This blog is about a trip taken by David Gladman & Ricky Hearn in September 2014. The purpose of the blog is to act as a record to some extent but also to be a resource and encouragement to others who may be considering riding this route. The route we took forms part of the 6,000 kilometre North Sea Cycle Route and is probably the flatest part of the route.
Despite being talked about for a while, the trip came together fairly quickly and with the minimum of planning. Basically, we booked an outbound ferry, checked trains routes and went. We did have a look at what we could find on the internet and some useful resources came up - hence we wish to add to them with our experience.
The overall shape of the trip was ferry from Hull to Europort/Rotterdam; cycle from Europort to Rotterdam (about 22 miles and well signed) and then train from Rotterdam to Dan Helder. There was one train change. The train journey was simple and carrying bikes in Holland simply isn't a problem. At Den Helder we then cycled south east to meet the NSCR as it went towards Den Oever. We then cycled to Hamburg although we did take ferries where possible as we were falling behind our schedule.
Hamburg we found extremely busy and very expensive. We had planned to stay a day or two in Hamburg to have a look around but decided against simply on a cost basis. Our one night stay cost €230 for one room. The return journey was train from Hamburg to Rotterdam with two changes as Osnabruch and Amersfoort. The cost of this 500k journey was about €70 - a fraction of the cost of a similar journey in the UK. This included a bike ticket. It is advisable to book your bike in advance in Germany as some trains have limited space. There is no need to book in Holland although bikes may not be carried at peak times.
From Rotterdam we reversed the route to cycle back to Europort and the Hull ferry.
Saturday 27 September 2014
Friday 26 September 2014
An Overview
The trip took 10 days of cycling and we covered just under 500 miles. Ricky has battery assistance on his bike and we found that 50 miles a day was about a safe range. This may not sound a great deal but our view was to enjoy the journey and 50 miles a day allowed us to do that. The whole of the route is virtually flat and we found that a cruising speed of about 10 miles an hour was comfortable. As there is no downhill there is no ability to coast at all so most days we were looking at a solid 5 hours or so of pedalling. We also found that there is very little cover from the wind. For three days we were riding into a gentle east wind that wasn't uncomfortable but we realised that it was slowing us down. On one day we were heading into a strong northerly wind and we travelled less than 40 miles.
We had intended cycling up to 60 miles a day but quickly found this would be difficult. We adjusted our plans to take ferries wherever possible to save some miles and to keep us within the two weeks that we had to complete the ride.
Holland
North Holland has a surprising beauty. It is an empty countryside with small villages and a lot of sheep. Shops and cafes are few and far between, as is overnight accommodation. That said, we did find accommodation each night but there was a degree of planning on the road in looking to find sizeable places where accommodation may exist. This did not work every time and we sometimes had to travel a few miles off the track to find somewhere.
English was widely spoken and everyone was pleased to be able to help.
Signage along the route (signed as LF10) was clear and reliable. The Dutch signs are also signed as LF10a and LF10b so that direction of travel could not become confused.
Most of the route was away from busy roads. Much of the ride was on cycle paths and the riding surface was always in excellent condition.
Germany
Germany we also found full of beauty but it was far busier than North Holland. We expected the cost of accommodation to be more expensive than in Holland but in the event this proved not to be the case - with the very notable exception of Hamburg which was very expensive.
Again many people spoke some English although not as many as in Holland. We found people to be very welcoming as it seems that English visitors are few and far between.
Signage was poor compared to Holland. Indicators for the NSCR were suspended below other signposts on metal plates that were about the size of a beer mat. It would have been difficult if not impossible to navigate simply by following the signs.
Equipment
We took no special equipment but I had invested in a Garmin Edge Touring and had found some downloadable maps of the route. The Garmin proved very reliable and saved us lots of time checking where we were and looking for signposts. The Holland part of the route appeared on the Garmin as one route and I suspect that it had been assembled from the maps of the route it was that accurate. The German routes followed someone's actual ride. Clearly they had got lost a couple of times and the routes tended to start and finish where the riders had stopped. This led us a few miles off course one day.
Holland
North Holland has a surprising beauty. It is an empty countryside with small villages and a lot of sheep. Shops and cafes are few and far between, as is overnight accommodation. That said, we did find accommodation each night but there was a degree of planning on the road in looking to find sizeable places where accommodation may exist. This did not work every time and we sometimes had to travel a few miles off the track to find somewhere. English was widely spoken and everyone was pleased to be able to help.
Signage along the route (signed as LF10) was clear and reliable. The Dutch signs are also signed as LF10a and LF10b so that direction of travel could not become confused.
Most of the route was away from busy roads. Much of the ride was on cycle paths and the riding surface was always in excellent condition.
Germany
Germany we also found full of beauty but it was far busier than North Holland. We expected the cost of accommodation to be more expensive than in Holland but in the event this proved not to be the case - with the very notable exception of Hamburg which was very expensive. Again many people spoke some English although not as many as in Holland. We found people to be very welcoming as it seems that English visitors are few and far between.
Signage was poor compared to Holland. Indicators for the NSCR were suspended below other signposts on metal plates that were about the size of a beer mat. It would have been difficult if not impossible to navigate simply by following the signs.
Equipment
We took no special equipment but I had invested in a Garmin Edge Touring and had found some downloadable maps of the route. The Garmin proved very reliable and saved us lots of time checking where we were and looking for signposts. The Holland part of the route appeared on the Garmin as one route and I suspect that it had been assembled from the maps of the route it was that accurate. The German routes followed someone's actual ride. Clearly they had got lost a couple of times and the routes tended to start and finish where the riders had stopped. This led us a few miles off course one day.
Thursday 25 September 2014
The Journey
A calm crossing from Hull to Rotterdam gave us a good night’s
sleep. We were off the ship quickly and started off to Rotterdam. There were
other cyclists on board some of whom were setting off for Greece (about 6 to 7
weeks was their estimate) and another guy riding to Berlin.
The ride into Rotterdam was well signposted and we were at
Rotterdam Centraal to catch the 11:20 train to Amersfoort where we changed for
Den Helder. Getting the bikes on trains was simple – there is plenty of space
on Dutch trains although rush hour is to be avoided. The cost of a ticket for
the bike was €6.
 |
| A hot & sunny Den Helder |
The accommodation found for us was the Ecolodge at Villa
Nieuwland and is recommended
Tel +31 06 20397 307
A splendid breakfast was presented for us together with an
invitation to make up some lunch for later.
We rolled the short distance back to Den Oever and onto the
dijk. This had been something of a novelty as we had looked at maps and satellite
images trying to see exactly what we would be riding over. It was a little
misty when we arrived at the start and all we could see was the road
disappearing into the mist. The sun got out and burned the mist off fairly
quickly but still all that could be seen was the road disappearing into the
distance. In fact, the road is pan flat and arrow straight for just short of 20
miles. There is a monument after 5 miles and a petrol station after about 12
miles – both of which we visited if only to break the tedium.
 |
| 20 miles pan flat and arrow straight |
Once off the dijk the cycling goes onto the sea wall for a
very pleasant run up to Harlingen. The day was hot and sunny again by this time
and Harlingen presented a pleasant coffee stop and a short sightseeing detour
around the harbour before we rolled on again through quiet roads to an
overnight stop at Ould Bildtzil. Again, we were getting concerned about finding
accommodation as villages were few and far between but a post lady we met along
the way said we should find something at Ould Bildtzil. On arrival we again
found no room at the inn but again the local people found accommodation for us
and we found ourselves in a self contained flat for the night with breakfast
being delivered in a picnic hamper the next morning.
De Witte
Klok
Breakfast was delivered about 9:15 and we were on our way about an hour later. I think we could both have stayed a while as we had enjoyed our brief stay having eaten alfresco by the canal the evening before.
 |
| War Graves at Weirum |
The next village at Paeseng did have a welcoming cafe selling apple cake and cream. This was the first open cafe we had seen all day and we were well into the afternoon.
Again we aimed at what we thought would be a reasonable sized habitation in anticipation of accommodation; this time aiming at another ferry port at Lauwersoog. The port area was sizeable but the village was not. We found a camp site offering (expensive) accommodation. However, the lady on reception gave us some bed & breakfast addresses, one of which was on our route at Ulrum, a good 10 miles down the road. A quick phone call told us that there was a room available so off we went.
Ulrum was a sizeable village but at 5:00 in the evening it was empty. Where does everyone go? After doing several laps of the village we did find someone who told us that the place we were looking for was a farmhouse outside the village and directions were given. What we found when we arrived was beyond belief. We were staying in the barn, but inside the barn were four cottages, a main street, a village square and a sitting room/kitchen/social area. It was quite amazing and not expensive either.
After unpacking and scrubbing up we had to go back two villages on the bikes to get food, but it was another alfresco meal sat outside the Hungry Horse where we had the most excellent steaks.
http://www.bed-breakfast-demarne.nl/
Telefoon: 06 53163440
Email: info@bed-breakfast-demarne.nl
Bed en Breakfast De Marne
Ingenieur A J van de Brielweg 1
9971 TA Ulrum
Ulrum was a sizeable village but at 5:00 in the evening it was empty. Where does everyone go? After doing several laps of the village we did find someone who told us that the place we were looking for was a farmhouse outside the village and directions were given. What we found when we arrived was beyond belief. We were staying in the barn, but inside the barn were four cottages, a main street, a village square and a sitting room/kitchen/social area. It was quite amazing and not expensive either.
After unpacking and scrubbing up we had to go back two villages on the bikes to get food, but it was another alfresco meal sat outside the Hungry Horse where we had the most excellent steaks.
http://www.bed-breakfast-demarne.nl/
Telefoon: 06 53163440
Email: info@bed-breakfast-demarne.nl
Bed en Breakfast De Marne
Ingenieur A J van de Brielweg 1
9971 TA Ulrum
Day 4 18th September
NSCR day 4
It was a misty start to the day but true to unseasonable form the sun soon came through. We knew from the start that we were aiming at Delfzijl today as we thought that there may be a ferry to Emden that would save us about 60 miles. Information about the ferry was ambiguous at best but our thinking was we could check everything once we got there. On that basis we set out to cover about 40 miles at a steady place and cafe's were definitley on the menu. Again, they proved elusive.
The route moved inland and went through the town of Warffum. Here we found a bike shop and a small supermarket so we stopped. Ricky went to the bike shop to make enquiries about the cost of batteries and then we both went into the supermarket for drinks and food. We asked about somewhere for coffee and they offered to make us one, but then it was revealed that there was a cafe by the harbour, "just go up the street opposite the supermarket" was the advice. So we did, but I was perplexed as we were a little distance from the sea and I hadn't spotted any rivers on the map. Of course, being the Netherlands there is water and canals everywhere and the harbour was a mooring at the end of a canal. It had two boats though so it was a harbour! And the cafe served really good cake too.
We then rolled on to Delfzijl - the largest place we had been in for several days. It even had a bit of a shopping centre and offered quite a few places to stay. We came across a Bed & Breakfast sign as we were looking for accommodation. We thought that the stay in the barn would take some beating but Rita's Bed & Breakfast did it easily.
We were ushered into what Rita called "her palace" and not without cause. Every surface was marble tiled; furniture was deep and sumptuous. We had the whole place to ourselves too. Now, that was a bargain on its own, but Rita and her husband Maurice, then set about trying to resolve the ferry information. It wasn't easy and took them a good hour and although we had more information, it was still a case of turn up in the morning and see what happens. The advice and assistance they gave to us was well beyond what could have been expected.
There is a link to the webpage below with photo's of the place. It still looks unbelievable.
http://www.ritabedandbreakfast.com/en
Day 5 19th September
NSCR day 5
Although the ferry was just over the road we were up and out at 8:00. The information that we had suggested that if there was a ferry it would be at 9:00 and we wanted to be sure. In the event there was a ferry and to say we were fortunate in getting it is an understatement. The ferry goes to the island of Borkum but in doing so goes to Knock across the Ems estuary first. It goes on only two days a week and is seasonal. We caught the last boat of the season. The 30 minute crossing saved us over a day of cycling, although we were prepared to do that had the ferry not arrived.
By 9:30 we were in Germany and riding along tracks to rejoin the NSCR. Once we rejoined the route it was hard to tell the difference as it was just like Holland but then we came upon a couple of lighthouses that were very different. The second one that we came across had a fence for "love locks" and there was a newly wed couple right on cue.
As we left the second lighthouse we had our first technical issue. Nothing to do with the bikes. The Garmin screen locked. We rolled off using maps and signposts; needless to say within minutes we were off route. We stopped after half an hour and managed to bring the Garmin back to life. We weren't too far off the route so rejoined it without too much problem.
North Germany was more populated than Holland so there were villages and even an odd cafe. One such establishment was found after a short diversion to the village of Grimersun.The route itself moved away from the coast and we found ourselves on busier roads (or at least cycle paths at the side of roads) as we went through Marienhaff. At least we found a garage for ice creams (it was another hot & sunny day) and a new map so that we could double check locations.
It stayed busy all the way from Marienhaff through Norden and we decided to head to the coast at Norddeich. Again, the whole place was quite full but it is a sizeable resort and we found a room at the Hotel Seewind before finding somewhere to eat along the sea front.
Day 6 20th September
NSCR day 6
One thing to remember is that using cards to pay does not always work! Because our cards would not work we had to pay by cash. This left us with €20 between us. Another thing to remember is that cash machines are not as plentiful, and when they are they are often inside buildings and not outside as in the UK. Eventually, we found a cash machine (geldamat, we noted) before we left town, but it took a while.
Again we had hot & sunny weather all day. We had very pleasant riding for much of the day, by far the majority of the distance being along the sea wall. The first stop of the day was at Benserseil. This was a fishing village and harbour. Being Saturday there were many people out enjoying the day and when we arrived at Benserseil it was decided to look for coffee. We were directed to a building by the waterside and we parked the bikes by a bar area. Whilst doing so we got involved with some chaps who, I think, were trying to decide where we came from. As we identified ourselves as English a voice came out asking how we were in a perfect Aussie accent. We were given beers (my first for 30 years) and had a very pleasant half hour making conversation. The Aussie turned out to be German man who worked in London and had a girl friend from New Zealand.
We rolled on after our free beer and later stopped for lunch at another beachside hostelry at Neuhalingerseil. Here we enjoyed bratwurst while listening to some music pumped out on the sound system - Black Sand was the album, as Ricky went back to find out!
The route left the coast later in the afternoon and we headed inland towards Jever - a very pleasant little town. Again, we found little available accommodation but again Ricky turned up trumps as he asked two ladies who turned out to be teachers of english. We eventually found a room (the last one again) in a small hotel. Again we were well looked after and would recommend the place to others.
Hotel Pellmuhle
info@hotel-pellmuelhe.de
If yesterday was a good day, today wasn’t the same. This was a day of things going wrong, or at least, not going right.
We set off early very much aware that breakfast was required. We had eaten a pastry from the feast the night before as we left. Ten miles in we came into Himmelpforten where we found a well stocked bakery. Needless to say we were in pretty quick and ordered coffee and several delicacies. From there it was a steady and unremarkable ride towards Hamburg. We stayed on the banks of the Elbe for much of the way. The town of Stade looked interesting but it came and went as we headed towards our goal. Eventually, after trying to go through the Airbus factory, we came to the ferry across the Elbe and into Hamburg. We got off the ferry at Altona and went down to the Fishmarket and St Pauli to look for somewhere to stay.
Now, logic dictates that we have just travelled about 500 miles and managed to find accommodation in various out of the way places every night. A big place like Hamburg will have rooms by the bucketload, surely? No! We struggled to find somewhere to stay. Tourist Information kindly told us there was nowhere as there was a big conference in town. We did eventually find somewhere but it was €230 a night - a bit strong for a couple of Yorkshire lads. On that basis we went to the station to arrange our return journey instead of spending a couple of days in Hamburg as we had planned.
We spent about 13 hours in possession of our €230 room as we were off to the station at 7 next morning. This was a shame as Hamburg is a lovely city and well worth visiting.
Day 11 25th September
NSCR day 11
The train journey back to Rotterdam was excellent value. We travelled about 500 kilometres and it cost €69 each. That included a €6 charge each to take the bikes. Bike spaces were reserved through to Amersfoort where we joined Netherlands railways. Not only was the value good but the trains ran on time. When booking our tickets we noted that there was only 2 minutes to change trains at Amersfoort so we changed the journey to catch the train an hour later. When we arrived in Amersfoort we realised that the train about to leave on the platform opposite was the train we hadn't booked. We did think about leaping on but we decided to take a break for something to eat and drink. As it happened, the service to Rotterdam ran every half hour, so we were soon on our way again.
On arrivinag at Rotterdam, we reversed the route in the Garmin and set out for Europort, this time into a solid headwind. This was the Netherlands saying Goodbye!
NSCR day 4
It was a misty start to the day but true to unseasonable form the sun soon came through. We knew from the start that we were aiming at Delfzijl today as we thought that there may be a ferry to Emden that would save us about 60 miles. Information about the ferry was ambiguous at best but our thinking was we could check everything once we got there. On that basis we set out to cover about 40 miles at a steady place and cafe's were definitley on the menu. Again, they proved elusive.
The route moved inland and went through the town of Warffum. Here we found a bike shop and a small supermarket so we stopped. Ricky went to the bike shop to make enquiries about the cost of batteries and then we both went into the supermarket for drinks and food. We asked about somewhere for coffee and they offered to make us one, but then it was revealed that there was a cafe by the harbour, "just go up the street opposite the supermarket" was the advice. So we did, but I was perplexed as we were a little distance from the sea and I hadn't spotted any rivers on the map. Of course, being the Netherlands there is water and canals everywhere and the harbour was a mooring at the end of a canal. It had two boats though so it was a harbour! And the cafe served really good cake too.
 |
| Main street Uithuizen |
We were ushered into what Rita called "her palace" and not without cause. Every surface was marble tiled; furniture was deep and sumptuous. We had the whole place to ourselves too. Now, that was a bargain on its own, but Rita and her husband Maurice, then set about trying to resolve the ferry information. It wasn't easy and took them a good hour and although we had more information, it was still a case of turn up in the morning and see what happens. The advice and assistance they gave to us was well beyond what could have been expected.
There is a link to the webpage below with photo's of the place. It still looks unbelievable.
http://www.ritabedandbreakfast.com/en
Day 5 19th September
NSCR day 5
Although the ferry was just over the road we were up and out at 8:00. The information that we had suggested that if there was a ferry it would be at 9:00 and we wanted to be sure. In the event there was a ferry and to say we were fortunate in getting it is an understatement. The ferry goes to the island of Borkum but in doing so goes to Knock across the Ems estuary first. It goes on only two days a week and is seasonal. We caught the last boat of the season. The 30 minute crossing saved us over a day of cycling, although we were prepared to do that had the ferry not arrived.
 |
| Lighthouse + newly weds! |
As we left the second lighthouse we had our first technical issue. Nothing to do with the bikes. The Garmin screen locked. We rolled off using maps and signposts; needless to say within minutes we were off route. We stopped after half an hour and managed to bring the Garmin back to life. We weren't too far off the route so rejoined it without too much problem.
North Germany was more populated than Holland so there were villages and even an odd cafe. One such establishment was found after a short diversion to the village of Grimersun.The route itself moved away from the coast and we found ourselves on busier roads (or at least cycle paths at the side of roads) as we went through Marienhaff. At least we found a garage for ice creams (it was another hot & sunny day) and a new map so that we could double check locations.
It stayed busy all the way from Marienhaff through Norden and we decided to head to the coast at Norddeich. Again, the whole place was quite full but it is a sizeable resort and we found a room at the Hotel Seewind before finding somewhere to eat along the sea front.
Day 6 20th September
NSCR day 6
One thing to remember is that using cards to pay does not always work! Because our cards would not work we had to pay by cash. This left us with €20 between us. Another thing to remember is that cash machines are not as plentiful, and when they are they are often inside buildings and not outside as in the UK. Eventually, we found a cash machine (geldamat, we noted) before we left town, but it took a while.
Again we had hot & sunny weather all day. We had very pleasant riding for much of the day, by far the majority of the distance being along the sea wall. The first stop of the day was at Benserseil. This was a fishing village and harbour. Being Saturday there were many people out enjoying the day and when we arrived at Benserseil it was decided to look for coffee. We were directed to a building by the waterside and we parked the bikes by a bar area. Whilst doing so we got involved with some chaps who, I think, were trying to decide where we came from. As we identified ourselves as English a voice came out asking how we were in a perfect Aussie accent. We were given beers (my first for 30 years) and had a very pleasant half hour making conversation. The Aussie turned out to be German man who worked in London and had a girl friend from New Zealand.
 |
| Jever |
We rolled on after our free beer and later stopped for lunch at another beachside hostelry at Neuhalingerseil. Here we enjoyed bratwurst while listening to some music pumped out on the sound system - Black Sand was the album, as Ricky went back to find out!
The route left the coast later in the afternoon and we headed inland towards Jever - a very pleasant little town. Again, we found little available accommodation but again Ricky turned up trumps as he asked two ladies who turned out to be teachers of english. We eventually found a room (the last one again) in a small hotel. Again we were well looked after and would recommend the place to others.
Hotel Pellmuhle
info@hotel-pellmuelhe.de
If yesterday was a good day, today wasn’t the same. This was a day of things going wrong, or at least, not going right.
Firstly, the weather had changed and it was cooler with a
stiffish breeze. There was a threat of rain. Secondly, we had navigation
problems. When we had first arrived in Jever the night before, Ricky had
spotted a sign to Willhelmshaven outside of the first hotel that we had called
at. This said it was a mere 23 kilometres to our destination. The North Sea
Route had different ideas however as it headed North East in the first instance
and then down the coast. It was far from a straight line. This was compounded
by the Garmin GPX file. As we headed North East I realised that we were nearing
the end of that particular section. I loaded up the following section to find
that we had gone off route by a couple of miles – probably heading towards the
place where the makers of the file had stayed. There had been a clue a few
miles before my realisation as we had done a complete lap of a village –
clearly, the track we were following was created by someone looking for
accommodation.
So, after backtracking we head into Willhelmshaven but we
are running down the coast which seems quite isolated from the town. As we got
into the harbour area it was clear that Willhelmshaven was still of some
importance as there was a considerable presence from the German navy. Eventually, something goes right and the Garmin takes us to the ferry -
spot on too. It would have been hard to find otherwise as it was little more
than a “trip round the bay” kind of place set amongst cafes and an aquarium. We
arrived at the ferry at about 1.00pm. The ferry was at 5.00pm so we had four
hours to wait. And, heavy showers were now the order of the day. Coffee was
had, and then a ride further along the road. Then more coffee and a long talk
with some people from southern Germany. Then a ride down the coast.
It was Sunday afternoon and for our entertainment there was
a group of people driving odd vehicles around; some vintage but including a
fairground bumper car fitted with an engine.
At 5.00pm we are on the ferry a little worried as it seemed
to set off to go up the coast but it was just getting around sandbanks. By 5.30
we were off the boat under unsettled skies. From being in a large town suddenly
we were back in the middle of nowhere and thinking that accommodation was
needed. A very rapid three miles took us to Eckwarden, a small place but one
that boasted a hotel. The bikes were in the main hall, and we were in the bar
having dinner, somewhat relieved as there were very few other towns or villages
shown on our map.
This was also a day of cycling significance as today I
changed gear – the first time I had done so since arriving at Ulrum on 17th
September. I had sat in 7th gear for the best part of 200 miles! (Normally, I sat in 5th gear as my do-it-all gear).
The night was stormy. A strong wind got up and there were
spells of very heavy rain during the night. It was little better when we got up
next morning.
The day looked less than welcoming. It was quite windy, much
cooler and we even had thunder and lightning when we sat eating breakfast. Full
wet weather gear was donned. We decided to cut across country to Burhave to
rejoin the route rather than to follow the coast. The Garmin was programmed to
create a route and we were off. We were mostly on back roads again and I was
surprised to see a sign for Center Parcs! The weather improved to allow removal
of wet weather gear but the wind stayed with us. The forecast was predicting
winds of up to 20 mph coming out of the north.
A north wind was very welcome as we were initially heading
more or less south towards Bremerhaven. Another ferry was taken from Blexer across
to Bremerhaven and we loitered in the very pleasant central area which played
host to various museum type ships. Coffee was enjoyed before we headed out of
the city. The route took us through the docks area which was far from pleasant.
Heavy commercial traffic was on the roads and navigation wasn’t simple as there were lifting bridges to negotiate. Getting through the docks area seemed to take a
while and the Garmin indicated that we were heading out of town and into
countryside again. This looked welcoming at first but we were now exposed a
strong northerly wind that was right on the nose.
Progress was slow. We were head down and managing only 7 or
8 miles an hour. By Wremen we were both feeling the strain and we stopped
behind a sign to shelter out of the wind. Here we ate the last pieces of fruit cake
brought over from England.
A final push took us to Dorumer Neufeld. Again we got the
final room in a small hotel. It was a single room but a fold up bed was found.
That night we had a proper German meal – Currywurst and Chips!
Another change in the weather gave us another cooler day but
the wind had gone. We set off in sunshine again after having a bacon and egg
omelette for breakfast. Another kindness offered to us when everyone else was
eating cheese and cold meats. We stopped for coffee at Durum and rolled on to
the mouth of the River Elbe. Here we stopped for photographs before turning
south towards Cuxhaven.
The cycle track was very busy and we came across an entire
class of schoolchildren on bikes. Apparently they were on a week long trip from
Hanover. We were soon through Cuxhaven where we happened across a young lady
who was something to do with the local tourist office. She asked to take a
photograph of us to appear in their next publication.
 |
| Leaving the coast at Cuxhaven |
Unusually, we found ourselves riding through forest towards
the end of the day. Even more unusual, I fell off the bike in a failed attempt
to remount following a break. To add to that Ricky fell off several hundred
yards later as we struggled on the forest track. A local saw the event and
directed towards a better path a short distance away. And to add to the list of
firsts, as we were riding through Ottendorf I realised that Ricky wasn’t behind
me. I back tracked to find that our first mechanical had occurred. Thankfully,
it was a simple one as a bolt holding the front mudguard had dropped out – soon
fixed with cable ties.
We aimed at Hemmoor for overnight accommodation as this
looked a sizeable place on our maps. However, it turned out to be a grey town
and the place we stopped was a holiday flat offering no breakfast. Dinner that
night was a chicken burger eaten at the local filling station.
We set off early very much aware that breakfast was required. We had eaten a pastry from the feast the night before as we left. Ten miles in we came into Himmelpforten where we found a well stocked bakery. Needless to say we were in pretty quick and ordered coffee and several delicacies. From there it was a steady and unremarkable ride towards Hamburg. We stayed on the banks of the Elbe for much of the way. The town of Stade looked interesting but it came and went as we headed towards our goal. Eventually, after trying to go through the Airbus factory, we came to the ferry across the Elbe and into Hamburg. We got off the ferry at Altona and went down to the Fishmarket and St Pauli to look for somewhere to stay.
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| This is what a 230 Euro room looks like! |
Now, logic dictates that we have just travelled about 500 miles and managed to find accommodation in various out of the way places every night. A big place like Hamburg will have rooms by the bucketload, surely? No! We struggled to find somewhere to stay. Tourist Information kindly told us there was nowhere as there was a big conference in town. We did eventually find somewhere but it was €230 a night - a bit strong for a couple of Yorkshire lads. On that basis we went to the station to arrange our return journey instead of spending a couple of days in Hamburg as we had planned.
We spent about 13 hours in possession of our €230 room as we were off to the station at 7 next morning. This was a shame as Hamburg is a lovely city and well worth visiting.
Day 11 25th September
NSCR day 11
The train journey back to Rotterdam was excellent value. We travelled about 500 kilometres and it cost €69 each. That included a €6 charge each to take the bikes. Bike spaces were reserved through to Amersfoort where we joined Netherlands railways. Not only was the value good but the trains ran on time. When booking our tickets we noted that there was only 2 minutes to change trains at Amersfoort so we changed the journey to catch the train an hour later. When we arrived in Amersfoort we realised that the train about to leave on the platform opposite was the train we hadn't booked. We did think about leaping on but we decided to take a break for something to eat and drink. As it happened, the service to Rotterdam ran every half hour, so we were soon on our way again.
On arrivinag at Rotterdam, we reversed the route in the Garmin and set out for Europort, this time into a solid headwind. This was the Netherlands saying Goodbye!
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