The sunshine and blue sky for the first 2 weeks painted everything gloriously!
Maastricht
I spent my first 2 nights a couple of kms or so outside of Maastricht, which I chose to visit as it was within 25km of the Terhill Centerparcs. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I absolutely loved it and would recommend a visit. This city of approx 123000 people was beautiful – on the banks of the Meuse river, with a historic cobbled centre including the university campus, lovely parks and river banks and of course amazing bike infrastructure – the Brompton was not too keen on the cobbles of which there were many, but dealt with them ok.
I took this last picture to remind me in the future of how the either-side pedestrian parts of the bridge ascended at the same time as the central part with people continuing their crossing! whilst the large boats/barges sailed on underneath.
Leiden
From Eindhoven I moved for a night to within 15 mins bike ride of Leiden’s historic city centre, the birthplace of Rembrandt and having the oldest university in the Netherlands. A similar size population-wise to Maastricht, with everything very accessible by bike of course. I managed to get the last of 5 pitches in a little small-holding within a residential area for the price of 6 euros per night, plus optional 5eu for electricity. Perfect for a stopover. Lots of canals, and the Hortus Botanical Garden was a beautiful place in the centre.
What’s not to like.
Amsterdam
A short drive from Leiden, and having worked out where to park my high-sided vehicle for the Schipol airport pickup of my sisters, I arrived at my kind of town.
I had a pitch, they a room + bathroom (perhaps not as cheap as might be expected) for a 4-night stay in Camping Zeeburg, a few kms from the centre. Both bikes were now used every day for two visits in and around the centre, using one of the amazing inside free bikeparking provision at the central station, and then a 30-mile total bike ride out to the north and nature areas to a windmill museum. This last bike ride took us right across the main harbour entrance – using the major lock gate cycling/pedestrian ‘bridges’s for the large river cruise and cargo barges.
-
- Cafe along the Zuiderzeeweg
The single-speed, pedal-backwards-to-brake hired bike took some getting used to by one of the party (not me), but after the 3 days she had just about got there. No mishaps. We also did a canal boat tour which was enjoyable.
The city centre was busy, but perhaps not too bad imo – maybe different in full Summer? We could not have had a better time, loved the central canal-based streets, marvelled again at the infrastructure.
Contrast this with the new tunnel just opened under the Thames in London, – in a city which has really gone for cycling and at least not bad for the UK – with no cycling lanes built as part of it. What lack of competence, joined-up bigger picture, or anti 15-minute town conspiracy theorist, or as usual money saving/car is the only thing in town thinking!!! This youtube video shows an alternative approach: https://youtu.be/JCedclz03uI?si=6Wcure8szVyhnVfQ
A comment in a vlog ‘American in Europe’ was ‘America is a business with customers, Europe is a society with people’. I feel that the American model describes the UK and the Netherlands shows part of the alternative.