As per normal, getting out of a town is more difficult than getting into it. After several attempts of riding out and backtracking to check signs, we made it out of town and back onto the cycle path.

It was another gloomy day, threatening with rain which never happened. We cycled along a dyke beside the lake and it was a wonderful ride with a tail wind pushing us along.

After about 30kms of riding we ended up with a headwind. This is the first headwind of our trip and it was hard work and not much fun. It’s Holland’s version of a hill – except it never ends…

After 52 kms we stopped and checked the price of a hotel. They only had one room left but it was out of our budget so we went across the road to the tourist office to see what else was about. This was the only hotel in town. There was also a camping ground but it was 6km back in the direction we had just come from and we didn’t really want to backtrack in the wind. As we left the tourist office, it started raining. Decision made, hotel it is.

As we were checking in, another cyclist came in all wet and bothered asking for a room. Phew – that was lucky – we almost missed by that much!

Tomorrow we will cycle across a 30 km bridge with a restaurant in the middle.

Bikes on dyke