Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in Europe Saturday, 29th-July-2023. Aalsmeerderbrug to the Hook of Holland. 61 miles, Google’s playing ball today.
I was up nice and early today. As I wanted to get the tent down and packed away before it started to rain. I was also hopeful of getting into Amsterdam before the rain came in. And on both accounts, mission accomplished. It just started to spit with rain as I left Amsterdam.
It’s been tough going today I’ve had a strong headwind all day, which I knew I would get when I cycled up to Amsterdam. And although it’s been raining on and off all day I was lucky enough to miss most of the showers. That was until this afternoon. Thinking it would only be another brief shower I continued cycling. But the rain just got heavier and heavier. I took shelter under a tree, but that proved to be useless. It was fine to start with but the wind and rain were so strong, the tree offered no shelter at all. And I was completely soaked. Even the cars on the road next to me came to a standstill the rain was so hard.
Your Not As Useless As You Thought
I wasn’t expecting to get as far as I have today. But when I realised I kept umming and ahhing what to do. Should I stay another night and go into Rotterdam tomorrow? Or should I get the ferry back to England? I cycled past several campsites and dithered at each one. Should I stay or should I go? In the end, the deciding factor was the weather. It’s looking awful for tomorrow and I think there’s also a weather warning out.
I arrived at the ferry terminal and went to book tonight’s crossing. No chance they were fully booked. And it was the same for tomorrow night. I suppose it’s to be expected, after all, it is peak season. I think I’ve got used to travelling off-season and just turning up and getting a crossing. It just never occurred to me that they’d be full. So reluctantly I’m booked on tomorrow afternoon’s crossing which gets into Harwich at 8 p.m. tomorrow. An awful time to arrive anywhere so I’ve booked a hotel.
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