Cycling Benelux, the Netherlands: in Achtmaal
My latest Low Countries bicycle tour update: cycling in the Netherlands, in Achtmaal. I decided to stay put today. It started to rain at about 11 o’clock last night and continued to rain all night and into this morning. And then continued to rain all day. Such a good move to stay and not move on.
What a difference from five years ago today. I think, although I’m not entirely sure, for obvious reasons. But I think the UK were in the middle of a heatwave. And today was the day I was put into an induced coma. I’d been in intensive care for a few days with sepsis. But things were now going from bad to worse as the sepsis was taking a stronger hold.
My kidneys, heart and lungs had all started to pack up. And to give me a fighting chance, I was sedated. Not that I knew any of this, I was away with the fairies. (nothing new there!) It was worse for my family and friends. But thanks to the great staff at St. Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, I made it through, and I’m here now to tell the tale.
Unfortunately, I’m still suffering as a result of the sepsis. And still have a temporary hip, which, coincidentally, I had a routine phone call with my surgeon today. Although he seemed more concerned with my DCM (degenerative cervical myelopathy) and wondered if I should be seeing a neurosurgeon sooner rather than later. That’s filled me with confidence, and I do wonder if it is a lot worse than I like to think. But hey, what will be will be.
Great news on the tent front. It’s been raining for at least 18 hours, and my tent remains as dry as a bone on the inside. A somewhat different story had I had my MSR with me.
Self-harm watch: cuts 1, bruises 2. And the cut was only because of a broken nail that I hadn’t realised I had. It broke my skin when I scratched. The bruises were from the night. It’s either that woman that sneaks in each night and gets a little rough. Or I beat myself up at night. Probably the latter, disappointingly.
Tour Information
It’s been years since I undertook this tour, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
- Photos: See my photos on Flickr
- The route: View my route across the Low Countries
- Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
- Tour page: Ride overview
Follow & Support
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.