THE BEST AND LONGEST BEACH
we saw lots of these giant jelly fish washed up on the beach…right side up or over easy? Looking up a cliff…
Back to Carrapateira
Another sunny blue sky day for a cliff hike! The flower of the day!
Lots of hiking…
Well we are pretty much into our daily routine. After a late breakfast we head out somewhere to hike for a couple of hours. Today it was a misty, foggy kind of day. We drove up to Pedralva and hiked around up in the hills. Then we took a rather bumpy pot holed road to Budens and looped back home fro...
More stunningly beautiful scenery!
A lovely morning to have coffee outside on our patio and take in the view of the Cabo San Vicente and the open Atlantic….the ‘end of the earth’! Yes, another gorgeous walk along the cliffs and beaches today. And as usual or maybe not so usual were these folks hiking the Rota Vicentina…. and yes, tha...
Crossing paths with Canadian friends!
Well today was another surprise meeting! This time with some very good friends from ‘home’…Bruce, Jane, Marilyn, Ed, Mike and Roberta. They are on a 7 day cycle tour from Sines to Lagos. We met them on the road going past our place this morning, they were on their way to the Cape and then on to Sagr...
Cliffs and beaches and lots of wind!
The trail markers for the Rota Vicentina…
Another Beach…a beautiful day!
Paderne Castle
Castle of Paderne has both a bloody past and a truly rare and remarkable architecture. The most notable aspect is perhaps its building technique. Erected in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliphate, a Berber dinasty, its thick walls are built entirely of military “taipa“, a kind of archaic structur...
Staying with friends!
Here are some pics of Paul and Carol’s place near Loulé where we are staying for a few days…
And now for something completely different…..
And now some warmth and sunshine in Portugal! The last few day in Netherlands were pretty cool and damp, but we hopped on a plane to warmer southern climes! Our first night we stayed in a hotel on the beach just 5 minutes from Faro Airport and feasted on fresh fish, salad and vegetables! The next da...
End of the cycle path!
Well this is it! We have officially retired our bikes and our butts…all good things deserve a rest! The bikes will stay here in Germany and we will drag our tired butts to Hilversum on the train on Tuesday. I am sad to say goodbye to my dear GIGI…she has become such a part of me….like an old friend,...
Rescued!
After our fabulous breakfast this morning in Kleve, our dear friends Toni and Lisa (from Gladbeck, Germany)came to pick us and our bicycles up and we continued on to Xanten for a day ride with them. We stopped along the way at a well known castle famous for its modern and contemporary art installati...
Crazy Days
Well what a day we have had! It all began as per usual…a lovely breakfast at our BnB…Vila de Pol, where we had stayed on our way to the Maas. The staff did warn us that the ferries across the Rhine ran infrequently, but she thought they would go once an hour on the hour from 11am. So we arrived ther...
From the Maas to the Rhine through the hills!
Well today we left the Mass Valley and tried a different route back through the hills east of Nijmegen/western Germany, and it was a bit easier, although I did have to push up the last bit, about 500 meters …13% grade. Again, the view was lovely. Not many pictures these past few days as I have been...
Hunting the ‘elusive’ European Badger
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/netherlands-badgers-home-train-travel-1.6787254
Dodging raindrops
Our achievement for today was getting through Venlo. On our way south we rode out and around the very busy city, which took us most of a day. It is a major industrial and transportation hub….railway lines and super highways criss cross our track. But we came up with a plan, or as luck would have it,...
A quick short, but beautiful ride!
Lots of rain and wind last night, but not enough to keep me awake! We crashed pretty early after the long day’s ride. Today we have sunshine and a very stiff breeze…Beaufort 4 from the west. It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many boats in this small country. Here, for example on the Maas...
Best Day Ever!
Well it really doesn’t get any better than a 20C mixed sun/cloudy day with a Beaufort 4 strong breeze pushing you along the Maas River LF fietspad. Wish I had a sail to put up….but no, then I would have been going way too fast! Hardly having to pedal, and I have to say some of the most beautiful sec...
Best accommodation ever!
Well our Vrienden Op De Fiets never fails to amaze! We have a beautiful house to ourselves just outside the Hoge Kempen National Park in Rekem. It is so comfortable…I don’t want to leave! I got to have a long soak in a big bathtub last night! Great for relaxing all those poor tired muscles and joint...
3 Countries in One Day!
We woke up this morning in Germany, rode through Netherlands and tonight we are in Belgium! Well, just a small detail…we actually had a ride by van for part of the way. We originally had hoped to cycle the Vennbahn back to Aachen where we would catch the train to Maastricht(we had done this on a pre...
Hot on the trail!
Dinner last night was something special. Our hosts at our BnB provided dinner which was very unique! We had a “Raclette” which is a bit similar to a fondue except you melt the cheese over a burner in a little pan and then pour it on bread, potatoes and/or sausage/ham. Everything at this dinner was l...
More side trips…
On our way back up the Vennbahn we decide to check out the route from Born which is also paved but quite hilly so we didn’t go too far along…just enough to get a fabulous view from the top of the hill! Next we went down another rail trail from Waimes to Malmedy. A downhill run but again, because it...
Exploring the trails.
I must be sounding like a broken record, but I can hardly believe the fantastic cycling here. Today we found another very smooth paved cycling trail…the EAR ( Eiffel/Ardennes Radweg) which is another rail trail that runs east off the Vennbahn. It followed the Ihrenbach River and the German/Belgian b...
The “men in tight shorts” resort
We are back in Butgenbach this morning but all the regular hotels were booked so we find ourselves at a “holiday resort” on the lake with a huge campground and hotel type room complex. As I sit here in the cafeteria with my morning coffee (breakfast buffet included), there are dozens of guys of all...
Another lovely town
We were surprised when we got into our room at Petra’s Haus…it had a little kitchen! So we hopped back on our bikes and rode into town to the butcher shop and picked up some German sausages and sauerkraut for our dinner. We new very little about our accommodation because I discovered it on my Pocket...
Kyll River Side trip
Another perfectly paved and smooth rail grade today! And most of it slightly downhill! A ride in the park for sure! From Butgenbach we are heading east along another old railway line through the gently rolling hills of East Belgium, crossing in and out of Germany. I guess the borderline here has bee...
A Walking Day
We were pretty tired after yesterday, so took a day to check out the scene here in Butgenbach. We went for a walk down by the lake and around town.
A Stormy Day
The weather has finally caught up with us! It started with an ‘on/off’ drizzle and the wind behind us which was actually quite fine…until it turned into a downpour and the wind coming across the trail. Along the trail there are old railway cars converted into shelters with picnic tables. We finally...
The VENNBAHN cycle path
Well we finally made it…from Düren by train to Aachen/Rothe Erde where we rolled our bikes out of the station and onto the Vennbahn, which starts right there! The Vennbahn is a former railway line that was built partly across what was then German territory by the Prussian state railways. It is now...
Gathering info…
Well it has been very difficult to find accommodation this week, but we were able to stay in this same hotel here in Düren. We will not be going any further on the Rur. At this point we just want to get to the Vennbahn where we have cycled before and there are no cars! We are very tired of the ‘citi...
More of the same…
Well I didn’t mention that I took a spill yesterday…hit some loose gravel and went down SPLAT, landing on some cobblestones which I was trying to avoid! No worries, nothing broken just a road rash on my elbow and a large colourful bruise on my thigh and I think I sprained my left thumb? Anyway, feel...
Meeting new friends
Well we did get an early start today which is shaping up to be a long one. Off we go to repeat part of the route that we did yesterday along the Rur. We decide to go and visit our new friends, Sylvia and Ferry, near Wassenberg, to thank them for their help in finding our hotel yesterday. They have a...
Goodbye to the Maas, Hello to the Rur(Roer)…from Netherlands to Germany and back again!
After another lovely stay with our Vrienden op de Fiets, this time, Carolein in BEEGDEN, we hop on our trusty steeds and cycle along and over the Maas. Looking towards Roermond… The town of Linne was very quiet. Now on to Sint Odiliënberg and the Rur River. Flower of the day… The new signage system...
A short day
While I am writing this outside in the garden, a hedgehog has just snuck up on me! We went for a walk after dinner down to the Maas and watched the full moon rising…a lovely orange ball! Today was quite warm…25C and no wind. We took a somewhat roundabout route through forests and fields…more mushroo...
A Day off…
Well not really…we had to do some laundry! Then we went for a long walk through the forest, while it dried in the sunshine and light breeze. Our Vrienden op de Fiets cabin is nestled in the corner of a very lovely treed property and we will stay here for 2 nights. There are lots of songbirds in the...
Today’s Challenge…
is to try and find a scenic way around the dreadfully busy city of Venlo. We managed to succeed with having to cycle beside only one busy highway (on a designated fietspad of course, but it was still noisy). We came across the ‘Brightlights’ Campus of the University of Maastricht. It must have been...
Another beautiful day for cycling
From Well to Grubbenvorst, we cross the Maas again on a ferry. We chose to ride down the west side as it appears on the map that there is a busy road on the east side. It seems the thing to do here in Netherlands if you are retired, is to go cycling for the day! Lots of couples and groups of seniors...
The Maas River
We have reached the Maas River! Last night we stayed in very cute B&B in a former toy store in Gennep …and as far as we know the toys did not come alive although we did hear some fireworks going off late in the evening! Gennep is another very old town…the city hall was built circa 1400. It has the t...
A day full of surprises!!!
We wake up in our beautiful B&B to a glorious day of sunshine with a few puffy clouds and a good breeze. After another great breakfast, we are ready to head out and decide to change our route. Instead of following the Rhine, we will go inland as the ‘breeze’ is quite fresh from the SW again, and I d...
Our luck holds!
This morning we set off fully clothed in our rain gear expecting the worst. It was raining and fortunately not much wind. Today we would be riding along the IJSSEL River to the Rhine on the LF 3 route heading south. Shortly after we said goodbye to our wonderful hosts, Marijke and Marcel in historic...
Hoge Veluwe National Park…the hills of the Netherlands
So today we decided to forgo beating into the super southerly winds for the big climb to the top of the Netherlands! We were able to stay another night at our Vrienden Op De Fiets in Doesburg, so we could explore more of the beautiful Hoge Veluwe. I have to say for such a small country, Netherlands...
Dutch winds!
Well we have been pretty fortunate so far with not having any of the infamous Dutch winds! Until today, that is! We found a somewhat sheltered spot for lunch at a “Melk tap” at a dairy farm along the way. You can bring your own bottle and fill up right here. We bought some eggs but skipped the milk....
Another ride through the park
Rain again this morning! Lucky for us, it let up by the time we were ready to head out on the Fiets pad! We rode down through the Sallandse Park and the Heather was really showing its colours! Our picnic spot After grabbing some dinner at the grocery store…yummy lamb chops as tonight we have a kitch...
A Dutch Drizzle
I awoke to the sound of raindrops on the roof…should I roll over and go back to sleep or get up and face the (perhaps) rainy day? I thought about how Netherlands is not like the BC Coast! It never rains here all day (or day after day!) So, up it is, and after watching a bit more rain while sipping o...
Market Day
Well, we were having trouble finding a place to stay for tonight (Saturday) so decided to stay here again as it was available…and the breakfast was incredible! Margareet was out in the garden early picking the flowers/mint. The honey which tasted like flowers was from the beehives in the backyard. W...
OMMEN to ALBERGEN
So now we are on LF 14….Saxons Route (Saksenroute) heading south. Prehistoric burial mounds, megalithic tombs (Dutch: Hunebedden), medieval cart tracks, traditional villages and fortress towns - the LF14 shows you the history of the rural north-eastern provinces of Holland. First stop is veggie stan...
Catching up…
My how the time flies by when on a trip like this! Since we left Zwolle, we have been following the Vecht River (Overijssel) not to be confused with the other Vecht River near Amsterdam. More or less we have been on the LF 16. LF routes criss cross the country and overlay with the Knooppunten routes...
A stormy day
This morning we wake up to quite a storm! It’s raining ‘cats and dogs’ (now where did that come from?)and the wind is whipping up the green shrubbery in the garden. Fortunately, today is a ‘rest’ day. Ha ha, that just means we will do a short loop around the area without our heavy load. How we find...
The IJssel River
The weather prediction was for rain today. It did rain overnight and the skies looked rather threatening this morning, but as we headed towards the river the skies cleared and we were once again baking in the sun! We decided to cycle on the west side of the river, although we had a couple of opportu...
Another lovely Day!
GOOD MORNING from Carolina’s B&B. We had another quiet night and a very good sleep. This is the 3rd time we have stayed here, as we passed through Putten twice in 2018. Today we are heading to Epe which will take us through the beautiful Park Veluwe with its fields of sand and heather and it’s shady...
Another hot one…+31C!!!!
Word of the day: gesloten = closed Today is Sunday and one must be prepared because it is nothing like Canada here. Everything is ‘gesloten’…all the shops, and even most restaurants! The town centres are dead quiet! So good luck feeding yourself if you didn’t buy groceries on Saturday! Thank goodnes...
D-Day!
Our departure from our B&B was pretty smooth. We cycled to Jaap and Simone’s first to say our good-byes and have a last cup of Java and photo ops with them, as is our tradition! Riding through the fields of purple Heather was beautiful today! We changed our route somewhat as because of the heat (+30...
Getting the hang of it….
Another day of enjoying the local scenery around Hilversum. Today we loaded up our panniers so we had a bit of practice hauling a load! We also had to go into Bussum to the bike shop to buy a tire pump…a very necessary tool on a trip like this! Then it was onto another beautiful picnic spot where th...
Amsterdam arrival!
Arriving at Schipol Airport…. Here we are in the countryside just outside of Hilversum…waking up after a peaceful night’s sleep in this gorgeous B&B. The past few days of travel are over and now we can settle into our cycling routine. Yesterday went very smoothly…our friend Simone met us at the trai...
What a Day!
Wow, had a fabulous walk along the Fraser River in the gorgeous sunshine with a light breeze. We found the Richmond Oval of Olympic Fame….our taxpayer $$$$ at work!
Waiting Day
Today we will go for a good long walk along the Fraser River to get some exercise before our long haul in a cramped space!
Getting ready
Only 8 days now before we fly away! So much to do here on the farm… picking/preserving fruit, veggies, herbs. Get the sailboat tucked away! I have been weighing my baggage…it’s coming in under 20 lbs so far but still finding odds and ends to throw in. We will be mostly on dedicated bike paths. Terry...