Well Hidden!

Saturday July 14
Emlichheim, Germany
Rain...rain...rain...not raining now

I've noticed in Holland more people outdoors than I saw in the UK. And the rain doesn't slow them down a bit! Hiking and biking...all ages! It's fabulous!! And I'm not the only one cycling with an umbrella:)



This is a pic of the signposts I'm following.

This morning's ride was the kind that just fills my heart with joy. The kind that is why I love bike touring. Grey, misty morning, high 50's, tranquil farm land, smooth path, no cars...what's not to love? Only got lost in the one town I had to go through today...because the path ran into a dirt pile and construction site. But after doing all my chores and great conversation with a couple from Colorado (Jim and Janet) and their friend from Germany (memory lapse here, sorry), I cycled out in a deluge. But while stopping to ponder which way to go, read maps, read road signs, all under my umbrella, a gentleman signaled for me to come under the overhang where he was waiting out the rain. So I did. Interesting, good-looking man...a therapist I think...and he invited me to stay at his place. It was hard to turn him down, but I have a tight schedule and have kms to bike before I sleep. He agreed with Janet (above) that I am crazy for liking to sleep in a tent...certifiable! But then I knew that.

Tonight I am HIDDEN! No one is going to find a wake me! ANd I can see that there is a delightful evening out there and a gorgeous sunset and I'm tucked away deep in some woods fearing that someone will happen by. But I'm sure they won't...Pretty rough woods. Hard to get Blaze in here. TAKING NO CHANCES! I want a good and long night's sleep.

I mentioned a schedule. Yup, I have one. This is just the way I DON'T like to bike. But I want to go all the way to Hamburg so I have to set myself with km limits for each day...actually, I pick a town that I have to get near. My map app will route and calculate km...of course it's not the route I'll bike, it's the route one would drive and sometimes it goes way out of it's way to get to a highway. But I've managed to try and use it to estimate distances from here to Bremen and then to Hamburg. Then take the distance remaining every night and divide by the number of days to bike and voila! I also estimate if I should take a day or two off what would I have to do. Yesterday I went 80 kms according to my bike but only 50 by the map app...that's how much riding around because I was lost and backtracking I do, not to mention that the cycle path route twists and turns through the most delightful areas. Today was 47 kms according to map app and I don't know what the bike computer says...and I'm not getting up to go read it. Once I'm settled in for the evening, my legs freeze up and are hard to move...just like hiking. (Oh, the sun is managing to break through the trees and light up my tent...ahhhh! This is so nice. Would be a good evening to be biking:))

So I have about 175 km to Bremen where I want to be by Wed afternoon, and then leave Thursday morning to go the 140 to Hamburg. And I'm going to be back to using my map app to find the route I'm afraid. Unless now that I'm in Germany, I can find information about cycle paths. I can only hope. As frustrating as they've been to follow, they have been a delight to ride:)

Ok...beddy bye time...the bewitching hour for rousting wild campers has arrived and I'm still doing well...Yippee!!!!

BagLady



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Quick Update

I am doing well and in Bremen.  I am unable to find wifi so can't update anything.  Right now I'm on a German computer and having a hard time.  Will update when I can. 

My Luck Has Got to Change!!

Friday, July 13th...and Friday the 13th it was!
Vilsteren, Holland
Rain on and off and ON and off...all day...and it's starting again, but I'm in my tent all cozy for the night, so it can rain away!!!






I have moments during the day when I'm pedaling along on one of these glorious cycle paths through the fields of Holland and I think...I can do this...I love this...I should stay. And then I get to town and spend an hour or longer trying to figure out where the path goes, where I missed a sign...did I miss a sign or was the sign missing?...retracing my steps, looking everywhere even behind me for signs (kinda like the AT:))...frustrated, exhausted, angry....checking all three of my hard maps and my app and my photo of the lastest posted path map on a sign post (clever, huh?)...and then just trying to pedal around to see if I run into the route...arrgghhh! Ask someone, you say? Why would they know where the route goes? They never cycle them! I tried that in the beginning and got these strange looks. I will say today in Zwolle when I was lost for over an hour even trying to follow auto signs to the next town, a women overheard me trying to talk to a gent who didn't speak English and she said there were route numbers down that way! When I get to the numbers, I don't know which way they are going...east or west? So I jump on the route after checking my compass to see if I'm even headed in almost the right direction and a couple of km later I'm moving smoothly again. There are the long path numbers that go for hundreds of kms...and there are the numbered intersections all over the place, and there are the red signs that point to the various towns around that intersection that paths go to. Lots of options and still I'm confused. I understand most of the information and have a map of the munbered intersections to refer to that help me, but anyone who says this is easy hasn't done it alone.

So that's one torment for today. The rain issue continued from packing up all the way through the day. It was the worst when I was cycling back to hopefully recover my umbrella that I had stood against the bike once when I stopped to read maps and signs and cycled away without it. About 15 min later I went for it because the rain was starting again and it wasn't there. My heart sank! I remembered where I'd left it but wasn't sure how far back that was...then tr
ying to go backwards wasn't easy because I was also at a time of lost signs. And the sky opened up and I realized how much that umbrella helped. And it's not just any ole umbrella, it's a Go Lite...my 2nd...because I lost the first while with Heike on the Olympic Peninsula last summer. It's actually a shade umbrella too...haven't needed that function on this trip:-/

But the BIG happening today was Blaze broke. Yup...there I am going through another adorable cobblestone village when she doesn't seem to be rolling right. She's so loaded down, it's hard to really see what may be rubbing. Is it the brakes? They seem ok. Try going again. Nope, something's amiss. I'm messing with the backend when the rack flops backwards...flopping in my hands...yup! Yikes! This isn't good. Take all my gear off to get a closer look. (rain has stopped again...see what I mean?...oh, wait...it's starting again:() The rack has sheared off at both bolts which attach it to the back of Blaze above the suspension joint! This is not good. This could really screw up my schedule getting to Hamburg. I'm on a back street in a town where I know no one with a broken bike. I want to cry. Nope, that won't help you right now. Can you bungie the rack up enough to ride it? Got 2 extra bungies and I attached them on each side of the back of the seat and hook them on the back of the rack. Hmm. That seems to hold it enough that I can ride it. Now, I need to find a bicycle shop. This rack is made in England. Perhaps they'll be able to overnight a new one and I won't be delayed too long. (Oh, I can see sun shining through the fly of my tent...but since I also hear rain, I can't open it and look.)

Ok. First folks I see tell me where to find the bike shop. Great. I get there, go in (sky is opening now and it's really raining HARD! So glad to be nestled in for the night when this happens.)

I'm touring and I've got a serious problem with my bike. Can I bring it in? Sure. Thank goodness one of the guys was comfortable talking in ENglish with me. I find most Dutch speak it but are shy. I told him the rack was busted and it was a special rack for my trike. I bring Blaze in, strip her load ("that's why it broke...that's quite a heavy load!") and he puts her up on the lift.








The other guy comes over with a piece of metal with holes in it and they're going to fashion a connector from the rack to the bike. So clever. While they're fixing Blaze I go around the corner to the Chocolate SHop and buy them some truffles. Sweet guys deserve chocolate:) 15 euros later, I'm back on the road. I think that only took an hour. I sure hit the right bicycle shop and I thanked them profusely!:-

Who just drove up? Come on. I'm way back from the road. I saw cyclists camped in a village park this morning. In the village where I paid to camp. I mentioned it to the woman in the bakery and she said No problem. So I thought perhaps it was a tourist coastal thing. It's not. You can't camp here. I don't know who he was. He was in a truck. There were these hiking trails and signs I couldn't read of course. I looked for anything that might say No Camping. I tried and I lost. Getting used to setting up twice a night:). It's getting old though. So at 9:30 (is that the bewitching hour for rousting wild campers?) and in the heavy pouring rain I packed up. Well I packed in the tent but I waited for the rain to clear before packing my bike. Actually it's quite enjoyable to cycle in the evening. A couple of miles further I found a spot near a bridge and a canal that looks like others have camped here. The police will have to physically move me from here.

Enough for Friday the 13th!!! Tomorrow has got to be better.

Beaten and Battered BagLady



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Pink Sunset

Thursday July 12th
Elburg, Holland
Rain am, sun pm...yippeeeee!

Arrghh! Get me outta here! How can I bike in 2 more weeks of this rain? The rain is heavier in Holland and this morning I heard the loudest thunder I've ever heard! Good thing there are tall trees around me. Or maybe that's a bad thing.

It's 9:26 am and it's been raining ALL morning. My tent is leaking and now things are getting wet. It could be condensation pooling then dripping. Not sure. I got all packed up while it was stopped... all packed up in my tent:)....and now it's raining heavier so I'm waiting to see if it eases up a bit. I got brave and a WTF attitude and turned on my phone to see the weather map and forecast. (I hope it doesn't cost too much!) Heaviest rain in all of Europe is over ME. And by the hour: 100%, 90%, 90%, 90%..... Not a good forecast:(. I have to bike in this. And hope it breaks long enough later to dry the tent and set up. Oh and the temperature is 57*. Balmy! I think it's letting up a bit. Let's go for coffee!!!









9:48 pm. I'm enjoying one of the few sunsets I've seen this summer as I sit outside of my tent on my yoga mat with my thermarest chair typing this. That's a first. It's not raining!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely chilly summer evening in a campground. Yes, I said....campground!


It was there at the end of my 60 km day and only 15 euros, so I took it. That's about $20. Another $1.50 for a lukewarm 10 minute shower and $13 for 100 minutes of wifi. I was hoping to skype some people tonight, but they couldn't hear me well even though they came through loud and clear. I don't understand why it works sometimes and not others even though I have full bars. Or why it works going one direction only smoothly.

Another day of many backtracks to see if I read the last sign correctly. The signs just don't flow. Then when I got into Lelystad, I had the hardest time...I mean a devil of a time finding the Centrum (center of town where the business are). At one time I was on a ROAD. Big no-no here! I've only biked about 1/2 mile on a road since I got to Holland. It's 100% cycle paths. And a truck honked at me:( I couldn't find the cycle path and couldn't figure out where this darn Centrum was. So confusing. I see a sign for it, then nothing. Eventually I got to the map store and decided a route to Emmen, my next big city. From my calculations I should easily be able to pedal all the way to Hamburg, and that's my new plan. I know that's going to cause a bit of problem when I get there hooking up with Heike, but I'm sure we can figure out something. I don't want to risk the train saying No to Blaze and besides, I'm back in the groove. Doesn't mean I don't want to go home. Knowing I have that flight at the end of 2 weeks is helping my mood. And I think the problem is mostly now driven by so much rain. I just don't want to fight it any more. It's so depressing and just takes the fun out of the trip. Too many things to fight. I'm also frustrated that there isn't more English information on stuff. SInce so few people probably speak Dutch, especially tourists, I would think they'd help them by adding English which so many people speak. I can't go sightseeing because I can't understand the signs or the tour. I am getting a feeling for the people and that's a big part of the experience. Everyone I've stopped for directions has been wonderfully helpful even when their English was rough. And I appreciated their efforts to help me out. And now that I've started saying Hi and waving again, I'm getting smiles back. So the question really is How much of the lack of connection is me?


Pink sky at night, sailor's delight! I wish that were going to hold true, but that's not what the weather report says. 100% rain tomorrow. 1/2 inch...and that's a lot!

I also think I do this for the camping...just the same reason I hike...and when I don't really get an enjoyable camping experience, it defeats the purpose. I like living outdoors! What more can I say?

Ah, to sleep, perchance to dream!

BagLady


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Three Days in Amsterdam (or thereabouts)

Wednesday, July 11th
Almere-Buiten, Holland
trying yet again to wild camp...this time supposedly in an area that is marked on a map (if I'm in the right area) as camping allowed.

Rain, heavy this morning, but cleared this afternoon...yippee!



I know I've missed a couple of. When I visit people, it's much harder to find time to write. Monday afternoon, drenched to the skin, I arrived at Apple Pie's Mom's house. This darling Dutch home was built by her father and she in fact grew up right next door. It's on a lane that doesn't allow cars. So quiet. Yet right off the shopping district that was ever so quaint with it's wide variety of shops and bricked road and sidewalk. And to the side of Nanny's house is a beautiful garden of roses and shrubs. Blaze just...and I mean just...fit through the garden gate:)

I arrived a day early because I was much closer than I thought and poor Nanny (pronounced Nah-knee, I believe) had to scurry around to be ready for me. She is raising her 2 grandchildren whom I've mentioned earlier. I won't share the private details about that be I will say that my hat's off to her for doing this and the children are benefiting immensely. She's just an amazing woman at 75...who at 65 hiked 3 weeks on the PCT with her daughter. And doing 18 mile days soon after she started! She also did 2 weeks on the AT. Kudos! She said if her knees could still do it, she'd be out there now! I now know where Apple Pie (Arlette) gets her strength but also her pleasing personality. She didn't fall far from the tree:)

I wanted terribly to visit Amsterdam and I wanted company so I convinced Rosalie and Casper to join me. I need them to help me with the train, etc. Besides, I really wanted their company. I love being around children and these 2 were loads of fun. Both were initially shy about speaking English with me, but Rosalie warmed up quickly especially when it was just the kids and me. Casper got more comfortable last night while we were playing games on my phone. That's always a good way for me to connect with kids:)

I did some research and came upon the Free Tour like the one Fuat and I did in Dublin. I thought it might be good for the kids because it was in English and it would be affordable for all three because you tip what you can afford. I was not disappointed. Gert was our tour guide and he was funny, charming, and charismatic! His English was excellent and his jokes were FUNNY! What a delivery! Rosalie got most of them! Casper was lost. But he stayed patient and didn't complain, at least to me, for the entire 3 hour tour. The one thing he wanted most in Amsterdam was to eat at MacDonalds. But it's not Dutch. But it's MacDonalds in Holland! So we had our snack there and he got his lunch there while Rosalie and I ate at a cafe (not coffee shop...that's where you buy marijuana:))

I'm sure I won't be able to retell all that I learned but I'll share what I remember. The first part of the tour was through the Red Light District. We told Casper to cover his eyes:) So we're walking down old city streets like any old city has and I'm not noticing much of anything except the crazy condoms displayed in the condom shop!


Then we stop in front of a church and Gert said did anyone see a prostitute in a window? Well I didn't. Guess I didn't know what to look for. Later when I did, it was not obvious because they aren't lit well and many of the windows were closed up. The story about how this district got started had to do with the church. The priests had mistresses and wanted them close by. Then the sailors who came to town wanted sex and the town didn't want the harassing their wives and daughters so they allowed prostitutes to reside there. Then, of course, the Catholic sailors didn't want to go to hell for their sins, so they would go to confession. And the priests wanting to make some money off this started charging for confessions. Then the problem of the sailors leaving before they could go to confession because their ships left in the night, the priest allowed them to confess BEFORE they commited the sin:) It's all part of the attitude of leniency and tolerance the city is known for. But also an attitude of commerce...make money. In 2000, prostitution was legalized and taxed. The women require all men to wear a condom and they have an emergency button in their rooms they can push if a john gets too rough. The police will come. They get to keep all their own money and they rent their windows. Seems a whole lot healthier and safer than our system...don't ya think? The oldest prostitute is 86 and there's a 2 week waiting list to see her. I believe the oldest one with a window was 67. I still have time!!!

Then he told us about marijuana and hash. About 35 years ago, A'dam had 10,000 heroin addicts. They decided to approach that problem and turn their head to the lighter drugs...less addictive and harmful one. And they decided to approach the addicts as sick not criminals. They opened clinics where they could get clean needles or the alternative drug (can't remember it...begins with m) if they wanted to kick the habit. They now have about 300 heroin addicts here. Very successful program. And did everyone become potheads? Doesn't seem like it. Gert said about 9% of the Dutch population smoke drugs. Just not a big deal as long as it done discretely. He called marijuana a highly regulated illegal drug. The coffee shops where it's sold have to buy a license to sell a drug that's illegal:-/ The coffee shop breaks the law every time it stocks its shelves. The police just turn their heads. That's the approach. Gert said the laws around marijuana are quite confusing. It's legal to carry small amounts of it and you can legally grow 5 plants for personal use. It's illegal to buy and sell it. There were head shops all over town.



The number of bicycles in this country and this city is mind-boggling! At the train station they were even stacked in 2 layers...and everywhere. EVERWHERE! The are outside offices in large numbers, along side all the railings and streets. Then there are all the ones being ridden, A Dutchman will never run you over by accident...it will be on purpose:) Yield to the bicycle. They would no more think of driving 2 miles in the car than... And you can have sex with a prostitute in the park while smoking pot, but do not have no light on your bicycle! You will get a ticket.

I so wanted to see the Ann Frank house, but the line was around the block. Just not worth it. Was moving just to stand outside and think about her story...and the story of all those killed in the Holocaust. 6 million Jews and 6 million others. Holland tried to be a place of refuge until Hitler took it over.


The other interesting site was this hidden courtyard. All the houses (tall and skinny as they are in A'dam) completely enclose it and you enter and exit through a door that from the outside looks like any other door on the street except maybe a little wider. It originally housed women that for whatever reason could not be nuns. Today only single or divorced women can live in the houses of this particular place. I guess there are many secret gardens like this in A'dam.

So today I cycled away in the pouring rain. Casper begged me to stay. He was so, so cute about it. But I had to leave. I have to get myself to Bremen in 10 days and you know how I hate hurrying. Today was exhausting because the route signs for the particular cycle path across A'dam that I wanted to take had many turns. And as soon as my ADD brain got distracted, I missed a turn. Arrghh. I got so lost that I was trying to us my compass to head in a direction that I might cross the path. And then they just stopped posting the signs and I would have to spot the back of the signs for the route in the other direction to see where the route was coming from. Many times I was way off track and had to double back or wander around and hope I'd see a sign for MY path. Exhausting! I just want to pedal and space out like I always do! We'll see if it gets easier now that I'm in a more rural area.

I'm kinda hidden tonight off the cycle path. I just can't worry about it because that energy causes attraction. All is good and I am tired.

Lights out...if my blinder's on:)

BagLady


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Making Plans

Sunday, July 8th
Coast of Holland.



(that's a beach house!)

Woke up to pouring rain and in the dumps. Thought about staying in my tent cave all day, hidden in the woods.
But when the rain stopped late morning, I decided to venture forth. I have to say the events of the evening before upset my mojo, but it was my own fault camping so out in the open. Not again. Hide to camp: Pretend your hiding from the bad guys (attackers) but you're really hiding from the good guys (cops):) Crazy, mixed-up world, this is! And it's beginning to get to me. I'm feeling more stressed now than ever before. Tonight I'm camped along the cycle path further north off in desert brush, but hopefully hidden by the hilly terrain. That was my attempt any way. And like last night I've got my tent tied out instead of staked because of loose sand and wind. I'm having flashbacks of camping in the southern California desert one particular night. But I think the wind was worse then.

So in my funk this morning I cycled into the next town...large industrial town...and found coffee and wifi. And I used a lifeline: called Dennis:). (that's because I saw he was on Skype and he was up because he had taken his sister to the airport early). I was on the verge of tears. Lost. Unhappy. Tired. Tired if a lot if things: rain, moving, hiding, not understanding the signs (trying not to break any laws but pushing the edge of the envelope). Maybe 2 months is my new limit at least moving like this: alone in a foreign country.

Dennis did some research for me on flights home using frequent flyer miles (economy) from various cities I am near and the best option came up in Hamburg which is near where my biker friend, Heike, has an office. So I called her (after a call to Heike in Cork to get her number - it is nice having friends over here:)) and together we came up with a plan: I'm booking that flight home on the 25th from Hamburg. I'll bike to Bremen (after visiting Amsterdam) and stay with friends of the Heikes. From there I'll take the train to Hamburg on Sunday the 22nd.


Cycle road intersection and road markers!


That gives me a bit more time to enjoy (stress) my trip and a plan to go home and enjoy the end of summer. Now if my gut would just let go and realize no one's going to wake us tonight, I'd be happier.

I'm sitting in my tent in the late evening light eating last night's leftovers of pasta and green beans with pesto. Now my scrumptious chocolate bar dessert.

I think this trip may have quenched my thirst for foreign travel. At least like this: alone, on bike, free camping. We'll see how the next few weeks go. Sometimes I'm not as tough as I like to think I am. And that's okay too. I've had to be do tough my whole life: raising my daughters alone, corporate job, just being a woman in man's world ...that I don't know how to deal withy fears when I have them. I know everything will be all right. I know I'll get my mojo back. Sometimes I wonder what I'm thinking. Do I forget I'm a 62 year old woman? Maybe I am certifiably insane! And when I go home what am I going to do? That just remains to be seen.

Ya know you get the raw, uncensored "me". My ups. My downs. Some days traveling like this feels as easy as pie. Other days I want a "weekend". A day to unwind, to catch my breath, to just relax. And I haven't figured out how to do that. When I got a room a while back, I got bored pretty quickly just wandering around, watching some TV, joking around with the pub owners. This daily dose of endorphins is addictive. It felt awfully good to do some biking when I finally left the pub today after over 4 hours there!

Ok. Enough babbling. That's the plan.

Do I hear voices? I'm getting paranoid! And I don't have the veil of darkness to hide in. Sun doesn't set until maybe 10:30? Could someone let me know?

I need a bit of tent yoga, reading time, and uninterrupted sleep.

Zzzzzz. BagLady

That was at 8:30. Now it's 11:00 pm and I've moved. Some grumpy Dutchman approached my tent about an hour after I finished writing and not 5 minutes after I laid my head down yelling "You have 5 minutes to leave before I call the cops! Can't you read? No camping!". I can read, but not Dutch says I. And I've not been able to find one symbol or reference that says No Camping. "5 minutes!" It will take me 30 minutes to pack up. " You have 5 minutes!". Then he left. I never saw him because I never opened the tent. The cops were nicer. So once again I packed up. This time I headed back about 3 miles to where I knew there were some woods. Now I'm totally lost in here because there are trails everywhere. No place to really hide but I think it's late enough everyone's gone home to bed. I hope Grumpy went back to check and see if I'd gone. So I'm not paranoid and I need to get away from these cycle paths and use the roads. I'd rather deal with cars and be able to find places to camp. That was more fun. Off to sleep. I think I'm okay for another night:).
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Making Plans

Sunday, July 8th
Coast of Holland.



(that's a beach house!)

Woke up to pouring rain and in the dumps. Thought about staying in my tent cave all day, hidden in the woods.
But when the rain stopped late morning, I decided to venture forth. I have to say the events of the evening before upset my mojo, but it was my own fault camping so out in the open. Not again. Hide to camp: Pretend your hiding from the bad guys (attackers) but you're really hiding from the good guys (cops):) Crazy, mixed-up world, this is! And it's beginning to get to me. I'm feeling more stressed now than ever before. Tonight I'm camped along the cycle path further north off in desert brush, but hopefully hidden by the hilly terrain. That was my attempt any way. And like last night I've got my tent tied out instead of staked because of loose sand and wind. I'm having flashbacks of camping in the southern California desert one particular night. But I think the wind was worse then.

So in my funk this morning I cycled into the next town...large industrial town...and found coffee and wifi. And I used a lifeline: called Dennis:). (that's because I saw he was on Skype and he was up because he had taken his sister to the airport early). I was on the verge of tears. Lost. Unhappy. Tired. Tired if a lot if things: rain, moving, hiding, not understanding the signs (trying not to break any laws but pushing the edge of the envelope). Maybe 2 months is my new limit at least moving like this: alone in a foreign country.

Dennis did some research for me on flights home using frequent flyer miles (economy) from various cities I am near and the best option came up in Hamburg which is near where my biker friend, Heike, has an office. So I called her (after a call to Heike in Cork to get her number - it is nice having friends over here:)) and together we came up with a plan: I'm booking that flight home on the 25th from Hamburg. I'll bike to Bremen (after visiting Amsterdam) and stay with friends of the Heikes. From there I'll take the train to Hamburg on Sunday the 22nd.


Cycle road intersection and road markers!


That gives me a bit more time to enjoy (stress) my trip and a plan to go home and enjoy the end of summer. Now if my gut would just let go and realize no one's going to wake us tonight, I'd be happier.

I'm sitting in my tent in the late evening light eating last night's leftovers of pasta and green beans with pesto. Now my scrumptious chocolate bar dessert.

I think this trip may have quenched my thirst for foreign travel. At least like this: alone, on bike, free camping. We'll see how the next few weeks go. Sometimes I'm not as tough as I like to think I am. And that's okay too. I've had to be do tough my whole life: raising my daughters alone, corporate job, just being a woman in man's world ...that I don't know how to deal withy fears when I have them. I know everything will be all right. I know I'll get my mojo back. Sometimes I wonder what I'm thinking. Do I forget I'm a 62 year old woman? Maybe I am certifiably insane! And when I go home what am I going to do? That just remains to be seen.

Ya know you get the raw, uncensored "me". My ups. My downs. Some days traveling like this feels as easy as pie. Other days I want a "weekend". A day to unwind, to catch my breath, to just relax. And I haven't figured out how to do that. When I got a room a while back, I got bored pretty quickly just wandering around, watching some TV, joking around with the pub owners. This daily dose of endorphins is addictive. It felt awfully good to do some biking when I finally left the pub today after over 4 hours there!

Ok. Enough babbling. That's the plan.

Do I hear voices? I'm getting paranoid! And I don't have the veil of darkness to hide in. Sun doesn't set until maybe 10:30? Could someone let me know?

I need a bit of tent yoga, reading time, and uninterrupted sleep.

Zzzzzz. BagLady

That was at 8:30. Now it's 11:00 pm and I've moved. Some grumpy Dutchman approached my tent about an hour after I finished writing and not 5 minutes after I laid my head down yelling "You have 5 minutes to leave before I call the cops! Can't you read? No camping!". I can read, but not Dutch says I. And I've not been able to find one symbol or reference that says No Camping. "5 minutes!" It will take me 30 minutes to pack up. " You have 5 minutes!". Then he left. I never saw him because I never opened the tent. The cops were nicer. So once again I packed up. This time I headed back about 3 miles to where I knew there were some woods. Now I'm totally lost in here because there are trails everywhere. No place to really hide but I think it's late enough everyone's gone home to bed. I hope Grumpy went back to check and see if I'd gone. So I'm not paranoid and I need to get away from these cycle paths and use the roads. I'd rather deal with cars and be able to find places to camp. That was more fun. Off to sleep. I think I'm okay for another night:).
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"You Can't Camp Here" Say the Cops

Saturday, July 7th
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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Forest Gump

Friday , July 6th
Rotterdam, Holland

11:30 am Rough night: disco music til 2am, hard pillow, top warm comforter. (BL's torments)

Disembarkation went smoothly and here I am. In a country that I understand not a word and can't read the signs. And I have not a clue where I'm going. Floating like a feather.
Inside I can sense that feeling of fear. What am I suppose to do next? Where should I go? Hear the "should"? Relax. Take a deep breath. One step at a time. Watch the future unfold in front if you. You'll know what to do when you need to. You'll know where to go. Trust. Just keep moving forward and you know how to do this. Okay. Here we go. Blaze and me. Scared and courageous at the same time.

What's that weather out there? Did we make a wrong turn during the night and go back to the UK? Sure looks like it: grey and rainy. WHAT??? Oh sure. Last week was warm and sunny. Next week is what? Rain? NO!!!!

First thing: get some info. Ask. Got info about small towns nearby that would be interesting to see and better than going into Rotterdam. That works. Just follow the cycle path she says. Little do I realize, she means it. These aren't cycle paths. They're cycle roads. Wide. Smooth. Signed. They're serious about cycling here. Very serious!



Yes, all that pavement just for me! In the UK I would have shared it with a tractor trailer truck and a car and had high bushes up to the edge of the pavement. This is my kind of opulence, oh yeah!

Even bridges have separate cycle roads. I can't use the word paths., because that just doesn't describe them. They have signs and a line down the middle and are very, very wide. And did I mention smooth?



Ok. Got directions to laundry. Front loading with detergent already in there? It feels so modern here as compared to England. I couldn't even find a laundromat there.

At the laundry, a women in the office of the park gave me her number in case I needed help while in Holland. How fabulous and thoughtful.

Just saw how little kids learn to ride bikes very young. A very little bike with no pedals. They use they're legs to propel it, then glide to balance. Clever!


So now I sit having an unusual she goat cheese salad with apricot dressing, people-watching. So many bikes. Whole families. Grandmas. Little kids. Mostly blonde. I think I like the grandmas best. These coiffed, well-dressed, proper, grey-haired women pedaling along is a treat to see:))))

Think I'll stay the night here if I can find a cheap place. Lots to see. Good place to get my feet under me.

6:30 pm. I didn't stay. Nothing cheap. Coulda camped but after touring the village, wasn't all that much to see so I decided to head north. Did get a cycle route map that should help. Lots of options for camping here. So much wide open space. Feels really good. Makes me realize how cramped I've been theses last 5 weeks. Ahhh. I can breathe again.

To get over the water I had to take a ferry. Again. Met some guys while I was waiting and when I told him how I travel with no destination and no agenda, he said "You're Forest Gump on wheels!". How fitting!

Groceries were one of my tasks today.



And I hadn't thought about the challenge of shopping when you can't read the language:/. For something as simple as butter, I had to ask for help because there were packages that looked like butter but weren't. And I can't always be sure that the person I'm asking speaks English. But I ask away and see if they give me a strange look or are able to answer me. Young folks are easier because most of them learn English in school. I haven't figured out the Dutch word for organic. That will be the next time. They also had a mall that was butcher, bakery, produce, clothes, toys, drug stores all mixed together. And... free wifi! Afterwards though when looking for a john, I went on the library across the street and she wanted to charger 50 cents! I am not paying to use a toilet so I asked where some public ones were. Right next door in a culture center. Free wifi but pay toilet. I could have waited to go in the woods but I needed water for tonight. Priorities! Checklist when I leave a town at the end of the day:
- water filled?
- food for a full day?

Simple, hey? But forgetful me can still forget something!

This is the first summer evening I've had. On a rise off the cycle path on the river. The sun is glorious! I'm lounging on my all purpose yoga matt reading maps and writing this. As well as staring at the woods and sky, watching a butterfly that probably is my mom, and running my toes through the grass as I toddle barefoot to my bike for more chocolate:)

Another torment: sun poisoning on toes is not proving. Get it through my bike sandals. Perhaps I should try sunscreen on them. That would be a first.



Do I need a pedicure?

BagLady


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Getting Outta Here!

Thursday, July 5th
On a ferry to Rotterdam



The owner of the garden center where I was camped last night stopped by about 10 pm. He was worried about my safety and offered his yard to me but I assured him I would be all right. Then a neighbor woman, Carol, stopped by to offer to dry any wet clothes for me in her house. What a great idea, but I realized I didn't have anything wet. (I told you I was managing the rain.). But when she offered coffee in the morning, I accepted. Knowing the owner wanted me out if there early, I told her 7:30. So i met her hubby, Bernie, daughter and son all this morning. Got directions to The Mossbrook and the bus station and some ferry info. Didn't really know when I left there how the day would unfold.


Got my package! Had a new battery pack to my solar charger sent to PO in Eckington and it was there! We'll see if this one works better with my iPhone.

Then off to The Mossbrook. I thought it was an inn, but it's a darling pub...a ladies pub by the clientele for lunch. The manager treated me to a cup of coffee, a tour of the main floor of what was an old house, and really no clue as to why it was called The Mossbrook. It may well have been the name of the house since they like to name them here and the house behind had a plaque "Moss Bank".


A Mossbrook at The Mossbrook

Then I biked into downtown Sheffield not sure what my plan was. Go first to the bus station to see about a bus to the ferries. Hull or Harwich. Bike has to be bagged or boxed. What! Not gonna happen. Guess I'll have to bike to Hull. About 85 miles away. Let's see what they say at the train. Ticket counter: go to Information. Information: need to speak with a manager. Manager: you'll have to ask the conductor an the train platform. He makes the decision. Ok. What time is next train? ( I already know the ferry has to be boarded by 7 pm). Leaves in 30 minutes (3:41) and arrives at 5:10. Ok! Let's give it a try today. Might as well find out sooner rather than later if Blaze can go.

No problem! Fully loaded! What a breeze!



I'm off to the Netherlands tonight!!! Didn't even have time to mail the last of my postcards. Oh well.

And in my usual "can you answer a question for me?" way I met Andy Heard.



I needed to figure out how to get to the ferries from the train station. And we chatted the whole way to Hull. A gent overhearing my question drew me a map of how to get to the ferries and brought it over to me:). That's the magic that happens all the time. The train was better and faster than the bus. Got good directions. Passed a delightful afternoon with Andy.

And after only getting confused 3 times, I got to the ferry. And to make sure I appreciated all the hills of the UK, they had a steep ramp for me to climb just to get on it:). Thanks!!



So here I am! Off to Rotterdam on an overnight 12 hour ferry trip with a berth and SHOWER!!!!

Then to dinner which required a reservation. As I went back to the host to suggest that if another solo wanted to share my table so they could eat 45 minutes earlier and not alone, Ursula from Switzerland walks up. Sure. Meet ya back here at 8:15. So I had a dinner companion who spoke very good English, same age, and would never do what I'm doing! I understand. Some of my girlfriends feel the same way.

Now if the disco bar underneath me would just quiet down, I might get some sleep.

BagLady


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