30.07.22 Julianadorp-Ilpendam

78 km, 4 hours and 55 minutes cycling time.

A long ride today, but didn’t really feel hard with mainly NW tail wind.

Today I found out what the inundated land was about: there are some bugs that destroy the flower bulbs. By keeping the soil under water for some time they get killed. No poison needed.

After 30 km we took a coffee break followed by a swim in the sea. Lovely.

Lunch in the sand dunes 

In the Netherlands there there are enormous problems with nitrogen pollution, hugely affecting farmers. They are protesting in several ways, among others with upside-down Dutch flags.

We continued eastward in the direction of Purmerend.

Anbjørg  making km along the Noordhollandsch Kanaal

We didn’t need to bike all the way back to Durgerdam, as Thomas came with the car to Ilpendam instead. Met him right after the ferry in Ilpendam.

Ferry in Ilpendam 

Great trip, highly recommended! And not our last bike trip, DV.

29.07.22 Medemblik-Julianadorp

 50 km, 3 hours 10 minutes cycling time

We continued our trip from the IJsselmeer coast to the North Sea cost. Started the day with a visit to the interesting Steam Engine Museum in Medemblik, located in an old steam driven pumping station from 1897.

The old pumping station 

Firing the kettles wit free fire wood

Right north of Medemblik we came upon one og the largest wind turbines in the Netherlands, a 200m high 7.5 MW Enercon E126. Although quite efficient, they don’t put up those regularly, they are too visible I assume.

7.5 MW Enercon E126

And there was a lot more wind power in this area. Encouraging!

Continuing our way we saw several inundated areas clearly used for agriculture, but what? Hardly rice?

Some form of “wet” agriculture. What is it?

Spent the night in a Tinyhouse in Julianadorp. Including a swim in the North Sea.

28.07.22 Durgerdam-Medemblik

 65 km, 4 hours 21 minutes cycling time

 

In the Netherlands this time, together with my wife for 43 years, Anbjørg. No altitude profile this time, not so interesting. Still, it would show that much of the trip was below sea level. And a consistent Northeastern breeze still offered some physical challenge. But in contrast to most of our contemporaries we don’t use ebikes. We consider ourselves too young.

We started in Durgerdam, just east of Amsterdam.

We cycled east of the polder Beemster, which was laid dry already in the mid 17th century. Here is one of the pumping stations that keep it dry today, 4.4 meters below sea level.

Then we had a final rest in the city of Hoorn, close to the local theatre.

Spent the night in the small town Medemblik, in a B&B in a house from the 17th century.

Anbjørg in front of the B&B

Old and new wind energy close to Medemblik