10 Days Cycling & Camping in The Netherlands.

10 Days Cycling & Camping in The Netherlands.

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My wife left me so I went cycle camping. I set  out from Harwich and took the overnight ferry to   the Hook of Holland and the Netherlands. The  good thing about being on a bike is you tend   to get to the front of the queue first and that  means you can get to your cabin before everyone   else. It was a smooth crossing in early July.  I arrived at the Hook of Holland first thing   in the morning. It takes about an hour to get  processed through customs and get on your way.   For my route I intended to skirt the coast from  the Hook of Holland and then make my way to The   Hague and then North to Lieden where I had booked  an overnight campsite. I had just under two weeks  

to take my trip. I was using the Fietsknoop app on  my phone, which I got better at using as time went   on. I wasn't quite aware of all the various bits  and pieces I could have used. The cycle track here   I later learned is two-way, hence the white line  in the middle. The Netherlands grows and exports   a lot of food - I'll come to that a bit later on  in my trip when passing all the various fields   and trying to identify the crops. I'm always  slightly apprehensive when you first set off  

on an adventure. Carrying all your own stuff.  You never know quite what's going to come along.   Here I'm filming with one hand and then trying to  turn right. Then I thought better of it because I   was going downhill and there was sand. I thought  'I'm got to crash'. Cycling through the dunes I   was worried that cycling so close to the coast it  might be a bit too windy but as it turned out it   was fine. Here you can see the cycle tracks just  on one side of the road but it's two-way. To start  

with the sign posting was fine and then my route  navigation got a bit dodgy. I went a bit off piece   but eventually I arrived in the centre of The  Hague. I apologise now for my Dutch pronunciation,   it is a bit hopeless. This traffic junction  makes it look like it was quite quiet doesn't  

it? I made my way to the Binnenhof - The States  General the Dutch Parliament. I had a snack. I'd   taken a fair few snacks and a dehydrated meals  just in case you get caught somewhere there's   no supermarkets open and then I set off North.  It's a lovely park with the shade and the trees. I arrived in Leiden and was pleasantly surprised.  I've been to Amsterdam a few times and this has  

similar sort of attractions - canals and windmills  everything expect to see from the Netherlands.   It was a beautiful sunny day and a place I'd  love to go back to and explore in a bit more   detail. I pass through the 17th century gate  with the intention of having a bit of a nose   around and seeking out the castle, or castle mound  as it's one of the highest points in the area.   Very vibrant place. Pedestrians, cyclists, paddle  boarders. I found the castle but didn't  

go in as I didn't want to leave my bike  unattended but that's a high spot. I left   Leiden and headed off North to a campsite run  by a club called Nature Camping Terrain. To   start with I had the whole site to myself. I  cook my dinner and then a couple arrived and   pitched their tent right next to mine. I was a bit  worried in case my snoring might keep them awake   but they told me the next morning it was fine. A  father and his daughter also turned up and did an

overnighter. Very good facilities. It's a bit  cooler. The odd spit of rain this morning but   the nice thing is cycling under the under the  Linden, which is under the lime trees I think.   They're in blossom and have got this lovely  perfume - really quite pleasant. You'll be   pleased to know that the current Mrs Antagonist  and myself are still together after 27 years,   Perhaps I should clarify that when I said  in my first video that she'd left me in   fact she had gone on a two-week educational  trip accompanying students. I was therefore   left my own devices , so I went cycle camping. Day two was a long day  some 110 km and skirting west   of Harlem then North by Alkmaar to Den  Oever. This is the Ruine Van Brederode.

Some gentlemen working. There's a timeless scene isn't it? Castle in  the background, geese and cattle in the field. Planes taking off from Schiphol in the background. I must have coincided  with the school half-day holiday,   or it's around lunchtime. Perhaps it was them  all going home for lunch. This is waiting for  

the ferry to take us across the canal that  connects Amsterdam with the North Sea. There   are a lot of youngsters on board this Ferry,  nearly all of which are busy looking at their phones. Cycling through urban  areas is just as interesting,   if not more interesting, than  cycling through scenic rural areas. That's an interesting sound. I  think "Look out the English are coming!" Well this is my lunch stop at the  Alkmaardermeer. I think this sign means  

'Look out Deep Water" I'm guessing. I'm sure  someone could tell me. I doubt it would just   be saying water - I think that's fairly  obvious. It's about 1:00ish. I set off at   20 to 9. That's my picnic table. Unfortunately  the animals have been through all the burger   wrappers and everything in the litter  bin is spread all around. which is a bit

unfortunate. You'll have to excuse  me for my somewhat random content   but you'll appreciate that it's not that  easy to cycle and navigate and cope with   drizzly rain so I'm afraid that it's just me  cobbling together the clips that I happened to take. I'd be very much obliged  if you could like and subscribe   please as it would make a big difference to the channel. Finally, at the end of day two with  about another 15K to go. The turbines are   pointing towards me which means the wind is  on my back - yippee. I guess because I was   tired and keen to pitch my tent I failed to take  any photographs of day 2's overnight campsite,   which was very good. Well almost at the end and  reached my site. The landscape's changed, Still flat, blowy but agricultural now.

Welcome to day three I'm on the  bus across the Afsluitsdijk. You   can't cycle all of it at the  moment, together with a fellow cyclist. I spent the night at another Nature  Camping Terrain called Het Boes Roept.   Hopefuly, I've pronounced that correctly,  just south of Den Oever. The bus takes   you most of the way across. I had to  take a rather haphazard route to my  

next site at Jirnsum. Most of the roads  didn't tend to travel on an East West axis. The cycle path's turned to  grass -that's a bit of a worry! Sadly, this is the site of a crashed  Wellington number R1 397. Crew of six. Night of 19 25th of July 1941. John James Cox, Mervyn Sydney Lund,  

Arthur Edward Owen, Alfred John Le Poidevin,  Frank Gordon Walker, and Roy Penry Williams.   All of the explanation is in Dutch  so I can't help you there I'm afraid. Just before midnight - to attack Emden - on a  Thursday - 47 aircraft took part in the raid   made up of 31 Whitley bombers and 16 Wellington  bombers. It was intercepted at nearly 4:00am   in the morning on its return from its bombing  Mission by Oblt. Helmut Lent over Oosterwierum. The crew had flown on six previous sorties  together and when they turned for home the   dockyards were ablaze. At 4 in the morning High  over the fields of Holland they were spotted   by a night fighter pilot who made an attack. The  Wellington fought him off and took evasive action  

but the German pilot dived and attacked again  from below. This time he crippled the aircraft,   which crashed in flames in a pasture close  to a farm near the village of Kleiterp.   A Vicar recalled: 'Suddenly there was a tremendous  roar and a black shadow passed before a fierce jet   of fire sprayed the air. Out of the sky a flaming  smoking wreck appeared. There was a tremendous   bang and then the darkness returned'. The impact  blew a 30-ft crater into the ground and people   from the village quickly gathered before a squad  of German soldiers appeared clapping and cheering   when they saw the devastation. Soon though, they  were dodging and ducking the shrapnel from the   plane. 'They looked like rabbits fleeing  from fireworks' joked the Dutch villagers.

It was pouring with rain on Day 4 so I jumped  on the bus and went North to Leeuwarden. It   was a bit soggy so I decided to head for the  Fries Museum but there wasn't a chip in sight! The Oldehove is an unfinished medieval Church   Tower. It leans more than  the Tower of Pisa in Italy. Thought   I'd dash out and take some footage while the sun was still out, or just  come out. Been into town today . Leeuwarden was   very interesting - went to the museum. Look  at these lovely hydrangeas - they're great.

here. In here there is table tennis. They make their own   Elderflower and all that sort of jams  and things. That's an honesty box for   the beer in the fridge. I'm just making  myself a cup of coffee planning my route. 'You've appeared in my video twice  now! My wife's going to tell me off! What an idyllic camping spot. I even managed  to snaffle myself a camp chair so I could  

sit and enjoy the sunshine with my  new friends. Join us for day five. It's Thursday. Much nicer day than yesterday.  I'm waiting at a ferry, don't quite know what   you're supposed to do but I've rung the bell  and the man said he can see me and it's going to   cost me a Euro. So I don't really know where it's  going to go. I'll probably be just as quick going  

somewhere around the side I don't know. Today's  ride is shorter. Heading east towards Groningen.   I had intended to visit the West Fresian Islands  but the cost of ferries and camping fees put me off.   The ferry. Ferries give a good excuse  to get out of the saddle and a chance  

to watch the world go by at a  different pace. Waiting for my   next ferry. This one's a car ferry.  I hear a tractor behind me waiting there. I think this one's a Euro as well I think. A huge thank you to all  my subscribers. You're a fine,   select bunch. I do appreciate your support and

[Music] comments. Hats off to the ferrymen.  Some ferries appear to be manned   more out of love than for profit.  Not sure what the drill is here? I imagine the ferry just goes across there. I've spent 4 euros on ferries so far this  morning. Worth every penny really. It's been quite   good fun. The bridge doesn't look like it's going  to be open. There's the bridge operator. Swinging   around that side I think there's a group of  youngsters walking off into the distance.

It's always uplifting to come  across something different. Here   I came across a giant beehive with  the bees spinning around it in the breeze. And here I came across my first experience   of nesting storks. They seem to  have their own bespoke nesting station. I reached another splendid campsite.  Peaceful, quiet. Well done for making it this   far! Please like & subscribe and I look  forward to seeing you in the next episode.

Here you find me passing through Groningen on  my way to a campsite to the East. I'll visit   here again later being a city that I've wanted  to visit for long time. I never really made it   out to this part of the the country so the  whole point of my journey was really to make   it up to Groningen and then have an explore  around. Anyway, it's a good excuse to stop for   a coffee. I saw this intriguing shop opposite.  I thought I might pop back later and get that   apron! I travelled east through Groningen and  followed a straight canal to my campsite just   north of the village of Schildwolde. Please  subscribe so you don't miss out on later

episodes. Using waterways is such  a great way of moving heavy goods   around. How they get their cars on  and off? I can never work it out.   The lifting bridges are always  a good excuse to stop and have a rest. By the time I eventually arrived at the  campsite the day had become increasingly blustery,   with very strong winds, which is never good  for cycling. I chose a sheltered corner of the   campsite, away from the risk of falling branches,  and always try and place myself where there's no   risk of close neighbours so I don't keep them  awake with my snoring. My second-hand tent  

stood up to the wind well but I was to find  out later that it wasn't as waterproof as I thought. I liked having the use of the picnic  table but this was commandeered by later arrivals. Just look at this site - isn't it  fabulous? It met all my expectations.   It was peaceful , well-equipped. I  decided to make it my base for a few days. It wasn't unusual to see other campers  sitting in a corner in the sunshine reading a good

book. I decided to make it my base for a few  days while I explored this part of the country,   which was always my original intention. These small campsites are primarily for  walkers and cyclists and don't generally   have caravans and motor homes. The emphasis  is very much on sustainability and wildlife.   Although I joined the Camping Club in previous  years I never got to visit because of Covid.   Many of the facilities and amenities  are based on trust and honesty boxes.  

I stayed for four nights  and it cost me €44 in total. I came across this little fellow. He  must be guardian of the garden I think. There was a large barn and inside of which there  was a kitchen with free cooking facilities and   so I saved on gas for my hike stove, so  I was pleased about that. I could also   charge my mobile phone and my tech and have  a shower. In the evening I could relax in the  

chairs when it became dark outside. There  was also a library which was well stocked   with information about the area - with maps and  leaflets about sights and attractions to visit. [Music] Please don't forget to like  and subscribe and leave your   comments. I do read them all and  I love having you along for the [Music] ride. You can rent a basic cabin but  I like my private spot - only to be  

surrounded later by campers pitching  their tents only a few metres away.  Hello! Welcome back. For those  of you new to the channel this is   Episode 6 of my cycle trip to the north of  the Netherlands. If you want to catch up   on the previous episodes please go to the  channel and there's a whole load of other   videos you can catch up on. I'd be very much  obliged if you could like & subscribe. We're   nearly up to 500 subscribers and I'm getting  increasingly excited as each of the videos   are uploaded. Anyway, I left the tent at the  campsite and decided to go exploring today   so I'm traveling light. It's still a bit breezy  but it was a lovely sunny day. I had no real fixed  

agenda other than sort of that lovely feeling  of 'I can go anywhere I like'. I passed a lake   and a beach and headed into Appingedam where I  saw a market. The to Delfzijl, which is as far   as I could go before I sort of ran out of land in  The Netherlands. I then, rather unimaginatively,   just turned around and cycled back the way I came,  which is the safest way of finding your way back   to your the campsite. Once again these interesting  cycle routes. Lovely lifting bridge here. By the side of the lake was a  beach of white sand look very enticing. I've taken the GoPro  with me this time just to see  

if I could do a little bit more  filming and make it a bit more   interesting for yourselves. Good not to  be encumbered with panniers and luggage. I hadn't done any research as to where to go or  what to see. Just jumped on the bike and went. I   was a bit nervous as to why this gentleman  was standing here with the road blocked,   as to whether I was allowed to go or not.  So, I stopped in any case - just in case

As it was first thing in the morning  the markets were just setting up. The usual sorts of things you see at the market. Straight in front is a cheese stall. You can see it's still very breezy.  

After leaving the market I went for a bit of a nose round into the centre, which is the more  historic core. One of the things I found   out is that the some of the more historic  houses fronting the canal are renowned for   having kitchens that overhang the canal.  I did read the reason why they had the   kitchens overhanging in the canal but I  can't remember. It was something along   the lines of if they catch fire than it it's  a bit safer, or something like that. I can't   quite remember but you can see here these  these houses are little bit more age to them.

[Music] There are the kitchens hanging out the back of the buildings. I imagine they could throw  all their rubbish straight into the canal. I followed the canal  that led all the way to the sea.   For once, the wind was on my back. I thought  I'd try out some hero shots - the obligatory   hero shots. I seem to have a bad smell under my  nose for some reason. I'm not sneering - that   is my natural look. Bit of a busman's holiday  there taking photographs of a new roundabout  

going in. I regularly get passed by  older people on bicycles. They whizz   past and then you think why are they going so  fast? You realise they're on electric bikes   but I think this couple were genuinely on Old  School push bikes and they was still in front of me. Heading into Delfzijl. I went a bit off piste trying to find the centre. You can see here the canal  widens out. Much bigger ships and boats This port lies on the northern coast of  The Netherlands. Delfzijl - inevitably,   there's a windmill in the background.  Although it was a bright sunny day it  

was still a chilly wind. I nipped  into Albert Heijn and grabbed an   apple and a salad. Got myself out  of the wind and had a bit of lunch. [Music] I think overall in the trip in  the course of the 10 days or so I   managed to lose something along the  lines of about 4 kilos. I may have   lost a bit more than that but sorry  to say it's all gone back on again. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that  little bit more of the trip. More  

to come. Please like and subscribe. I  look forward to joining me next time. I decided to nip into Groningen for a spot  of lunch rather than surviving on rice and   thin sardines. Stopped off to have a look  at a 13th century Bell Tower. These houses   have enormous barns. I imagine they kept  livestock. It seems traditional for around here,   with the farmhouse bolted on the front.  I'm being instructed to go there. Some road works. I've got to go down the the Feitspad.  I think he said words to that effect. Digging  

for a pot of gold. So, we go down here and  then I imagine I can go back over here again.   I've got two-man control here. The Netherlands  produces a lot of food. In fact it probably over   produces food. Certainly, I know they've got  problems with their livestock producing a bit  

too much waste. It was lovely cycling past huge  fields of potatoes. You could smell the scent in   the air. So you see some barley and what the  Americans would call corn, or we call maize,   sweetcorn. Corn in English is a generic term for  grain. I think that must be some sort of leafbeet.  

You get to see some large boats on some of these  canals. You can see here that I'm almost below   the the water line but it's an excellent way of  shifting heavy stuff about without damaging your   roads. I decided to visit the railway station  a day early as I don't know what the drill is   for catching trains and putting your bike on  trains in in the Netherlands. So I went to the   main railway station, which you can see is being  revamped, just to see what platform I needed to   be on and where I needed to stick my bike. It's  a lovely ornate railway station. The chap here  

with the dark trousers looked highly suspicious -  don't know if he was loitering with intent - who   knows? I think this is Soup House Street when  translated. I just wandered about taking in the   city looking for a nice place to stop and have  a bite to eat and just chill. You can see here   that the land is a lot higher than the water.  I found the perfect place to stop and watch the   swing bridge opening and just people watch  for a bit. I ordered myself a nice cool beer and I have to say this was probably the  best bruschetta that I've I've ever had. Perhaps,  

I was just hungry but it really was  very good. And then my return back   to the campsite down the main large canal,  which makes for easy route finding. Please   join me for episode 8. I think we've got  one more day of pootling about and then   it's the the final day. Please make sure you  like and subscribe we're nearly at the 500   mark. Thanks every so much for watching and  I look forward to you joining me again soon.

I always keep an eye on the turbines to see  which way the wind's blowing - usually into   your face. As mentioned in previous episodes  the various crops: wheat. oats, onions, and what other crops have we've got - peas,  and finally I think, that's oilseed rape or   canola as the Americans call it. Very fertile  part of the country. This was just a short day   cycle out from my base where I've left the  tent at the campsite, up to see what I could find. Dive dive, dive! Himmel! Gott im himmel!

I'd be ever so pleased if you could like and  subscribe. It makes a huge difference for helping   grow the channel. I came across a small Museum  here but didn't go in. It had anchors outside. You   will be sad to learn that this is the penultimate  episode of my trip. The final episode will just   be my journey South and home. I've enjoyed putting  these videos together. I hope you've enjoyed them   too. It's been a learning experience and you'd  be surprised at just how long it they take to do! It's a very short ride - the line ends just there. Just come across what looks like  a second world war German flak battery  

with a mock 88mm gun. There's some  information boards down there so I'm   going to have a have a nosy. Just over my  shoulder here you can see there's a Dutch   bin. If you're a cyclist you just cycle past  and chuck your stuff into that big basket on its side. The battery is part of the Atlantic  Wall. Here we are down in Fiemel. Here's   a blurry photograph of some strapping Germany  chaps. These are the locations that were trying  

to shoot the bomber streams coming in. We're just  way up in this corner up here, so was a bit of an afterthought. Here's what it looked like from  above. It's taking some bomb damage looking at it. You can see here we are in Fiemel  and this is the Emms. There's Emden   there and further up there's the Kiel Canal so  that's what they would have been protecting I imagine. Yah Helmut!

I didn't realise that although the general  capitulation took place on the 8th of May   1945 these Germans enjoyed fighting so  much they didn't give up till June 11th.   You know it's a month later and they're still  carrying on. Unbelievable! Wherever you go   there's always someone else right  over your shoulder - unbelievable! For my return journey I plan to take a train  from Groningen to The Hague and then cycle to   a campsite to the south of Delft. The train  journey was meant to take 2 and 1/2 hours   but eventually it took 5 hours and turned  into something of a nightmare. Having no   previous experience I was anxious about  taking a bike on a train and in the end I   took the bike on four trains! The first train  terminated at Assen because I think there was   'someone on the line' but the announcement  was in Dutch so I didn't fully understand.   The guard was hopeless. Everyone got back on  the train and returned to Groningen. He gazed  

unfeelingly as the train pulled out of the  station. Leaving only me and a lady confined   to a wheelchair, and her dog, remaining on  the platform. I decided to wait an hour to   see if another train turned up before cycling to  Zwolle to try and continue my rail journey from   there. After 3/4 of an hour a train arrived from  Zwolle then returned with us on board this time.  

After changing trains I was advised to travel  to Utrecht and then catch a train to The Hague. I was becoming something of an expert travelling  with a bike on trains although one lady guard   told me that my bike should be in the parking  space but it was occupied by a lady with her   fold-up bicycle. So, she told the lady off  for having her fold-up bicycle in that space   and then told me off because I should have  taken all my panniers off but there you go... The outskirts of The Hague  merged into Delft where I stopped   and had a late lunch before continuing  to Buitengoed Ta Fete for the night.

It was a friendly little site although more  expensive than the ones up north. I was able   to camp on a little finger of land that the  host referred to as 'the island' among some   trees. There was even a hammock for me  to laze in although it was quite breezy. It was the perfect place to pitch. I'm miles away  from anyone else, which is what I always like. You'll be pleased to learn that I've since fixed   my leaking tent by reproofing it  and retaping and sealing the seams.

I always enjoy arriving at a new  campsite as you never quite know   what to expect. All of the sites I  stayed at were First Rate and all were different. I was able to make use of the   tea-making facilities and relax  in the lounge area watching the horses. That night England beat  the Netherlands in the Euros   at football and so I made a mental  note to keep a low profile the next morning. Fortunately, my host spoke  excellent English and I recall she   worked at the Delft University,  or the University of Delft is it? [Music] The deck area was beneath a Dutch barn,   or a hay barn. It's one of those barns  where the roof can go up and down to  

store the hay or straw underneath it but  it has since been converted no doubt. [Music] Here come all the Reform voters! Morning  everyone. We're all very well behaved.   Morning number 19625. Are you in trouble? Well  you've got a bit of a limp there - poor old   thing. Having a scratch. Off to pastures  new. There we go. After an early start,   the next day I made my way to Maasluis for  breakfast before arriving early at the port   to catch the ferry home. I made my way to  my cabin and enjoyed sleeping in a bed once   again. Next time, I aim to visit the south of the  Netherlands via Middelburg, Breda, and Tilburg,  

to Maastricht. If you know of any safe, secure,  place near the Hook of Holland to leave a vehicle,   or good small campsites in any of these areas,  please let me know. Also please like and subscribe   and let me know the content you enjoyed and  what you didn't so I can improve the videos.   Thank you so much for watching and I've enjoyed  very much having you along for the ride. Ant

2025-01-23 10:24

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