Day 12: Utrecht - Hoek van Holland

Woke up to wild geese hoonking outside the window at quarter to seven. Lay in bed a while and then went down to breakfast, not having a clue as to what was being spoken in the hall. The whole youthhostel felt and looked like a manor, exept the sleeping rooms. 

After breakfast and packing, back to biking. As I was quiete a bit of my track I tasked the GPS with making me one to a waypoint on my track. For some reason it took me all the way back to where I had left it yesterday. I think it had to do with me crossing one of the only bridges that were there, but I don't know. Until I was back on the trail, I had already biked over 10km. Then back on to the Deich with a headwind again *sigh*. All day I had one and it got stronger further into the day. 

At some point it got so anoying and tyring I went of my track, away from the Deichs and on to lands under sea level. Nearly each house has got their own lake with bridges conecting the houses to the roads. Also lots of bird that live on water.

The bike paths were once again really big and carried on for ages. Seing kilometres ahead isn't always fun, especially if there is still wind blowing against you. The Deichs dont seem to hold them of to well. 

My knee also started to ache after nearly two weeks of biking, but I pressed on until Rotterdam. Weatherwise it was, exept the wind, perfect. Some clouds to cool down but no rain. Reached Rotterdam at some point, there was no real sign for it and had lunch in some Thai run fast food shop. Them not capable of speaking either English or German it was the use of gesture that got me my food. Just right in time, as my stomache was starting to complain. Once again I had done over 80km in less than four hours and needed some energy. 

After that it was through Rotterdam with it's very good built biking ways. Compared to Düsseldorf I always knew when to stop and where to go. Also the first time/town in which I have been stuck in a cyclist quew. As Rotterdam is built around "Schleusen" (don't know the english word) they sometime have to raise complete roads to let big ships through. Came a bit as a surprise when in front of the other bikers the whole road was tilted up. There were also some pidgeons sleeping under the road, but they seemed used to it. 

After that it was through downtown Rotterdam with even more raisable roads. I counted three in total and they always caused big car quews. 

After Rotterdam it was along the Deich again, towards Hoek van Holland and the sea. Lots of swans in the water and the complete coastline around Hoek is litered with modern day windmilles. Looked like they wanted to make the "dirty" industry are on the coastline look "clean". 

Then along a strait tarmac road, racing against small motorbikes of all kind and race bikers, to Hoek. Got the first glimps of the ferry and it is hughe. The ship is only supposed to go to England, not across the Atlantic. Reserved my ticket (and had to dig out all my underwear in a terminal because I had forgotten to take out my passport in the morning) and found out a bike counts as a vehicle and then had a cold coke and a milkshake in the now blazzing sun. It feels like over 30 degrees celcius again. Whished I could have one of Rhiannon's ices in the cafe she works in. And there is no free Wifi here, they are all locked.

Then onboard the ferry. Their bike raks have not been designed for MTBs but I managed to get it on somehow. The to cabine Nr. 10 259 and a shower. Free TV, internet, electricity, and much more. And as highlight of the evening chicken and mushroom pie *huray*

Track at GPSies and pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 6 hours

Distance: 120,3 km

Daily average speed: 19,9 km/h

Total time in saddle: 72 hours

Total distance: 1291 km

Average speed: