If you are in the area its well worth a visit if you like war machines. Another good thing about Holland is that they appreciate kippers.
These are designed to ruin your day.
These would ruin your month.
Looks like a peashooter next to the others.
Brmmm brmm
Nine foot tyres !!
Thats WMD sir.
Obviously following Chris Scotts book on Morocco. Its 15 euros and we were in there 5 hours.
Spent all day lining Nigels garage so now we get pancakes.
Was built by God after Croatia so for a change of scene he ironed it flat and hid alot of it underwater so the enterprising Dutch would have to reclaim it with the use of windmills and pumps. Its advisable to carry a snorkell and flippers in case the dykes burst. The countryside is fab the houses spotlessly maintained. We have seen no graffiti today on our ride out. We rode off road and on perfect tarmac. We had forgotten how much faster they ride than us but it was great fun and everyone plays nicely on the tracks. Dog walkers , cyclists, horseriders etc all smile and wave unlike England where the ministry of grumpy ramblers have managed to shut our historic rights of way to all but themselves.
Getting ready.
Breakfast in the sun!!
Windmills aplenty.
Watermills also
Statue of the morning after the reunion dinner.
Topiary is massively poular here and everywhere has beautiful manicured lawns and bushes.
Bush trimming is the law here. Any bushwackery is quashed immediately.
Nigel trimming the lady next doors bush.
Nigel told us about an incident of litter being found once in his village in 1992. The culprit was severely punished and sent to Spain to see how things would look if we all dropped our rubbish in the streets.
Im running out of ways to describe rain but I feel I’m becoming something of an expert. We visited a war memorial near the campsite and stood quietly in the driving rain. It was pretty bad seeing all the ages of the men killed some as young as 18 with their lives cut short by war. We stayed another night on the very luxurious site and packed in the morning as the skies opened again. Fortunately our day was only 50 km to meet up at Nigels house in Westerbeek with Sief and Guus from our tour in Morocco. We arrived in the rain to find a sign in the front garden greeting us. From there we decided before partying we would fit my brake parts on Nigels new bike ramp. Then have a barby and beer till the early hours accompanied by Nigels girlfriend Sophie. We washed everything we could and finally the sun came out and dried everything.
Guus the barbecue monitor.
Sief
Nigels gentlemans club.
So we had a massive meal and sat in front of the fire it was brilliant to see them all again and talk about our travels.
Just quickly. My leica has returned to England via Ian so everything will be off the Samsung till the end. Heres where we were.
Thats the campsite we were adopted on. Holland was built flat and bicycles rule. They are old fashioned types with sit up style. I rode one.
It would be perfect for a cycle holiday as campsites are every 100 metres and cycle paths are all over.
Now here on a very luxurious site. Its pouring and cold. Last night I woke freezing and blogged for 2 hours. Then slept till 11 as it warmed up. Off to walk now.
A word of warning. All through Germany nowhere except garages and ATM s will take our cards. They all use Maestro cards only. This is also the case in Holland.
Now an excuse to show my KTM flip flops a gift from Mark and Ian.
We packed and left the shed and retraced up to Munster. As usual it poured and we decided to hotel it in town. Almost no pictures as the weather was awful. Arrived soaking at a hotel. Not bad sort of adequate 50 euros twin room. Graffiti everywhere in town. No wi fi. Expensive beer.
Coffee and lunch stop.
Hotel. It rained as we left.
We parted company that morning after coffee and Mark and Ian ended up doing 440 miles home as accommodation was a problem. They like us got soaked as well. We entered Holland which we love abd camped.
After a night of soft beds, a good shower and a day out on the river we awaited the arrival of Ian and Mark. Prior to this a puddle of oil had appeared around my bike. The O ring on the neutral switch again. An old garage in town had a mixed box and as with many others on this trip he refused payment so I put a euro in his charity box. Town was still very quiet and our campsite a bit run down but reasonable and clean. The owners very friendly and insisted we store the bikes under the balcony. Through the endless mist and rain the guys arrive from England after eurotunnel delays.
Site seen from the river. The bikes under the balcony.
Our view after more soaking storms.
A very tired wet arrival from Mark.
Ian on his Triumph. Penelope Pitstop.
They’d had a hell of a day due to rain and delays. Beer and bed for them.
So we talked their ears off. Left in the morning for the Moselle valley.
As you may know its a massive wine producing area. Very beautiful and in our case very wet. We stopped under trees at a picnic spot and got soaked again. Not many pictures as it was raining constantly.
The river was drier than the atmosphere that day.
Home that night with the very hospitable Heinz and family. He serves in the bar then plays piano and talks many languages. His wifes food is the finest in Germany I think. Double room 72 euro inc monster breakfast. Everywhere was booked solid due to a wine festival but there were few people about.
Trying to leave in the morning in pouring rain again. We met some lovely Belgians that night and Mark very kindly treated us to our fine dinner.
Arrived here wet of course. Found room locallycand a campsite for us. Booked up due to fireworks in next town. Mark and Ian came to our site for barbecue in the rain and Ian bought a portable barby as the hire ones were all out.
Our site was friendly but inhabited by a fairly low end beer gut, feral kids and a fag on at all times type of neanderthal. Smoking is the law on this site.
Pimp my van innit.
Jacked up in case the very swollen river visits.
It was running fast and very dark.
I think this is a random boat trip one.
Arrival at hut one. Ian camped. Mark hob nobbed it at the hotel. Chris camped and I slept in the shed. Bloody luxury.
I love boats and rivers. I booked onto an almost empty boat at €22 for four hours and 50 km up and down. Will add pictures slowly.
North round Frankfurt to Bad Ems on the river. We have had torrential rain almost every day for 3weeks by now and the damp tents are no fun. Also Ian and Mark are coming out to see us so we rent a flatlet for 50 euros with bathroom and kitchen so I zip through the tunnel back to Lidl and we eat and put beer in a fridge. We sit and watch the river and the rain falls like arrows.
Spa.
I got my hair cut for 10 euros by a really great Turkish man who burnt my furry ears with a bud dipped in meths.
Exotic. Very quiet as you can see.
Its very fountainous.
We managed to find an open network in town and get our mail but thats it. Im posting pictures one at a time now in Holland.
Next up the boat trip and more rain. Then more and more. As it happens its spitting now and im wearing thermals the temperature is around 13 deg C.
Holland is lovely and the people are even better. They all speak English and are kind beyond belief. We have been adopted by a crowd who have hung out our washing properly given us coffee biscuits and even dinner last night. I therefore propose the following. We dig a tunnel from England to Holland and use the spoil to back fill the other one that causes us so many problems. We could pop in have a schmoke eat a pancake talk windmills and put a finger in a dyke or two. Just an idea.
A collection of Dutch people is called “A Clog ” ! We love em.
jon and Chris Motorcycle adventure 