperatures! He was very gracious, pointing the way for me, and we parted company forever.
Heading due south from Moerkapelle, I didn’t know it then but I was on the Rottedijk, following a beautiful canal that Julie and I had actually crossed when we cycled between Gouda and Delft several days earlier. The Rottedijk ran all the way to Rotterdam, although I wasn’t aware of it at the time. The bikeway was perfect all day. The bike just rolled beautifully. If I wasn’t taking photos, I was managing to keep the heavy bike rolling at 25-30kph.
The sights were lovely. I passed through long sections of ploughed paddocks, multiple windmills standing tall and strong above the fields, boats moored on the edges of the canals, and basically just lovely countryside dotted with beautiful homes.
I passed by the edge of Bleiswijk and Zevenhuizen as the GPS was climbing over 65k for the day. It was then I was taken by surprise by the first sign to Rotterdam that said ‘11k’. I had learned by now that the distance signs are to the outer limits, usually where you see the ‘welcome’ signs to the towns. In Rotterdam’s case, I automatically added 10k to be closer to the truth.
I could now see the tall buildings hazily in the background. I was keen to follow the signs carefully. The closer I got to Rotterdam, the more cautious I became. It was almost 1:30pm. I had made amazing time today. I was keen not to mess it up now. My feet were telling me that they needed to get inside a warm room sooner than later!
As the canal turned clearly to the south west, I knew it was lining me up to get me to the ‘Centrum’ of Rotterdam where the Easy Hotel was waiting. The houses along the canal were continuous now. I had clearly moved into the outer suburbs of Rotterdam. I was checking off the numbers of the signs, but when I got to the corner where I had to turn right, I rode for a few kilometers down a busy street, but lost all trace of the bikeway signs. I had a bad feeling. I had gone several kilometers but knew I was lost in suburbia. It is a terrible feeling. Playing it safe, I backtracked all the way to the previous sign, and decided to go the opposite way only because I wanted to stay with the signs, any signs at all.
Actually, this was a good way. Rotterdam is beautiful. This route took me to the eastern side and through a large beautiful, dense forest and then opened out on to a magnificent lake. I followed around the lake, clearly lining me up with the tall buildings in the distance of the Rotterdam “Centrum’. I was checking off numbers, and gradually maneuvering my way back to the point where the first way was meant to take me.
It reminded me now of the University precinct of Melbourne – large avenues with trams coming and going, hundreds of bikers going ‘hither and thither’, and a bloke on a loaded touring bike dodging trams and bikers and wide avenues, gradually working closer to the centre of the city.
The roadway suddenly opened out with magnificent views of the beautiful port area of Rotterdam of Sydney Harbour dimensions. There were two massive bridges, not unlike the Gladesville bridge in Sydney, crossing the Rhine close to the Rotterdam ‘Centrum. I took 5 minutes despite the freezing conditions, to take photos and enjoy the view. I was feeling pleased with myself that I had virtually made it. My GPS still registered a frigid zero degrees, but 85k so far. The challenge remained – to find the Hotel.
Within minutes I was negotiating the busy streets of down-town Rotterdam. I knew from my map I was close, but the map was not of the scale to show me the actual streets and street names. I cycled around in the busy traffic, and lanes full of bikes, hoping to see the Hotel to no avail. Stopping with about 30 other anxious bikes at a red light, a lady on a vespa motor scooter pulled up alongside. She spoke in Dutch, and when I explained ‘only English’, she said in good English – ‘you are cycling on a very cold day in Holland, why?” She was amazed to hear I was basically a mad Aussie, not home in a warm summer. Anyway, she pointed to my Hotel, and within seconds of leaving her, I pulled up outside the Easy Hotel.
I turned off the GPS at 87k. It was 2:15pm. It had been a superb day on the bike. I was cold, but very happy in spirit, having enjoyed myself immensely.
It was nice to get inside however. Incidentally, just as I entered Rotterdam, I stopped and stared in amazement at seeing people skiing on the Rotterdam ski run! I also learned from the receptionist that I have another 30k ride on Wednesday just to get to the Stena Line ferry. It was a minor shock to the system. I will have to ensure I give myself plenty of time to cycle to the ‘Hoek of Holland’, just south of The Hague at the mouth of the beautiful Rhine River.
It has been a great day of cycling, a most enjoyable day, and probably by best day on the bike for this trip. Tomorrow I plan to explore Rotterdam on foot, and scout out the route to get to the Hoek of Holland. I cannot afford mistakes on Wednesday.
From my 3rd floor room at the Easy Hotel in Rotterdam, on the banks of the beautiful Rhine River, I send my love.
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