West coast of Holland - at the beach, of course!
Glorious sun all day!
Vendor at village fair...loved her outfit!
Caught one of the grey-haired ladies:)
Oh, the sun and beach! Woes me!!!!
I haven't made many miles, but I'm feeling more comfortable here. People aren't really approaching me as they usually do which feels a bit different. It feels like they can tell I'm not Dutch even before I speak.
Found a beach mall and a delightfully modern tea shop with free wifi!
Had an iced green tea with mint, lime, and brown sugar. Yum. Actually had TWO! Got to sit outside and soak up the light and the heat. Most of the afternoon. I was there do long that Jon, the butcher made a comment and then joined me for over half an hour. It was the first warm greeting to Holland and he helped me understand some things. He didn't think my free camping would be an issue and that the cops would be gentle with me. I learned where sticking up your middle finger came from (the days of war with powerful bows when the French cut off your middle finger if they captured you - see, I still have mine, it says) and yes, animals with a healthy life have meat that is different: more redness, better texture, definitely better. Nice to have my hypothesis confirmed!
Ok...I can camp on the beach...all night if I want to...even have a fire...but don't fall asleep!
Now I'm sitting I'm a beach parking lot.
Yup. For bikes. I'm trying to figure out where'll I'll camp tonight. There's a dunes preserve that doesn't say No Camping so I may go in there. There's a gate to get in but the whole thing is fenced with electric fencing. Not sure who or what they're trying to keep out. (Found out there are rare fuzzy cows in there somewhere.) There are paved trails with sand blown over them. If I can manage to get Blaze through the gate (the spring may be an issue), I'll camp along the trail. Trying to get a sense of how much it's travelled. Oops, rain coming!!
It stopped while I was setting up. Decided to use the parking lot, but underneath the sand is a sort of pavement. Won't hold stakes. So I've tied out the rain fly using my bear lines (2) to the posts of the bike racks. That will help with the wind, too. WHile I was setting up, some thirtysomethings started talking to me. One of the guys was wondering why anyone would travel like this, did I know how dark it would be later, I must have enough money to do this...most people do it when they are twenty...would I be safe? i think, because it's out in the open, it's actually safer...and no one seems concerned about my tent here. Just wish these kids would go home. Also, I can't understand what people are saying which is a bit unnerving. And there's wonderful music coming from the beach. SInce it's for a 40th anniversary party, I'm hoping it won't go too late:) Don't you wonder how I know this? There was a sign on the bar as I started to go in that said "40 jar" (or somethng like that) and a picture of a couple. (But then again...this band could be a repeat of my night on the ferry...oh, I hope not!)
BagLady
That's a dog in the basket under the wire cage and the cloth for shade:)
I have got to do a better job of catching all the different types of bikes here...AMAZING!
Notice the kids ride up front with no helmet and a windscreen!
p.s. and I want you know that I tried to use a campground tonight since I am just outside Den Haag, a city...but they wanted 38 euros...about $50! Cough! Cough! I can't do that! And I have this spot at the beach, no less...for FREE! I did have to explain to those young folks I met that I didn't know any other woman who did what I do. Didn't want them thinking that all American women were like me:) They said their impression of Americans is what they see on TV: lots of drugs and lots of sex! That's very sad.
10:35 pm. Busted! Yup. Cops. 9:40 pm. Can't camp here. But it doesn't say it...anywhere. I read all the signs. I thought because I wouldn't damage the parking area, this would be okay. You alone? Yes. There's a campground just back there. I know. They want 38 euros. I can't afford that. Not our problem. It's starting to rain. Not our problem. There's a cheaper campground about 5 miles back. Can't camp here. Ok. I'll pack up.
They leave and I pack in the rain. I'm good at that by now:). Thought about just going up in the dunes but thought they might look for me. Wanted to cry. Felt so alone and didn't know what I was going to do. Bike all night? Sleep on my bike? Go back to the tea house where I could get wifi and call someone? No. For now, pedal north. And as I pulled over to get out my umbrella a couple walking stopped to chat. I told them what happened. Guess I have to Hond a place to hide tonight. I told them to get going because they didn't have an umbrella and biked on...feeling better just from that bit of contact and some laughs. Then,I see a lane off the cycle path and take it. Then another less used, overgrown lane from that and...voila! A place in the woods, in the stinging nettle patch. For me.
Shit! Someone just walked by. Here? In the rain? In the woods? Did they see me? Please don't tell the cops! I don't need to move twice.
I gotta go to sleep and not worry about what I can do nothing about.
Goodnight, I hope!
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