Last day....

Today was a lovely day several times. Left the waterside hotel in Rotterdam riding out with the water on our left hand side. Winds into our faces for the first 20 kms but turning in to a nice tail wind for most of the reminding day. About 90 minutes into the ride we felt the tail winds increase and looking over our shoulders we spied a huge dark storm cloud looming behind us. Time to increase out speed in ride like the wind!! At times we were reaching 44 km (27 mph) as we rode the winding undulating path among the sand dunes.

The rain started first with showers and just as the downpour stared we ducked into a beach side shopping center to wait out the worst of it. If we had been a bit later, 30 minutes, the shops and cafes would have been open and we could have enjoyed a cup of coffee and dried out a bit, but the worst of the rain passed and we were on our way just as the shops began to open.

The tail wind had soften a bit and the roads a bit damp but it had become a lovely day again, second time today.

The ride continued on the bike path through the sand dunes with the ocean on the left occasionally going through some vacation beach towns. As we entered The Hague clouds started to form again and after a quick pass through the downtown waterfront, we needed to seek shelter under a set of trees at the showers passed.  Shortly afterwards we started inland to lunch at 83 km and for a third time in the day it was a lovely day. Being the last day, we had a time crunch in Amsterdam and need to repack out bags and disassemble our equipment before our last dinner together, so the typical coffee and ice cream stops were not on today's agenda.

The last 25 km into Amsterdam when by huge green houses as we pick up another tail wind  and zoomed beside the water way that that evening out dinner cruise boat will follow and then into the park south of Amsterdam and into our hotel.

I had one final task, travel though the center of Amsterdam to find a riding jersey at a shop call Presto Cycling Sport. Dan had bought a beautiful orange "Holland" jersey before the trip and I selected a red "Amsterdam" jersey. A great souvenir of a wonderful two week tour.


Today's photos

Happy Biking,

Brian