Day 22 Week 4 - War Graves - Alkmaar - Egmond Aan Zee - Bergen Aan Zee - Burning Off Lunch!

Another day on the bikes - I love Holland!

We have not used the car since we have been here - everything is go geared up for cycling.

Today the sun was shining and it is New Year's Eve!

I wanted to head off out on my bike as the girls were all off shopping.

My first port of call was the War Graves - There is over 200 graves, which are beautifully maintained.

I was told that this year on Christmas Eve a candle lit vigil was held where the local villagers placed a candle on each headstone. Very touching indeed and a credit to the locals for doing so.

I walked up and down every line and said out loud each and every name, they will not be forgotten!

I must admit I shed a tear, I was the only one there so could get away with it.

From here I retraced the route we did the day before and headed towards Alkmaar. Instead of going into the town I scooted around the edges and made my way out towards Egmond Aan Zee.

As of yet I haven't had chance to take a proper look at either Egmond or Egmond Aan Zee - maybe next summer.

Up to the coast and then back through the Dunes towards Bergan Aan Zee where I was meeting everyone else for lunch.

As you can see below, plenty of folk out walking along the beach at Egmond Aan Zee.

Made it to Bergen Aan Zee bang on time and had a fabulous lunch.

Now it was time to burn it off by cycling the short distance back to the hotel.

A good ride of 40.5km in windy but dry conditions.

Ride safe...

Day 21 Week 3 - Bergen To Alkmaar For Coffee Return 14km

We decided we would all ride into Alkmaar for coffee.

It was only 7km there, so nothing too punishing!

I do love the Dutch architecture, Alkmaar is an old town and famous for it's Cheese Market which is still held every Saturday.

During the summer they hold races carrying cheese - good to see if you ever get the chance.

Below, at the end of the canal is where they hold the famous Alkmaar Cheese Market, an incredible building.

As the canals are still in use they are dredged on a regular basis, these sorry looking bicycles were hauled out recently.

It was an easy ride back as we had the wind behind us, a pleasant ride, and we stayed dry!

Ride safe....

Day 19 Week 3 - Bergen Ride Around

Once we get to Holland and unload the car that is it - the keys are left, and unless we are venturing far away then the just use bikes to get about.

So today, I loaded my bike up into the car and drove up to Kiera's Dad's where we were going to leave the car. 

The whole time we were there it was not used, such a difference to the UK!

Kiera's sister and her family also arrived the same day as us and they also had bikes so we all made good use of them.

My first morning in the hotel and coffee - I like my coffee in the mornings and thankfully they had a great coffee machine which brewed up a really decent strong latte.

Today, we cycled out to the sea side at Bergen Aan Zee for lunch. A bit windy, but it blew the cobwebs away, and I just love cycling through the dunes.

Parked up to take a picture whilst waiting for everyone else to catch up and it looks surprisingly like the New Forest!

I'm out in the dunes at this point, not far from the sea.

There is one short but steep climb on the route, when I first started cycling I had to walk up it.

I had no chance of making it to the top, and I needed a 10 minute rest to recover from pushing my bike to the top!

Now, well, I was very happy with the difference, I just blasted it up without even dropping down in to bottom gear! What a difference 7 months of training has made!

The girls were taking a more leisurely pace!

The ride was just over 15km's and I managed to break 3 "Personal Records" so that was the icing on the cake.

As I have said before, to see and to be honest feel the difference in my riding is just so motivating!

A ride up to the Ness later and back added another 3.75km to my daily figure.

Ride safe...

Day 18 Week 3 - To The Ness And Back - Holland!

We are now in Holland, we drove over on the 27th December and we used the Eurotunnel.

Quick and easy, when we get to Calais we have approximately 4.5hrs of driving to do to get to where Kiera's Dad lives which is North of Amsterdam in a beautiful village called Bergen.

One of the great things about Holland is the cycle paths, everything is geared up for cyclists and everyone has to give way to them.

It really is a joy to ride. However, do not believe that Holland is flat - Yes in general it is but over a long ride you will be surprised at how many metres you have climbed without realising.

Plus if you venture into the dunes, which I often did, then there are some good climbs to get the heart rate up a little.

The other thing is the wind. Depending on the weather it is either blowing up the coast or down it, and when it blows it really does blow. 60mph gusts are not uncommon at all and can easily catch you out. If your riding into a head wind be prepared for a long slog, the roads tend to be long and straight!

We took 4 bikes with us. My Fat Bike Isaac has a Cube MTB, and the girls both have traditional Dutch Bikes. 

It is always a struggle to get the bikes to fit on the bike rack, it's a bit like the Krypton Factor. The pedals have to be in the exact right spot for them all to fit correctly.

I reckon the bike rack is probably near it's weight limit, it certainly does bounce around a bit when going along which can be a bit nerve racking, but as we do the trip twice a year we have had no problems so far!

Once we arrived in Holland and checked into our Hotel which was the Hotel 1900, we quickly unloaded and got the bikes all sorted for a quick trip up to see Kiera's Dad, only a couple of km's away, but I put it on Strava anyway.

Ride safe...

Day 14 Week 2 - Damp And Damper

 Another day, and back on it.

A bit of a contrast to the previous day with heavy over night rain, and with the air being thick with moisture.

Not actually raining, but you get wet anyway sort of day!

You can see how much water is running off the hills and starting to flood the plain in the picture below.

The track I ride up, it runs parallel to Wilverley Inclosure was also very wet and full of water.

The big red mudflap which hangs out the back of my bike is really not pretty to look at, but it sure does work well!

My back and arse got really wet and filthy dirty before I fitted it.

On this ride I broke once more two "Personal Records" - not bad for a wet ride.

Ride safe..... 

Day 20 Week 3 - Egmond Aan Zee And Back Via Bergen Aan Zee

The weather was a bit inclement, but with a few hours to myself as the girls had all gone shopping it was time to get on the bike!

I headed out through the dunes and back towards Bergen Aan Zee - kept on going and picked up the North Sea Cycle Route which took me through more dunes to just before Egmond.

I had never ridden this section of dunes before and it felt as if I was just going up hill, along with a head wind made it a tough ride.

Made my way into Egmond Aan Zee and found the light house, which as you can see is currently surrounded by scaffolding.

Just up from there is a little cafe that over looks the sea, and as it was starting to rain, decided that a quick coffee would be in order.

From here I retraced my steps across the dunes, flying through them as I had the wind behind me, and before I knew it I was back in Bergen Aan Zee.

I decided on a different way home, a little more direct, this took me down a road lined with houses that would be costing in excess of 1 million Euros if you decided you wanted one!

I should of taken some pictures of the houses, some are spectacular in design.

Next time we are over I will make a point of taking more pictures.

Back at the Hotel, shower, relax and a beer!

Ride safe....

Day 13 Week 2 - Great Views

Had a day off yesterday, but as the weather was bright I really had no excuse!

Same old route, but with two "Personal Records" broken.

Love seeing these beat, it really does motivate me and shows that I am getting stronger with every ride.

I travel with loaded panniers, the reason for this is that I want to be use to carrying weight on the bike, and for it not to be too much of a shock once I am fully loaded with camping gear.

If I just trained on a stripped down bike I think the shock of riding fully laden would be too much for me to take!

I must get around to weighing the panniers and maybe a post on what I carry in them.

Any way, Christmas is fast approaching and I'm not sure how much riding I will get in as we are also heading to Holland on the 27th December, returning on the 2nd.

Ride safe....