Borrel’s Tour de Pays Bas

This past summer, we closed Borrel for an extended break. For the most part, we are very quiet during July and August. So this year, we decided to use that as an opportunity to change gears and work on another (still Borrel-adjacent!) project: an extensive bike trip through the Netherlands that we chronicled in our email newsletter.

Without getting overly political, we both have a preference for transport on two wheels rather than four (the self-powered kind that is!) and nowhere is that preference greater catered to than in the Netherlands. It’s amazing how you can navigate pretty much the entire country via bike lane – and safely separated from car traffic. It’s something that’s inspired us since we tried biking from my parents’ home in Rotterdam to Delft for a daytrip. It was not only something we tremendously enjoyed but also a privilege we felt should not be taken for granted (particularly as we find our beloved bike lanes under threat here at home).

Eleven years ago, we did a short intercity bike trip for our honeymoon. We had a great time (and considering we were on Justin’s parents’ heavy Dutch city bikes, we still covered a fair deal of ground!). But we always wanted to get proper bikes for the job and invest in a longer journey. This blog features the daily write ups that we sent out in our newsletter this summer.

We hope you’ll come away a bit inspired by not only the routes we take but all the cozy bruin cafes we hit up along the way (it was still a bit of a research trip, after all! Haha).

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 1: Amsterdam to Purmerend

And away we go! We’re officially off on our great biking adventure through parts of the Netherlands. Our starting point is close to Amsterdam Centraal Station, where we meet Ben from Cycle Classic Tours, who hooks us up with two “touring bikes” that remind us of our own wheels back at home. (Considering the last time we biked considerable distances between Dutch destinations was via Justin’s parents’ three-speed heavy city bicycles, we’re already incredibly excited. The difference is tremendous as we cruise the first couple of hundred metres to our first stop.)

Amsterdam - Monnickendam: 18.1 km
Google Maps time: 61 minutes   Our time: 85 minutes

But our first step is actually on water, with an epic ferry ride that will take us all the way from Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Noord … in about five minutes. Not to take anything away from it! This super quick ride is a nice respite from the crowds and overall busyness of Amsterdam. We couldn’t believe that there was a whole world of treasured villages and scenic sites awaiting us just north of Amsterdam when we last made this trip 11 years ago on our honeymoon. So we’re not completely unfamiliar with this stretch of the journey but we wanted to revisit this part of the Netherlands and thought it might be best to go a little easy on our first day out.

Monnickendam - Volendam: 8.5 km

Google Maps time: 26 minutes   Our time: 32 minutes

If you’re looking for a complete retreat from the crowds of Amsterdam, our next stop isn’t necessarily for you: Volendam. To be honest, it’s the kind of place we would normally avoid ourselves after hearing about the massive number of daytrippers who descend upon it every day of the year. But we’re curious as to what makes Volendam such a big draw. And we can see why as we bike through the charming residential stretch that takes you into the majestic harbour.

Yes, there are big crowds and a lot of shops and cafés that cater to them. But they are all remarkably tasteful and actually rather inviting (and all offer a spectacular view of the harbour). What’s most impressive is how the town weathers this massive daily influx of tourists while seemingly maintaining a local vibe (according to Justin’s mom, Volendammers are fiercely loyal and proud of their hometown and have no intention to ever leave). And this is something we also admire about Amsterdam, which is estimated to receive as much as 10 million visitors every year. It still maintains a strong identity of its own (to be discussed in future Borrel posts!). While crowds walk by, residents are tending to their front gardens or enjoying an afternoon borrel on their stoops, seemingly undisturbed by tourists taking selfies close to their property.

Gerookte paling from Smit-Bokkum in Monnickendam

But the highlight of Volendam for us? Gerookte paling! Dutch smoked eel has long been a favourite of ours and for the best (and freshest!) version of this delicacy we’ve ever tasted, we go to the legendary Smit-Bokkum rokerij, where they smoke eel fresh every day. We enjoy an amazing lunch on their harbourside veranda: a plate of smoked eel on toast, as well as our first kibbeling (battered and deep-fried white fish chunks) of the trip. The eel is so buttery, the toast itself doesn’t need any butter. It’s simple but delicious. Gerookte paling has long been the white whale (um, eel?) of Borrel’s kitchen. We’d love to serve it, but the imported variety is very expensive and has a short shelf life. We’ve looked into making it ourselves, but the variety of eel is not the same in Canada and we haven’t even been able to find yellow eel (which we’ve been told is an acceptable substitute). So the best we can do is point you to places like this in the Netherlands for your gerookte paling fix!

Volendam - Edam: 3 km

Google Maps time: 9 minutes   Our time: 15 minutes

Just when we thought things couldn’t get more picturesque than the historic harbour views of Monnickendam and Volendam, we roll into Edam. Known of course for its cheese with that iconic red wax covering, Edam is a sweet little maze of narrow streets and canals. Its most famous destination is probably the charming cheese museum and shop, but what struck us most were the beautiful wooden bridges and the gorgeous canal-side gardens that so many of the residents maintain so carefully. Unfortunately, we can’t stay long as we have to get to Justin’s aunt and uncle’s place for dinner!

Edam - Purmurend: 10.6 km

Google Maps time: 36 minutes Our time: 52 minutes

We are fortunate to be spending the night at hotels for most of our trip. But as we were in the neighbourhood and it had been far too long since we last visited, our first night was spent at my Tante Frances and Oom Harry’s place in Zuidoost Beemster, Purmurend. As a kid, Justin was over there a lot to see his cousins, Laura and Maarten. And then in his teenage years, he’d usually go over for a night when we visited and peruse Tante Frances’ huge book collection and get away from his parents to stay up late watching TV and maybe try to sneak a beer or two out of the fridge (kids, right?!).

In any case, we feel terrible getting in late as Frances has the Indonesian takeout food all ready to go and Laura, her husband Christian and their three adorable boys were ravenous. But it wasn’t our fault! We encountered a little something en route called tegenwind (headwind) and this new nemesis would haunt us for the rest of this trip and throw a wrench at any meticulous scheduling we had mapped out. (More on that below!)

We enjoy a lovely dinner and chat with Frances afterward, including discussion about Justin’s opa’s Indonesian restaurant and hotel he ran back in the 1960s. (More on that in the future as well!) Thank you Tante Frances and Oom Harry for your generous hospitality!  

And thank YOU for reading all of this! We promise not all entries will be this long!

CAFÉ OF THE DAY: One of the “research” components of this trip is visiting new bruin cafés, proeflokaals and eetcafés to inspire our own back in Toronto. Honestly, this is the way we tend to travel anyway whenever we visit someplace new. Find a cozy-looking spot for a drink and go from there. Bars/pubs/bruin cafés for us have always been places where people come together for friendly conversation, the exchanging of ideas and for contemplating the day. … OK, we don’t want to sugarcoat it. Sure, these places also see a fair share of overintoxication, arguments and childish behaviour. But it’s the former that attracts and inspires us and also gives us a sense of the culture and community that we’re in. And bruin cafés (so named because of their ancient brown wood interiors) do it as well as their British and Irish counterparts. … That said, we didn’t actually make it to a bruin café on Day 1. But expect many visits to come in our upcoming posts!

THINGS WE MISSED: While we didn’t have time for the visit this year, we would highly recommend visiting Broek in Waterland, which is en route to Monnickendam and a great destination in its own right. There we enjoyed a pannekoek at de Witte Swaen and jumped in a whisper boat where, despite getting rained on, we were able to pull up to a dockside wine bar to dry off and sample a glass from an incredible variety of wines. It was like something out of a dream – and now we can’t seem to find that wine bar listed anymore, so it’s fair if you don’t want to believe us!

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: A little thing we learned from Day 1 that will have a big impact on our entire trip: tegenwind (headwind). The Netherlands is flat. Very flat. And that should make for easy biking, right? Well, our dear friend Casper Hoedemaekers — who makes far more serious annual cycling treks three times as long as ours on his racing bike — would later inform us that the strong winds in the Netherlands can make biking an immense challenge even for the highest calibre professional riders. So much so that tegenwind has been dubbed “the Dutch mountains.” While the first two hours on our bikes were a dream, en route to Justin’s aunt and uncle’s place in Purmerend we got hit hard. And a ride that should’ve taken 40 minutes was nearly twice that due to the intense winds blowing against us. Be sure to take tegenwind into account when planning a long-distance bike journey here – the Netherlands is a windy country! While urban areas and tree-lined routes offer some protection from the wind, the headwinds tend to be the worst when biking through open fields.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 2: From Purmerend to Alkmaar

Purmerend - Middenbeemster: 6.4 km
Google Maps time: 21 minutes   Our time: 30 minutes

After a good night’s sleep in Justin’s cousin Maarten’s old bedroom, we have a quick coffee and say goodbye to Aunt Frances and Uncle Harry (and their pet turtle, Arthur, who is closing in on 100 years and will probably outlive us all). Our first stop on Day 2 is the historic tiny town of Middenbeemster, a quick easy ride from Justin’s aunt and uncle’s house. We stop at the elegant local café/bakery/gift shop Bij Moeders for coffee and a saucijzenbroodje (Dutch sausage roll) for breakfast.

Middenbeemster - De Rijp: 5.1 km
Google Maps time: 16 minutes   Our time: 25 minutes

From Middenbeemster, it’s a straight shot down “Rijperweg” (love how in the Netherlands there are often times where the name of the road you’re on is some twist on the name of your final destination). En route we just happen to pass by THE Beemster cheese factory! Unfortunately, we don’t have any storage space or way to refrigerate a wedge of cheese for the rest of our trip, but we do enjoy a sample from the shop’s friendly staff.

We continue on to De Rijp … and if you’re getting sick of historic Dutch tiny towns already, you’re out of luck! While we initially picked De Rijp as a stop because it seemed like a good place for a rest halfway between Purmerend and Alkmaar, we quickly learn that this town is a beloved destination and well known for its authentic historic architecture and mazes of dreamy little canals. We enjoy a casual lunch at local diner Eetcafé de Walvis (the kind of place where every local teenager works for the summer) with a classic appel pannenkoek (Dutch pancake with apple) and hamkaas tosti (Dutch grilled cheese. … We’re still debating if it’s different enough to a North American grilled cheese to put on the menu at Borrel sometime as a special).

Enough of tiny towns, we’re headed to the big city! … Well, Alkmaar isn’t all that big. It’s actually pretty cute and quaint as well. Especially with its famous recreation of a traditional Dutch cheese market. Every Friday between March and September (and on Tuesdays in the months of July and August), visitors can watch giant wheels of cheese (up to 160 kg!) being thrown onto and then carried in on barrows, weighed and finally bartered on between farmers and traders — just like it would have been back in the 1600s! (Visitors to Borrel may also have noticed our nod to the cheese markets of Alkmaar with this souvenir tile that we did not actually acquire in the Netherlands, but at the DECA yard sale a few years ago!) Unfortunately our stay in Alkmaar doesn’t coincide with the market, but we have seen it done before at the also famous cheese market in Gouda (although Alkmaar does tout its market to be “the oldest, biggest and most famous”).

No matter, plenty of other things to do in Alkmaar! After checking in and leaving our bikes at the hotel, we tuck in for a quick drink (or three — post-bike rides, the beer goes down a little too easy. Especially bike rides where you’ve faced some strong headwinds yet again) and some bitterballen at In de Pimpelaer. We also catch the end of the day’s Tour de France étappe (who put everything into perspective biking hundreds of kilometres compared to us not even breaking 30 km today).

Then a stroll toward Alkmaar’s centre where we come across the statue of Tante Truus, Truus Wijsmuller-Meijer, a woman who worked with the Resistance to organize the evacuation of thousands of Jewish refugee children during the Second World War.

No matter the size of a Dutch town, many of them are built around a centre. And that centre often consists of a circle or square lined with cafés and terraces where people come together to create a lively, communal and gezellig atmosphere. Like the craic in Ireland, it can be magical how this spills out into the streets or into pubs or restaurants. It’s infectious, and we often follow its signs to lead us to a fun night out. While it’s a bit of a quiet weeknight in Alkmaar, there’s still a buzz coming from certain locales. And on this particular occasion, the noise coming from one building in particular draws us into a lively (and gezellig, of course) Greek restaurant for a fabulous dinner.

Completely stuffed, we return to our room at the College Hotel. It’s a lovely spot in an old brick building that used to be a boys school (the hallways are still lined with child-level water fountains). They also have a secure spot for us to store our bikes overnight, right across the hall from our room. We’re all set for a much-needed good night’s sleep, as we know tomorrow will be the longest day of the trip. Little do we know just how long!

CAFÉ OF THE DAY: Proeflokaal de Boom

Proeflokaal de Boom has been running strong for more than three decades and is somewhat of an institution in Alkmaar. Situated alongside a canal with seating both outside by the water and inside in a spacious yet super cozy room, it’s easy to see why. They have a library of beers and a variety of vintage beer advertisements and paraphernalia adorning the walls and shelves. It even has its own beer museum upstairs! (Unfortunately not open on Wednesday, the day we’re here.) We enjoyed a beverage both inside (for the atmosphere) and outside on the packed floating terrace (to join in on a lively borrel and for some prime people-watching).

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: As you may have noticed from our timelog between De Rijp and Alkmaar, it took us a good half an hour longer to get there than the 60 minutes Google Maps projected. Not only was our nemesis tegenwind (headwind) against us, we also made multiple stops to make sure we were going in the right direction. While there are signs for bike routes, they can be inconsistently placed and you can bike for several kilometres without any reassurance you’re actually going the right way! So to make sure we were staying on the right route and not pedalling precious steps in the wrong direction, we would stop to check. But all those stops add up time-wise, and can also be a real momentum killer if you’ve got a nice pace going. So while we prefer to keep screentime to a minimum, we decided to invest in a phone mount for our bike. A visit to Kaandorp Fietsen in Alkmaar got us set up with an affordable mount that would end up saving us hours for the rest of the trip. (Especially useful to have Google Maps live directions when entering and exiting towns and cities to help navigate the maze-like streets.)

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 3: Alkmaar to Vlieland

Alkmaar - Den Helder: 43.5 km
Google Maps time: 2 hrs, 19 min   Our time: 2 hrs, 42 min

All right, no more messing around. After our first two days of more leisurely biking, we have to pick up the pace for the third stage of our Borrel Tour de Pays-Bas to cover a considerably longer distance and ferry between two of the Netherlands’ Wadden Islands. Getting to Texel isn’t a problem, as the ferry from Den Helder goes every half hour. But our final destination Vlieland (or Oost Vlieland to be exact), requires us to be in De Cocksdorp (at least an hour’s ride through Texel, bottom to top) at a strict time of 4:45 p.m. to board De Vriendschap (“The Friendship”). So in order to explore Texel at all, we want to get there by noon. Here we go!

We’re up early, fuelled on breakfast courtesy of the College Hotel Alkmaar (thank you!) and focused on getting to Den Helder as close to the Google Maps time as possible. With just one stop in the village of 't Zand for some water and a couple of photo ops (but still so many that we had to miss - sorry!), we’re pretty proud of ourselves to bike the 48.1 km in 2 hours and 42 minutes and make it just in time to board the noon ferry to Texel.

Den Hoorn - De Cocksdorp: 24.6 km
Google Maps time: 73 minutes   Our time: 4 hours (including lunch and exploring)

The five islands situated north of Noord Holland (the Wadden Islands) have fascinated Justin since his Grade 4 geography lessons during the year he spent at school in the Netherlands. He pondered what life was like up there. And it only took more than three decades to find out! Texel is the most populated and most visited of the Wadden Islands. It’s a popular tourist destination and it certainly doesn’t feel remote as we exit the ferry with a literal boatload of  other visitors traveling by car, bike or on foot. But it’s not without its charms. There are several quieter small towns that we will bike through. And a lot of sheep. Like SO MANY sheep.

We stop for lunch in Den Burg, the busiest and most central of the towns on Texel, where we also sample a vaasje (a ¼ litre) of the local brewery famous now all over the Netherlands: Texels. … We must confess, our first beer on the island was a Heineken as the Texels flagship beer (Texelse Skuumkoppe) is a sturdy 6% and not in line with Justin’s low ABV-inclined palate. The shame! But our lunch spot has the Texels Zeebries Blond (at a more manageable 5%) available and redemption is served!

After a longer stay in Den Burg than we intended, we have to zip through many of the towns on the island to get to the top. But we slow down to appreciate the highlight of our ride to De Vriendschap: the incredible bike-only route on a raised dyke between Oosterend and De Cocksdorp with a spectacular view of the Waddenzee. (As beautiful as it is, some of the ride is a tough grind with some of the toughest tegenwind we’ve faced so far!)

Arriving at De Vriendschap is another highlight. Hand painted wooden arrows pointing the way, we are led to a somewhat rickety-looking but kinda magical wooden bridge that takes us and our bikes over the beach and onto the boat. After nearly 70 km of cycling, we are so happy and relieved to be on a boat and kick back for what should be a blissful 90 minutes of sailing to our destination in Vlieland … right?

Not quite. We thought De Vriendschap would take us to the ferry dock just steps away from our hotel in Vlieland, but this was not the case at all. At first, the boat ride is even better than we imagined (the captain even has shots of genever available!) as the ship pulls up to a beach on the south end of Vlieland, which is populated by dozens of seals!

We’re treated to a bit of a show as seals slide into the water and pop their heads up right beside the ship. We’re so delighted by all of this that we completely fail to notice that everyone else is disembarking the boat already. Turns out this is the end of our ferry ride and we are the last to awkwardly hoist our bikes over yet another makeshift bridge and onto the vast beach. We follow our fellow passengers toward a huge yellow vehicle with massive wheels that looks like something out of a Mad Max film. (We were too gobsmacked and confused at what was happening to take a photo of any of this. But here’s a photo of the Vliehors Expres we found online.)

This wasn’t in the brochure, right? And isn’t Vlieland supposed to be a car-free island? (Well, maybe not monster truck-free.) We keep wondering if everyone else knows what the hell is going on here. They certainly look a little confused as well. Is anyone going to speak up (maybe they’re waiting for us to?). But it appears as though this crazy-looking sand truck is going to be taking us the rest of the way up the island to Het Posthuys, a hotel in the middle of the island. But not our hotel. Our hotel is in Oost Vlieland, where our driver gruffly tells us he is not going. “But we have bike lanes on the island,” he says with a laugh. Looks like we still have another 9 km of biking to do today. But how’s he going to get all of our bikes on this thing? If a little brusque, our driver is a total pro and he has a system. We’re all asked to remove our panniers and luggage from our bikes, and with enormous skill that would serve him well at Tetris, and some admirable teamwork from our fellow passengers, our bicycles are systematically loaded and fitted onto the truck. Once everything is secured, it’s our turn to board for a somewhat harrowing but visually stunning ride across the “Sahara of the North.” If we are a little disappointed in our shortened ferry ride, this is certainly an unexpected addition to our adventure!

Het Posthuys - Oost Vlieland: 9 km

Google Maps time: 54 minutes   Our time: 89 minutes

We’re exhausted but the cycling path through Vlieland is one of the most spectacular we’ve ever seen, curling through vast swaths of hilly grassland and sand dunes under dramatic evening clouds. And then it leads into a forest! This island has a stunning variety of landscapes. (Unfortunately Justin’s phone is dead and with Alison’s phone now in use for directions, we just have the one photo.)

Although it’s a magnificent ride, we speed through it and are relieved to finally arrive at our hotel and enjoy a glass of Prosecco on the terrace looking out at the Waddenzee. We’ve also worked up quite an appetite for a big seafood dinner: a local fish soup (Vlielander Vissoep) followed by a huge pot of mussels and a paella to share. Here’s to the completion of an epic total day trip of 77.6 km! By far our most ambitious day of cycling! … Not to be repeated anytime soon!

CAFÉ OF THE DAY:  Loods Café

Because we got into Vlieland later than we had expected, we didn’t have much time to explore the town before the kitchen closed at the hotel restaurant. But we quickly ducked into Loods Café and we were glad we did! “Een rustpunt, een ontmoetingsplek en een locatie die staat voor plezier en gezelligheid” (“A rest point, a meeting spot and a place that stands for enjoyment and gezelligheid”), Loods Café was as advertised! A perfect cozy little place to wind down with a drink after a long day of biking, we hope to go back and spend a bit more time there one day.  

WHAT WE MISSED: In our rush to get to Den Burg for a much-needed snack and beverage after booking it all the way up to the ferry in Den Helder, we biked right past a sheep farm that was advertising “lammetjes knuffelen” (aka cuddle lambs!). Texel is an island with an enormous sheep population, so it seems like THE place to snuggle a sweet little lamb. Texel is also well known for the lively seaside town of De Koog on the west side of the island, which is a hub for many visitors who come over for swimming, surfing and shopping. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for any of that this time around!

But our biggest regret? There was a Tom Petty tribute show in Vlieland that night! Even though it would’ve meant ANOTHER 20 minutes of biking to get some camping ground in an even more remote part of the island, we must’ve been exhausted as we love Tom Petty! Still sad about missing this one.  

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: Certainly after today, we started to appreciate just how tough a bike ride can be. While there are many inspiring sights along the way and there’s a huge sense of fulfillment in reaching a destination by bike (not to mention a great workout), cycling any distance can be hard work. And when you’re following along live on Google Maps, you really feel how much effort goes into every minute of cycling (we highly recommend turning off your phone once you have a few kilometres of easy-to-follow bike paths ahead. It makes for a much more enjoyable ride). Google Maps bases its times on the assumption that you’re riding at a pace of about 20 km/hr. That’s not unreasonable. But when you’ve got two full pannier bags, a heavy backpack and Mother Nature throwing some strong headwinds and/or rain your way, you’re likely to be moving a bit slower than that.

For example, we mapped our route through the island of Texel this way based on Google Maps times: Ferry Terminal to Den Hoorn = 11 minutes, Den Hoorn to Den Burg = 18 minutes, Den Burg to De Waal = 10 minutes, De Waal to Oosterend = 14 minutes, Oosterend to De Cocksdorp = 33 minutes, De Cocksdop to De Vriendschap = 10 minutes. So about an hour and a half of biking. When we planned this months ago at home in Toronto, we imagined ourselves stopping off and exploring each of these towns. But with strong headwinds and a boat to catch, we just had to power through the island and it was a tough 90 minutes!

Also, you’ll see a lot of beautiful sights or cute animals along the way that you’ll want to photograph and some interesting-looking towns you might want to venture into, which will all slow you down. Not to say you shouldn’t! But our schedule meant that we had to forgo some photos that we would’ve loved to share with you and breeze past some lookout points and historical towns that deserved a writeup as well. You can’t see everything!  While Justin was a bit disappointed we only had one other day on our trip that would be more than 50 km of biking, he’s grateful now that he listened to Alison about not overdoing it.  

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 4: Vlieland to Leeuwarden

We wake up early in Oost Vlieland to enjoy a morning stroll by the Waddenzee before coffee and breakfast at our hotel.

We still have a bit of time before we have to catch the ferry to Harlingen, so we hop on our bikes for a more leisurely exploration (and to get a few more photos) of the scenery we had to rush through the night before. It’s still beautiful, of course, but the bright morning sky doesn’t quite offer the same dramatic backdrop we had last night. As stressful and exhausting as it was to go from boat to bus to bike, our introduction to Vlieland was certainly memorable!

At 11:50 a.m., it’s time to take the ferry back to the mainland. Unlike the casual and personable Vriendschap from yesterday, the Vlieland-Harlingen ferry is massive and packed with families and screaming children begging for overpriced snacks and sodas. Next time we’ll opt for the express ferry. (We kid, we kid.)

Harlingen - Leeuwarden: 27.8 km
Google Maps time: 91 minutes   Our time: 83 minutes (WHAAAAAAT?!)

We arrive in Harlingen and enjoy a ’t Twaalf Uurtje lunch (which translates roughly to the 12 o’clockie? It’s a soup, salad and two small sandwiches all for 15 euros! Perhaps a special at Borrel for Stroopwafel Sundays?) on the deck at the Café ’t Noorderke & Restaurant Noorderpoort. We’re right by a canal leading into the harbour and enjoy watching the bridge get raised for passing boats. We spy a cute book and music store across the street and realize how strange it is that we haven’t visited one on this trip so far. A record for us (no pun intended)!

As much as we promised ourselves to take it easy today, it’s already 2:30 p.m. and we want to see as much of Leeuwarden as we can. Particularly as today is also a much-needed laundry day. So we skip the shops and race straight through Harlingen, trying to take in as much of its beautiful architecture, canals and … a camel? (No, it’s not a cycling-induced hallucination, Knorka the camel is very real! With a subscription to the Leeuwarder Courant, you can read all about it here.)

This is Alison’s first time in the province of Friesland and she’s already charmed, particularly as we pass through the city of Franeker. We try to keep our eyes on the road as we pass by beautiful ancient buildings and the historical university. (Franeker also makes up one of the 11 cities when Friesland hosts the magnificent Dutch ice-skating competition, the elfstedentocht. Always potentially an annual event, the elfstedentocht is weather-dependent and sadly has not been staged since 1997. … But Alison already thinks we should do the 200-km tour around Friesland on our bikes next time!)

Justin gets inspired as we’re actually outpacing Google Maps’ prediction of us reaching Leeuwarden at 4:08 p.m. So we pedal hard, hitting highs of 33 km/h, taking advantage of lighter headwinds and absolutely loving today’s bike route weaving through charming villages, scenic parks and alongside quieter roads. It’s exactly the kind of bike route we were dreaming about when plotting this trip.

But our arrival time is now down four minutes to 4:04 p.m., so no stopping for water, breaks or photos of any of this (sorry!). Justin starts thinking, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if we make it in by 4 p.m.?” And as we close in on the city of Leeuwarden, we are at 4:01 p.m. And then 4 p.m.! And then … 3:59 p.m.? Justin starts barrelling through the city like a maniac to see if we can make it nine minutes ahead of time with Alison trailing behind probably wondering why the hell he’s in such a hurry. We pull up to our hotel as the giant clock tower chimes four and we couldn’t be happier. Or more exhausted!

Unfortunately, after our triumphant entrance, our evening in Leeuwarden offers us a few challenges and disappointments (and a lot of frustrating walking back and forth). First, the hotel (we won’t name it) is understaffed and check-in takes forever, with Alison having to return to the front desk three times because our keycard didn’t work (we do get a free drink though!).

Next, laundry: We tried to pack light, so by now we need to wash some clothes. Unfortunately, outside of Amsterdam, laundromats (or wasserettes) are few and far between in the Netherlands. The only one we can find in Leeuwarden is a 25-minute walk from the hotel. And once we get there, there’s no vending machine for detergent (and no shops nearby). We run a wash anyway, figuring it’s better than nothing, and walk back to one of the cozy cafés we’d passed along the way. (We also see an inviting fish shop and make a note to grab some kibbeling while our clothes are drying.)

Turns out, running a load in the dryer is a steep 13.50 euros (self-service!) so we decide to hang up our clothes to dry around our hotel room instead. At least we have kibbeling to look forward to! Except when we pass by the fish shop again, it’s too late – they’re closing up. No kibbeling for us. And Justin’s desire to eat late once again makes us miss out on our first choice for dinner. Is this whole universe – or Leeuwarden at least – against us?! … More likely it’s just a couple of successive First World problems causing us to overexaggerate.

We take solace in some cozy drinks at a couple of cafés and enjoy a stroll around this beautiful city. As it’s summer and this is very much a student town, it’s a quieter than expected Friday night. Not that we’d be up for a late evening as we’re exhausted. But we can’t help but feel we haven’t really given Leeuwarden its due, and we want to explore the city a little more. So we make an executive decision for what’s going to happen for Day 5. (More photos of Leeuwarden coming on Day 5, promise!)

CAFÉS OF THE DAY:  Café de Strohoed is a bit of an institution in Leeuwarden and a welcome rest after our initial disappointments in the city. There are folks from all walks of life gathered here, a huge selection of beers and just that gezellig atmosphere a genuine bruin cafe provides. The bartender was super friendly and gave us some tips for dinner (we just wished we’d asked what time kitchens tend to close up!). Café de Spoek was also a great bar to hang out in, reminding Justin of the Dutch watering holes he frequented as a teenager in the ’90s. Indeed, owner Klaas has most of his CD collection from that decade lining the walls as decoration. It’s a weekend spot only and it probably gets loud later into the evening, but the tunes are killer, service is great and it’s as gezellig as it gets.

WHAT WE MISSED: So much! As we mentioned, there were many stops we wanted to make en route from Harlingen to Leeuwardem. And we definitely want to explore Friesland by bike further. We’ll be back!

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: The Dutch eat early. Considering you can get food at any hour in Amsterdam (but even that’s changing post-COVID), we just assumed the same would be true in most Dutch cities. Because people definitely like to stay out really late. For Justin, post-meal time is wind-down time and the last thing he wants on a full stomach is another beer. But maybe he’s just weird and getting old. If you’re like Alison and have no problem with a perfectly normal dinnertime of 7:30 p.m., you’ll be fine. Thankfully, Grand-Café De Walrus’s kitchen is open late with a menu option that seems to strangely cater to weirdos like Justin by offering all three of their soups in snack-size bowls (see left). Plus their patio is packed and this seems like this is the place to be on a Friday night!

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 5: Leeuwarden to Groningen

Full disclosure: To make up for what was a bit of a disappointing evening in Leeuwarden, we decide to do Day 5 a little differently. Facing a 65 km bike ride – on what is going to be the hottest day of our trip so far at 29C plus humidity – we would need to leave early in the morning if we wanted to get to Groningen at a decent hour (and have some time to recover from the trip). So we have a little cheat day.

In our defence, we were planning to take the train at some point in our journey to illustrate how well-connected the Dutch railway is. With a station in almost every town, taking the train is a pretty amazing option to have in the event of bad weather or feeling under the weather or, in this case, wanting some more time to explore a city and cut down on the time needed to get to the next destination. But we add a little compromise so we don’t feel too guilty about our biking break: we will get the train heading to Groningen but get off at the stop before, Zuidhorn, and cycle in from there, thus cutting our biking distance for the day from 65 km to 12.5 km (and give us the false illusion of still technically biking into our next destination).

We’d be feeling a little ashamed about this, but our decision is clearly the right one. We have a fantastic first half day in Leeuwarden, with a nice quiet coffee and light breakfast by a canal at the Bakery Café on Nieuwestad, a visit to the medieval part of the city where we see the unfinished leaning church tower the Oldehove (Leeuwarden’s Tower of Pisa, if you will), a good browse through all kinds of treasures at Boekenpassage De Rode Loper (a covered passageway filled with second-hand books, old prints and postcards and a room dedicated to chess matches), and a stroll along Nieuwestraat (this seems to have been the place to be with lots of appealing restaurants all lined up together along the canal. Don’t know how we missed this street last night!), where we have a terrific canal-side lunch at Het Broodhuys.

But the highlight and biggest surprise is thanks to the staff at the very excellent hobby store De Treinenpassage, where we are tipped off on a local art project called Miniature People. Artist Michel Tilma has placed tiny figurines (about 1 cm tall) around the city, each with its own story behind it. With our trusty map, we spend the morning looking for them. Even more fun than Pokémon Go! As the staff at De Treinenpassage said, "The map takes you places in the city you wouldn't otherwise go." He was absolutely right, it’s a truly unique way to explore Leeuwarden. (But you might draw a bit of attention to yourself as you're bent over searching intently in all the nooks and crannies of the walls of the city!) We only have time to look up seven of the 71 miniatures, but we’re already making plans to come back to find the remaining 64!

We are so engrossed with our miniature hunt that we’re almost in danger of not making the 1:20 p.m. train to Groningen. So we quickly bike to the station and, with the help of friendly ticket staff, we load up our OV chip card (a contactless card for transport over all of the Netherlands) with an extra fare for our bikes and we’re off. (That is, after a bit of intense maneuvering of our bikes into the train car. While they are allowed on board and you pay for them, there’s not always a lot of space.) It’s amazing how a few days of biking will make a train ride feel like a luxury cruise as what would’ve been nearly three hours on the bike is covered in about half an hour’s time.

Zuidhorn - Groningen: 12.5 km
Google Maps time: 42 minutes   Our time: 51 minutes

The train pulls into Zuidhorn and find ourselves in a very posh neighbourhood of tree-lined streets and mansions that look like meticulously decorated giant cakes. We make our way into the town’s small market square to buy some water, and then on to the bike path for our reduced but still very hot and tegenwind-heavy cycling journey into Groningen. Biking into the city from the north is lovely though, as we make our way in via a beautiful park, bridges and along canals until we reach the Hotel Miss Blanche.

The Hotel Miss Blanche is a beautiful if not luxurious (it wasn’t cheap!) hotel in the heart of Groningen situated along the Hoge Der A canal. But even fuller disclosure: we’ve been guests at this hotel before. On our first trip to Groningen three years ago, we embraced the city’s party culture with a bit too much fervour and woke up the next morning with one of the worst hangovers we can remember. It felt like a huge waste of this beautiful hotel room to wake up feeling so terrible so we booked a night here determined not to repeat this mistake!

But the main reason to visit Groningen is to reconnect with our friend Iris. Iris was and remains Borrel’s only bonafide Dutch server, who worked with us for about 10 months from the fall of 2018 to summer 2019. She’s lived in Groningen since her university days and wants to show us a side of her city we didn’t get to see last time. We spend a nice and relaxed afternoon stopping at her favourite local places, delighted to be in her hands and not have to think about where we want to go.

First up is the beach! OK, it’s not a real beach, it’s a man-made beach alongside a canal, but it’s a great spot to grab a drink, chill and catch up. (Plus, Iris’s brother lives across the street, so he pops over to say hello!)

Then we go for a stroll through a quiet residential area until we pass by Room, an ice cream shop, which is exactly what we need on this steamy day. (Iris says this is the best ice cream in town. We can tell, it’s packed!) Iris then leads us to the next stop on our unofficial tour, a cute café and cocktail bar called Bramble, where we grab a snack and a drink (plus they bring us a complimentary borrel plate of chips and olives).

Bramble is right across the street from our next destination, the beautiful Noorderplantsoen Park. It’s a sizable urban park, but as it seems to be the case in the Netherlands, you’re not likely to find a stretch of more than a kilometre without a café. And the Noorderplantsoen Park has one too: Zondag! We grab a high top in the shade for another drink and some people-watching.

We’ve warned Iris that we can’t make it too late of a night, so we head to dinner early (or at least early for Justin). While Iris has planned the day for us, we’re in charge of dinner with reservations at Weeva, a restaurant that’s been serving up old-school Dutch dishes since 1871. We can’t kid ourselves that this is strictly a work trip, but we do make a point of visiting any establishment that serves up traditional Dutch food in hopes of inspiration for a new menu item or two at Borrel. Justin has his eyes in particular on the Captain’s Dinner, an old-fashioned hearty dish consisting of kapucijners (field peas), bacon lardons (in this case, a lot!) and some surrounding condiments (mainly piccalilly, a relish which, when homemade, is the key to a good Captain’s Dinner according to Justin’s Uncle Ric).

If it sounds like a bit much on a hot and humid day, it is! Our waiter patiently advises against it but Justin is determined. Our waiter is equally perplexed by Alison’s choice of stamppot (we can’t blame him. It reminds us of the boerenkool orders that will continue to come in at Borrel even when Toronto is going through a heatwave). But our wish is his command! Indeed, Weeva prides itself on a kind of service not often seen these days, with the waiters dressed in shirt, tie and apron and the dining room is like something out of, well, the late 19th century!

Our waiter is of course correct about the Captain’s Dinner. All those beans are a big challenge (and the dish is a little on the dry side. … Justin wonders if some kind of fusion chili dish might be possible with kapucijners at Borrel instead?). But we made a good effort with our winter dishes on this summer night even as we envy Iris’s choice of salad. While we are definitely successful in not drinking to excess on this visit to Groningen, maybe we’ll need to heed the warnings of not eating to excess next time!

We hug Iris goodbye and are not ungrateful for the longish route back to the hotel by foot. It’s going to take a while to walk off this Captain’s Dinner …

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: While we’ve discussed the benefits of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) for when you just can’t bike it anymore, here are a few more notes: You’ll need to buy a separate ticket for your bike, which costs about 8 euros. This allows you to travel with your bike on the train all day. But you can only take your bicycle on the train during off-peak hours between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. on weekdays (even if you stepped onto the train during off-peak hours, you’re supposed to exit once it’s rush hour). On weekends, bikes are allowed on at all times and the NS website claims bikes are also allowed on at all times during the months of July and August. It’s not a bad idea to show up well in advance of your train departure time to get your bike ticket. And while the option of boarding with your bike is great, it’s not always the most fun getting yourself settled. There are train cars designated for bike storage and the Dutch are used to travellers doing so, but it’s hard not to feel like a jerk when you’re haphazardly forcing your bike into a busier-than-expected car and having it take up a spot where passengers could be standing. For more info, visit the NS site.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 6: Groningen to Assen

Redemption morning in Groningen – no hangover! We did it! (Although man, still feeling that Captain’s Dinner.) Breakfast at the hotel, then some reading and writing and sober appreciation of our beautiful room at Hotel Miss Blanche until checkout. A word on this hotel, who offered us a free upgrade and breakfast for our stay – they’ve converted 11 historic townhouses in central Groningen into amazing rooms and suites for an elegant boutique hotel experience that still feels very homey and cozy. Plus our room this time is on the top floor, so we have a great view of the city as well (and it’s high up enough to escape Groningen’s noisy all-night party scene).

Then we’re back on the bikes for a quick ride down to Haren to meet up with Justin’s childhood friend Marc, who he hasn’t seen in 25 years!

Groningen - Haren: 6.1 km
Google Maps time: 22 minutes   Our time: 25 minutes

Justin met Marc at his opa en oma's vacation home in Breukelen back when he was just 9 years old. They would fish together and Marc spoke excellent English, so they became fast friends. Over the years, they would reconnect almost every summer in Breukelen and Justin credits him for turning him onto skateboarding, new music and thinking about life in a whole different way. Marc was definitely a huge inspiration in Justin’s life and he continues to inspire as he shows us around his residence at the Biotoop. Haren is known to be one of the more affluent towns in the province of Groningen (and of course infamous for the 16th birthday party gone wrong on Sept. 6, 2012), so it’s awesome to see this communal, anti-squatting living space home to more than 300 residents and workers as an established and thriving cultural and community centre here.

Marc also shows us his jaw-dropping collection and cataloging of skateboarding memorabilia, boards and videos. You could spend hours browsing through all of this old skateboarding stuff that could fill a museum and, indeed, Marc has exciting plans to do just that!

Haren - Assen: 22.8 km
Google Maps time: 73 minutes   Our time: 90 minutes

After a great visit with Marc, it’s on to Assen. It’s another hot and humid day and, even though our distance today is on the shorter side, this is one of our toughest/least pleasant days of biking so far. The air is thick and smoggy, and the bike path is right next to busy car traffic the entire way. (To be fair, there is a more scenic route we could have taken that goes through the Drentsche Aa National Park, but because of the heat we decided on the shortest and most direct route – not always the best choice!)

We are very relieved to finally roll into Assen and cool off in our air-conditioned hotel room. Then, of course, we’re off in search of a snack and a drink. Assen is a small town, and quite sleepy on a Sunday afternoon, but things are lively at The Koppelpaarden. … That’s actually where most of the rest of the day takes place thanks to an unexpectedly intense storm that hits us in the early evening. So while we don’t see much of Assen, we do get to spend time in what has to be its gezelligste bruin café! (Read more below.) But we promise ourselves we’ll see a bit more of the town the next morning.

CAFÉ OF THE DAY:  De Koppelpaarden

While Assen was pretty quiet on the Sunday afternoon when we got in, the patio at historic bruin café De Koppelen was packed! Right in Assen’s centrum, we enjoyed a couple of drinks and some bitterballen on the patio in the afternoon and then returned later in the evening ahead of dinner. They recognized us immediately and welcomed us back (hopefully not thinking we were complete alcoholics!). As it cooled down in the evening and the rain clouds threatened above, we moved inside, which revealed a beautiful wood interior that rivals the gezelligste of bruin cafés. We’re in luck to make it to De Koppelpaarden when we do —  as soon as we sit down inside it starts to pour!

To be honest, we love the rain – and even moreso from the inside of a cozy bar with a drink to watch it come down. And for the next half hour, it falls down hard, flooding the streets and making the trek to the Italian restaurant we have in mind impossible without getting soaked (and it’s less than 20 metres away!). While we’re worried the restaurant might close, we enjoy another round, borrow an umbrella as the rain lessens and we find a route around the pond of water that’s collected in the centrum. We have a delicious dinner and go back to De Koppelpaarden for an aperitif and thank the friendly staff for a gezellig night. Definitely recommend paying them a visit if you’re in Assen!

WHAT WE MISSED: Like we mentioned earlier, in our desire to keep exertion to a minimum on this hot and smoggy day, we missed out on the scenic route we had originally planned. This would have taken us through the Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa, which is supposed to be full of beautiful cycling routes along forests, sand dunes and streams. Drenthe is a really beautiful province with plenty of amazing nature (and we will make up for this somewhat tomorrow — stay tuned!).

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: It’s no secret that bike theft is rampant in the Netherlands, especially in the big cities. So we knew we had to be careful with our rental bikes. Fortunately, almost every hotel we stayed in had secure overnight bike storage for us, and even if a hotel didn’t have its own facilities (as in Leeuwarden for example), we were able to make use of the city’s public fietstallen, or bike parking. In Leeuwarden, there was a free bike garage right around the corner from our hotel, and safe bike storage is free for up to seven days. (After that it costs 1 euro per day.) Almost every city has something like this, just look up “fietstallen” in the place you’re visiting and safe, convenient and free bike storage will be yours! We also invested in a sturdy chain link bike lock so we could lock up our bikes even within the secure indoor storage facilities. You can’t be too careful!

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 7: Assen to Giethoorn

We’re up bright and early in Assen and enjoy a lovely complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel. Less lovely is witnessing one shameless hotel guest load their plate with an enormous stack of bread and proceed to make sandwiches for at least three lunches. Way to keep that Dutch stereotype of being cheap alive and well!

If our experience of Assen was somewhat limited the previous day, our morning bike ride is a huge improvement – it actually feels like something out of a Disney movie! As we head south out of the city, we pass by De Hertenkamp, a park full of fallow deer with beautiful speckled coats. While it’s hard to tear ourselves away and hop back on our bikes, our route out of town reveals more natural splendor with a tour through the Asserbos, a gorgeous forest park full of hiking and cycling trails through the trees. Wish we could stop off here longer to explore as well, but it’s a good 60 km to today’s final destination: Giethoorn.

Assen - Giethoorn: 60 km
Google Maps time: 3 hours and 6 minutes   Our time: 4 hours and 52 minutes (includes several stops)

Remember that big rainstorm the previous evening, when we were cozily ensconced at De Koppelpaarden? As we bike through Beilen, the next town south of Assen, we witness the dramatic aftermath: a number of trees violently struck down from lightning in a park. We actually see three huge trees in near proximity that have been split and fallen all close to one another. (They say lightning doesn’t strike twice but it appears as though it can strike three times in close proximity?) One fallen trunk is blocking the bike path and we have to dismount to get by. The town’s locals are all out surveying the damage and, while it thankfully doesn’t seem like anyone was hurt, the severity of the storm was certainly much more intense than we imagined when we were marvelling at the downpour the night before.

It seems as though Beilen is the most affected by the storm as we don’t see any further damage along the way. The storm spared the beautiful dense forest of the lush (and hard to pronounce) Dwingelderveld National Park. It’s here that we have another unexpected Disney-like animal encounter: cows! OK, maybe it’s more Kelly Reichardt than Disney, but what’s exciting is how close they are – unfenced and coming right at us! It’s a bit unnerving, but also a really unique experience to see them up close in the middle of the woods!

The ride through Dwingelderveld National Park is one of Alison’s favourite parts of the trip so far. It’s shady, cool and breezy (but not tegenwind breezy, fortunately!). The trees smell amazing and it makes for much easier breathing than the heavy humid ride yesterday. And the lovely dedicated bike path takes us past meadows, fields and lakes.

After Dwingelderveld, we cross the border from the province of Drenthe into Overijssel. The lovely routes continue on our way to Giethoorn as we bike through vast farmer’s fields under huge skies. And the Disney-like animals continue as well as we pass a little farm where we have to stop to snap a photo of these curious little goats.

Giethoorn is a tremendously popular tourist attraction, sometimes called “the Venice of the Netherlands” (although there’s at least one other town we’ve visited that also makes this claim). And truthfully, it’s not normally the kind of place we would make a point of going to. But a community situated along canals with all the homes connected by bridges and boats that’s also apparently car-free? That’s a bit too hard to pass up. And given that it’s pretty on brand with our trip’s objectives (wait, what are those again?) and that it’s en route to tomorrow’s stop in Zwolle, we thought it was time to pay Giethoorn a visit. In fact, the day before we left Toronto to set out on this trip, a super-friendly customer buying fries from us at the Danny Loves Music festival told us that she’d just been to Giethoorn and it was beautiful, if very busy. (Her exact words were “I want to move there, and also never go again.” Wise words, as we’d learn!)

For a supposedly car-free place, our entrance into Giethoorn is a bit disappointing, traffic-wise. We’re biking on a shared road and a huge tractor bullies its way ahead of us, almost edging us off the road. Frustrated, we hang back and wait for a break in the traffic. Fortunately, a bike-only lane begins again shortly after, which takes us the rest of the way into Giethoorn proper.

Our enthusiastic fry customer didn’t lie – Giethoorn IS extremely picturesque. But it is also packed with tourists. The canals are so full of rental boats (seriously, every business in this town also doubles as a boat rental place) that there are traffic jams in the water. The narrow walkways alongside the canals are also jam-packed with people brandishing selfie sticks, trying to manoeuvre the angle of their photos so it looks like they have this fairy-tale-like town to themselves. After a few minutes of navigating the crowds we need a drink!

At Cafe Fanfare (named for an old Dutch film set in Giethoorn) we settle in by the window and order a shot of Berenburg, an herbal liqueur originally from Friesland (yes, we should have enjoyed this tasty beverage in its home province, but we were so frazzled on our night in Leeuwarden that we forgot!). In any case, it does the job and we enjoy a lovely view and brief respite from the selfie-taking tourists outside.

While we’re very taken with the many charms of Giethoorn, we know we’ll be able to experience it a little better (and saner) if we make the trek back early the next morning. What we’re actually far more excited about is spending the rest of this day at our accommodation for the night: Bed on a Boat!

This unique private boathouse is located a bit outside the main town and, given the crowds, we’re so glad it is! We’re thrilled to have a quiet cozy evening overlooking the harbour from our little deck. Not to mention the opportunity to cook our very own dinner for a night! (Is it weird that a night of home cooking is a major highlight of our trip so far? Eating out is of course a huge treat, but after a while, you’re thrilled at the prospect of making for yourself. Even if it is something as simple as a spaghetti bolognese.)

We set ourselves up on the deck and tuck into some snacks and open a bottle of Prosecco and enjoy what is arguably our most relaxing night of the trip in what is arguably the least relaxing destination we visit (kidding. It’s hardly that hectic here once the tour buses head back). The sun starts to set and the water is at a beautiful calm. As we hear the boathouse very gently move to the gentle movements of the water, Justin is reminded of his childhood days at his opa and oma’s summerhouse in Breukelen and naturally talks Alison’s ear off about it. But it’s a beautiful night and one we’ll always treasure.

A big thanks to Bed on a Boat hosts Marco and Marjolein for making us feel so welcome and sharing their Giethoorn stories with us. Little did we know, their generous hospitality would provide a very unique experience of this charming village the next morning.

WHAT WE MISSED: The Hunebeds

Drenthe is home to many dolmens, or hunebeds, which are prehistoric tombstones built by early humans with boulders that were transported to the area during the Ice Age. In our initial planning, we fully intended to include at least one of these ancient sites on our bike route, but once the realities of the weather and Alison’s unexpected fatigue after riding into Assen, unfortunately the closest by sites were still a little too out of the way. But we loved biking through Drenthe, and will definitely be back (and we’ll make a priority of visiting these cool old rocks next time). Apparently within Drenthe there are several dozen within a 30 km radius, which sounds like an amazing day of cycling!

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: As has become very apparent (and you’ve probably been saying yourself with every entry we’ve posted … hell, we even have a What We Missed section!): it’s well worth it to spend two nights in each destination you’re visiting! Especially if you’re attempting to write a travel diary! These things take time! And you’ll be tired when you get in and want to decompress! … And if decompressing means having a couple vasjes (half pints) of beer, you’re also not going to really be up for much further exploring or writing afterward! And we knew this a bit from the start. Our Tour de Pays-Bas was about seeing how much we could see and how much ground in the Netherlands we could cover in a certain amount of time. And we’re glad we did it that way. But we were often surprised with how much more of a city we took in the following day after a night’s rest and waking up with more attentive eyes, keen to soak up the local sites and culture. With every destination we’ve visited, we want to go back to see more. And that’s not a bad thing, given that we are frequent visitors to the Netherlands anyway. But if you’re planning a bike trip of your own, best to schedule two nights per destination to fully appreciate it.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 8: Giethoorn to Zwolle

We wake up early for a quick but relaxing coffee on our dock before we head out to explore Giethoorn by boat. Our hosts, Marco and Marjolein, have generously allowed us to take their electric boat out before any of the town’s many boat rentals are even open for business. This is the equivalent to an exclusive private pass of Giethoorn as we sail through its canals with nary another boat in sight. In just a couple hours’ time, the canals will be packed with tourists on boats in what will resemble something like a bumper car (or bumper boat) ride. And they really do start bashing into one another and the docks! It’s kind of amazing that these boat rental companies trust tourists with little to no experience in driving boats to operate them through these narrow passageways. … Not that we should talk! Justin’s initial attempt to set sail leads to a good bash against the dock that makes Marco wince. But once cleared, Justin’s boating skills from his childhood days at his opa en oma’s vacation home in Breukelen kick in for a (mostly) smooth ride!

If not entirely smooth, it is a very peaceful, inspiring and civilized way to take in this beautiful village. Even though it’s raining, it’s well worth getting a bit wet to have Giethoorn all to ourselves. There are hardly any tourists travelling by foot and we’re the only boat cruising slowly through the canals. It’s a serene experience passing under bridges and admiring all of the beautiful houses with their tranquil gardens. It’s a bit unsettling as well as we really don’t see a soul. Many of the Giethoorn’s residents have large backyards with guesthouses where they can stay to avoid the rush of tourists that will pack this place later in the day. Up until more recently, it was not uncommon for tourists to feel they had an all-access pass to peoples’ properties and they would step onto their lawns and even peek through their windows until more strict regulations were put in place.

At Marco’s suggestion, we pull out into the lake Bovenwijde for a little boat tour through the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. We hope to spot some otters, but are happy to settle for a flock of cranes that take flight just metres ahead of us. It’s quite a startling and majestic feeling to see them so up close, although we also feel guilty for startling them with our boat.

After 90 minutes in the boat, we return (with an unfortunate amateur parking job by Justin, probably making Marco wonder how we even made it back — but he did snap this nice shot of us). The rain really starts to kick in and Marco generously lets us stay past checkout to wait for it to clear up a bit before we head off to Zwolle.

Giethoorn - Zwolle: 30.4 km
Google Maps time: 95 minutes   Our time: 2 hrs 35 min (with an hour lunch stop in Hasselt)

The weather is mostly dry but with threatening skies overhead, we’re on the lookout for a village to take shelter in and have lunch should it start to pour. The town of Zwartsluis looks really charming but as it’s only 12 km into our bike ride, it’s too early for lunch or for anything to really be open (but we make a note of wanting to pay a visit in the future). Situated roughly halfway to our destination, we focus on making it over to Hasselt.

En route, we’re treated to another beautiful bike lane stretch with wetlands to the left of us and the Zwarte Water river to the right (a river which also leads into Zwolle). But with dramatic dark clouds gathering, we just take a few photos and then power through to the Hanseatic city of Hasselt, convinced we’re going to get dumped on at any minute.

A Hanseatic city or town denotes a municipality that was part of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organization of German origin in medieval times. Typically, they will be located along waterways for ease of trade and be enclosed by a wall for defensive purposes. … But we won’t pretend to know more about this by rephrasing facts we’re finding about this subject online. While fascinating, it’s also a little confusing to come to a clear consensus on just what makes a place part of the Hansa. However, it does seem to be generally agreed upon that there are nine recognized major Hanseatic cities in the Netherlands, and Hasselt is the first of three that we will visit on this trip. (Hope we can come back and visit all nine someday – sounds like a great future bike route!)

We shouldn’t be surprised to find Hasselt to be another historically rich, charming and beautiful town. That really does seem to be the case with any place we spontaneously visit on this trip and it’s one of the main reasons we love the Netherlands and so many countries in Europe. It seems more often than not, any place you visit – no matter how small – will feel welcoming and full of character. It’s almost more surprising when a town does NOT have these qualities (and the places that did make this distinction for us we will refrain from identifying out of consideration – after all, everywhere is home for somebody).

We have a quick walk around and then have lunch at the charming Ad'vundum (our new favourite ’t twaalfuurtje, consisting of a kroket, a sandwich and soup. Kind of like a traditional Dutch lunch combo). We’d like to stay longer but realizing that today is also a much needed laundry day, we need to press on to Zwolle (our fingers crossed that finding a wasserette there won’t be as much of an ordeal as it was in Leeuwarden).

We enter Zwolle’s city limits by crossing a bridge back over the Zwarte Water river (and going past a little rabbit hutch in a park full of bunnies – a good omen!). We’re in by 2:30 p.m., but ahead of checking into our hotel, our priority is Het Wasmandje, a laundromat that closes at 4 p.m. With that oddly early closing time, we’re already bracing for the worst (and riding in stinky clothes the next day). But we have to give a big thank you to the folks at Het Wasmandje, who were able to wash, dry and fold our clothes and have it all ready for us to pick up at 3:45 p.m. (And all for a fraction of the cost of the self-service wasserette in Leeuwarden. How does that make any sense?) So we should also plug that they specialize in gifts and catering for baby showers! With our clothes taken care of, we cross another bridge into Zwolle’s centrum to find our hotel, De Pelsertoren.

De Pelsetoren isn’t just any hotel. And it takes us a moment to realize we’re in the right spot – hard to believe our room for the night is in this 15th-century medieval tower that’s part of the wall that used to surround the city! Apparently, 23 towers used to line the canal of the inner city of Zwolle. Of those 23, only three remain, with the Pelsetoren being the only one that was refurbished to keep both its features as a historical monument intact while providing a unique experience for visitors to lodge there.

We ring the doorbell and pretty soon our friendly host Andries is coming up the street to let us in and lead us up the winding stairway to our room. While we do get the only suite of the four available that has no windows, the atmospheric ancient brick that encloses our room more than makes up for it.

We unload our bags and follow Andries to lock up our bikes … at yet another amazingly unique hotel he operates, De Staatsman. Located in the heart of Zwolle’s shopping district, this historic provincial building that was once a meeting venue for government matters is now a luxury hotel sporting seven beautiful suites. Turns out the city was so pleased with the work Andries and his wife did with De Pelsertoren that they were then asked to restore what is now his new hotel. He gives us a short tour of the building, which is stunning and features walls covered in intricate painted detail. It kinda has us wishing we could spend a second night here after our medieval tower stay!

Zwolle is clearly a city that revels in its own history and architecture, and this isn’t only on display in our awesome hotel. Around the corner is De Broerenkerk, a massive and stunning 15th-century church that has been converted into a beautiful bookstore. (As far as Alison is concerned, this is the best possible use of a space like this.) Remnants of the past are all around us as we stroll through Zwolle, soaking up the medieval ruins aesthetic. There are parts of the ancient walls that no longer connect as they have crumbled to a halt, but the jagged bricks that remain create a sublime effect as the gaps in the wall reveal elements of modern life behind them. It’s a beautiful blend of past and present (that this description and our photo do not do justice to!).

We even have the opportunity to pop into a bar that’s built right into one of the ancient walls lining the city. But while it’s beautiful inside, and we have a great spot by a window overlooking the canal, the music and service leave something to be desired and it’s a short visit.

Much more our speed is the next bar stop at De Tagrijn, a definite contender in our ongoing search for the best bruin cafés of the Netherlands (and which we discuss in further detail for our Café of the Day below). It’s a special place that reflects just how special a city Zwolle is. We’re able to enjoy a drink and reflect on the amazing things we’ve seen on yet another great day of biking around this country. And tomorrow, we’ll learn a bit more about a special connection Zwolle shares with our own home country.

CAFE OF THE DAY: De Tagrijn is Zwolle’s oldest bruin café, situated in a historic building that has also been both a brothel and a Salvation Army office (so it really ran the gamut of morals throughout history!). The owner, Fedde, tells us that it has been fully restored after a devastating fire in July of 2020. Insurance covered most of the repairs, he says, but the local community rallied around him so strongly with a very successful GoFundMe campaign. Even after full restoration, Fedde had enough cash to commission a local artist to create unique stained glass panels that celebrate the history of the building. We’re also inspired by the traditional mini Persian rugs that adorn the tables – something to add to our shopping list for Borrel?

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: While travelling by bike, it makes sense that you want to travel light. But of course, the less clothes you pack, the more quickly you’ll find yourself in need of some clean attire. With two full 20-litre pannier bags each, we had enough clothes to last us about four days. (And Justin still had to wear an additional backpack to carry everything. It’s for this reason that Justin was thankful for packing two mesh running shirts. While soaked in sweat by the end of the day, they were easy to rinse in a bathroom sink and they dry quickly … and hopefully didn’t stink too much after multiple wears!) We could have opted for 30-litre bags, but you definitely feel the extra weight while biking. So while four days may not be bad for a laundry visit, the problem is that outside of Amsterdam, laundromats (or wasserettes) can be hard to find. (And in the case of our experience in Leeuwarden on Day 4, they can be expensive and ill-equipped.) Almost everyone in the Netherlands owns a washer (with dryers being the luxury household item). So while there certainly are wasserettes, plan your visits accordingly, especially if you are visiting smaller towns.  

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 9: Zwolle to Harderwijk

We wake up to our alarms in our windowless medieval tower room with no windows (a bit disorienting to be without natural light!) and head out to enjoy a morning stroll around Zwolle to find some coffee and breakfast.

But our main goal is to pay tribute to Zwolle’s Canadian war hero, Leo Major. Haven’t heard of him? Neither had we until we started researching Zwolle ahead of this trip. Leo Major was a soldier from Quebec, who is credited for being almost single-handedly responsible for liberating Zwolle from Nazi occupation at the end of the Second World War. He remains a celebrated household name in Zwolle, which also has a street named after him. This year marks the 80th anniversary of liberation, and there were many ceremonies and memorials in Zwolle earlier this year to mark the occasion and honour the Canadian soldiers who fought so valiantly. Leo Major in particular was honoured with a commemorative banner that was unveiled at the local PEC Zwolle professional football club’s stadium.

Dutch children still grow up learning about Leo Major in school. Last night, we met a twentysomething bartender who was not only well-versed in his history but also advised us that making the trek out to visit the actual street he’s named after, “Leo Majorlaan,” isn’t that essential a visit. (The street is apparently in a quiet residential neighbourhood without too much else to see. But we’ve included a picture from Wikipedia of the sign above.) Instead, we decide to look elsewhere – and a good place to start is the ANNO Stadsmuseum, which has a free exhibit called Behind the Facade in honour of 80 years of liberation.

There, we see an iconic photo of Canadian soldier Earl Olmsted – a compatriot of Leo Major who both served in the Régiment de la Chaudière – seen here on the telephone of a communications vehicle in the Grote Markt in Zwolle soon after it had been liberated. There are several other moving stories about the lives of local people living in Zwolle during the Second World War, including Nora Louise van Zanten, a young teacher who refused to comply with the regulations imposed on Jewish people by the Nazi regime.

Zwolle is also home to a stunning art gallery called the Museum de Fundatie, which also has an exhibit in recognition of 80 years of freedom from the Nazis. Fundatie Collectie: 80 Years of Freedom is an incredible display of art from the museum’s permanent collection by artists who were considered “degenerate” by the Nazis, including pieces by Chagall, Klee, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and Matisse. Some more chilling artifacts are also on display, such as the program from the 1930s “Degenerate Art Exhibition,” put on by the Nazis in 1937 to denigrate and humiliate these great artists.

In addition to the wonderful art contained inside, the Museum de Fundatie is also known for being a work of art itself. It’s housed in the former Palace of Justice, originally built in the 19th century, with the traditional facade topped by a modern shimmery egg-like dome.

Zwolle - Harderwijk: 44.9 km
Google Maps time: 2 hours, 18 minutes   Our time: 3 hrs 45 min (includes stop for lunch!)

The moving museum visits make us a little late leaving Zwolle, but of course it’s well worth it. We have a nice chat with hotelier Andries as we check out and, of course, just as we’re about to head out, it starts raining. Just like the day before, we linger a little while until the rain subsides a bit. It actually makes for a nice bike ride when there’s just a sprinkle of rain and Zwolle is extra beautiful as we make our exit out of the city. But after just 10 minutes of cycling we get completely dumped on. Luckily, there are plenty of trees along the route and we take shelter with a number of other cyclists until it’s safe to venture out again. But the rain clouds follow us and we take shelter under numerous more trees and bridges en route. It’s slowing us down and we’re getting pretty soaked. We even contemplate getting a train from nearby town Wezep the rest of the way to Harderwijk. (Even though it looks short on our map route above, Zwolle to Harderwijk is still a good 45 km ride.) But we already had a cheat day when we took the train partway from Leeuwarden to Groningen, and we decide it’s only fair to press on.  

We’re so determined that we completely miss the fact that we’ve crossed the border from Overijssel to Gelderland (the sixth province we’ve hit on this trip). With strategic stops for a bizarre lunch experience in Oldebroek and a hydration break in Nunspeet, we avoid getting too wet and by the time we bike into Harderwijk it’s sunny (it’s incredible how quickly the weather can change here from hour to hour). There’s still a big thrill we get from biking into our final destinations. Not only have we reached the finish line for the day, but it’s magical how these historic villages, towns and cities reveal themselves after a long bike ride. Often minutes before arriving you’ll be biking through a field or on a dyke or alonside a river then suddenly you’re over a bridge and into a maze of cobblestone streets lined with quaint old stone buildings. It’s especially gratifying to experience these changes in the landscape by bike.

We were warned that Harderwijk is a bit of a touristy town. And with the Dolfinarium, a waterpark and a beach bar, we should be a little terrified. But Harderwijk is another example of how the Dutch are good about incorporating these rather tacky elements while maintaining some class. The Dolfinarium and waterpark (which did look like a lot of fun! No judgment!) are separated across from the town. And the independent restaurants along the pier are tasteful (we enjoyed a great seafood spread at Johannes. Highly recommend their Fish Sharing Plate!) with seating that allows for an excellent view of the Wolderwijd Lake (part of the Zuiderzee) and many of the more than 600 wind turbines that inhabit the neighbouring province of Flevoland.

And you can easily find respite from waterfront activities when you step through one of the grand brick wall entrances to the old city where we find more beautiful ancient architecture, a charming public art display of a couple making out, a big market square with locals having a drink on the terrace and a cozy bruin cafe called Café de Belofte (that we sadly did not have time to get to because of our dinner reservation. But we’re going to call it an honorary Café of the Day anyway!). It all makes for a lovely relaxing evening as we enjoy a nightcap by the water and watch the stunning sunset over the Zuiderzee.

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: While the Netherlands doesn’t exactly offer Dutch Lion Safari (well, there is a safari park here but we won’t plug that), in the “wild” (and also often in urban areas) you will come across a lot of animals. On our trip (that we can recall) we saw: cows, sheep, goats, horses, ponies, donkeys, deer, swans, ducks, cranes, herons, storks, cormorants, jackdaws, geese, peacocks, magpies, parakeets … and a camel? (See Day 4.) We’re suckers for animals, and if we’d stopped for every animal photo op there was on our trip, we’d still be pedalling right now. But be warned! As adorable as all this wildlife and livestock is to look at, occasionally (ok, more often than that) the wind would blow a certain direction and the, ah, bouquet of various farm animals and their ordure would perfume our journey. Of course such fragrances are only natural and usually waft away quickly enough, but be prepared for the occasional stench to interrupt what is otherwise a beautiful bike ride.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 10: Harderwijk to Amersfoort

We wake up early in Harderwijk and enjoy a quiet and tourist-free stroll through the town. There are more charming cobblestone streets to explore and beautiful old brick buildings to admire. It’s a beautiful town and we hope to visit again. But we decide to clear out at checkout time and make our way to Amersfoort.

Harderwijk - Amersfoort: 39.5 km
Google Maps time: 2 hours, 2 minutes   Our time: 3 hrs 30 min (includes stop for lunch!)

Heading southwest out of Harderwijk, we ride on a dedicated bike lane along the Wolderwijk lake. There’s a lovely walking path for residents with plenty of small beaches along the way. Wish we had time to go for a swim! (Justin actually did attempt a dip in the Wolderwijk the previous day and it was freezing and kinda seaweedy and gross – he’s such a diva!) We’re a little disappointed when we part from the water and rejoin shared traffic roads but we push on with promises of more water-adjacent bike lanes promised on our Google Maps route. And we’re not disappointed!

About 15 km into our ride we link up with the Zuiderzee Route, which has us biking on an elevated dyke with beautiful wetlands to our left and the Nuldernauw lake and Flevoland to our right. (A quick word about Flevoland, which is a small province composed of reclaimed land dating back to the 1950s. Justin has always been fascinated by it. Possibly because it was “new” when he spent a year living in the Netherlands in 1987-88, one year after Flevoland was officially declared the 12th province of the Netherlands. We had contemplated charting a route that would take us through Flevoland today to satisfy Justin’s longtime urge to visit, but it would have added too much time to our trip. So instead we admire Flevoland’s modern wind farms from across the water and look forward to visiting another day.)

This has to be one of the most stunning bike routes we take on this trip. Indeed, the Veluwe region is well-known for its beautiful trails. (The Zuiderzee Route we’ve linked to is a shorter 53 km distance than the LF Zuiderzee Route, a 440 km bike route that takes you all the way around the Ijsselmeer. … And goes through Flevoland! We’ll have to try it someday!) But this shortened version also seems popular as there are lots of tour groups on e-bikes all basking in the delight of this magical bike trail. We try to savour the experience ourselves by taking our time and soaking everything in. Sometimes you just don’t want to stop and take a photo and just experience life as it comes. … Of course, we kind of regret it now as the few photos we do take and the video below hardly do it justice.

We enjoy about 10 km of this majestic ride until we break from the Zuiderzee Route to make a scheduled stop in Spakenburg. To be honest, we can’t remember what we had read about Spakenburg that made us mark it as a stopover on our way to Amersfoort. But as soon as we cycle into this historic harbour town we are grateful to our past selves for the tip.

The village of Spakenburg is a throwback to older times. Filled with beautiful wooden ships (called botters) in narrow canals, museums and shops selling the village’s unique traditional clothing, which are still worn by its residents on occasion. Unfortunately we miss “Spakenburg Days” (which are celebrated every Wednesday this year between July 23 and Aug. 13, where there is a market and live music and the community comes together dressed in traditional attire to dance and celebrate) by one day! Nuts! Maybe we should’ve researched this visit to Spakenberg a little better! No matter, with lively café terraces serving up lunch and drinks on this busy and festive Thursday afternoon, there’s still plenty for us to see and do.  

The highlight has to be the broodjes we get from a small fish stand for lunch – gerookte paling for Alison and maatjesharing for Justin. Spakenburg is known for its seafood, and this broodje haring has to be one of the best we’ve ever had, with two perfectly salted buttery herring filets topped with a pile of freshly chopped onions on a soft white bun. The paling (smoked eel) is also absolutely delicious.

Another broodje we would’ve liked to try is the Bali Burger from the local Indonesian toko (the Indonesian word for “shop,” which the Dutch widely use to designate any Indonesian restaurant or takeout place) Podomoro. With a blend of Indonesian spices, the burger won gold for the Horecava NK Lekkerste Burger in 2023. And while Podomoro offers more traditional Indonesian fare, it seems their fusion burgers are all the rage with the lamb burger “LamsBurgerGini” winning again this year. … We made a Bali Burger at Borrel back in the day! And a lamb burger just before we left. Maybe we need to do some work on those! Sadly, Podomoro is closed for the day. We’ll have to go back to try it!

After a refreshing bitter lemon drink (Alison’s new favourite. Also, the Netherlands has way better tonic water than North America), we get back on our bikes for a short 45-minute ride to Amersfoort. Biking into this medieval fortress town (it’s right there in the name!) offers a very impressive sight: as we ride up from an underpass, the city’s outer fortress rises up in view. Justin attempted a video of the ride in:

Despite having spent the past few days in medieval walled Dutch cities, they never get old (well, they’re already old – but you know what we mean!). We’re very taken by the aesthetics of Amersfoort: all the old stones, narrow canals and bridges, and of course the gezellig pleins (town squares). Turns out our hotel is located right by one of the liveliest pleins in the city, Lieve Vrouwekerkhof, which faces Amersfoort’s famous tower Onze Lieve Vrouwtoren. Visitors can climb the 346 steps of this 98.33 metre tall tower for amazing views of the city. Unfortunately, after cycling hundreds of kilometres over the past week and a half, our legs aren’t up for that! Instead, we enjoy a few post-biking beverages and a very delicious slice of apple cake in the plein and just enjoy the view of the tower itself.

To be honest, despite the invigorating bike ride and all the beautiful things we’ve seen today, we’re starting to feel all those days of biking and really need to take it easy. We’ve been to Amersfoort before so we don’t feel too guilty about not exploring too much. We just wander around through the picturesque streets along canals and are led back to a very cozy cafe called Marktzicht (see below). It’s a little too cozy as it’s getting late again and most restaurants are closing up their kitchens. Thankfully, an old staple family-run Italian restaurant Pizzeria Pompei is willing to stay open a bit later and we carb up on absolutely delicious pasta dishes: tortellini al pesto and a sensational lasagna bolognese. This place is truly old-school and highly recommended. Considering it’s known for its pizzas, if they’re anything like the pasta we have to come back! Thanks again to Pizzeria Pompei for accommodating us so late!

We hit up Markzicht for a digestif and then head back to the hotel for a good night’s rest. Hard to believe tomorrow our bike trip will be coming to an end.

CAFE OF THE DAY: Marktzicht

Marktzicht is not your typical bruin cafe. … Actually, it might not be bruin at all. While they have some traditional Dutch beers on tap, there are seven rotating taps and more than 80 specialty beers available in bottles. Our server is knowledgeable and helps Justin narrow down his search for a Dutch session IPA and Alison enjoys an organic wine, which they also specialize in. So while it’s a bit on the fancier side, it’s also super cozy and charming with wood floors and a beautiful bar. Of course, most people were enjoying their drinks outside on their busy terrace on the Lieve Vrouwekerkhof plein. Inside or outside, it’s a guaranteed good time!

LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: As we mentioned on this day and on others, while much of our trip has been spent riding on the luxury of separated bike lanes, there are occasions – especially in smaller towns – where you share roads with cars (and sometimes tractors in farming communities). Bicycles are a recognized and respected mode of transport in the Netherlands and, while we never felt unsafe, it was sometimes a little scary to have cars tearing past you well above the speed limit on otherwise quiet roads. Would it kill them to slow down just a touch when passing? We don’t want to start a commotion with this but it was a little disappointing to notice that in most casees, the quieter the roads with no chance of traffic congestion, the more aggressive and needlessly dangerous the car driving seemed to be. It was a bummer. But it was manageable riding. Just a heads up that if you want separated bike lanes for the entirety of your travels as we had hoped to have, you’ll have to do your research and carefully plot out your route.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 11: Amersfoort to Utrecht

It’s the last day of our 11-day bike tour through the Netherlands and we’re a little choked up as we push off to leave Amersfoort and head to our final destination of Utrecht. It’s a short ride — as we planned it for our last day — so we take our time. But we’re still on a bit of a mission today.

Amersfoort - Utrecht: 23.9 km
Google Maps time: 76 minutes   Our time: 2 hrs 50 min (including a stop in the sand dunes!)

When we first started making intercity trips by bicycle on our honeymoon 11 years ago, we did a daytrip between Utrecht and Amersfoort. With no smartphone, we used a map and followed bike signs. Sometimes we’d get a bit lost and on that particular trip we somehow stumbled upon an amazing area of sand dunes that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. We marvelled at them as we rode through and promised ourselves we’d visit again. But that was 11 years ago and we can’t quite remember where we were! But with Google Maps, surely we can find our way there again?

Turns out it’s a bit trickier than we thought, as the dunes are spaced out throughout the area, with some being more accessible than others. We opt for finding de Lange Duinen (the Long Dunes) in Soest. Google Maps gets confused easily in forested areas but the trees finally give way and magically reveal a huge sandy area of about 500 hectares in size. Unlike the dunes we ran into 11 years ago, we have to dismount from our bikes to navigate the area. It kind of feels like you're walking on another planet and we spend a long time trekking across the dunes and marvelling at the vast sandy plains combined with stunning plant life, dramatic landscapes and the intense calm and quiet of the area. We feel both overwhelmed and completely at peace during our half-hour visit there.

We could easily spend a couple more hours among the dunes but our bikes are due back at 4 p.m. in Utrecht and we have to keep moving. The rest of the trip is a breeze though, with a dedicated bike lane between the two cities that has been open since 2022. The doorfietsroute F28 is about 20 km long, with much of it running through forests and completely isolated from car traffic. It’s not only scenic, but it’s also a fast way to get between the two cities. And with little headwind against us, we’re making good time.

(OK, just one more dramatic dune photo!) With this bike route we’re treated to another unique entry to the city that first takes us through the Utrecht Science Park, part of the Utrecht University campus. Our last visit to Utrecht two and a half years ago was a bit of a disappointment. We came in by train and really just limited ourselves to the city centre. With its maze of cobblestone streets all coming together to a canal lined with restaurants, the Oudegracht neighbourhood is definitely beautiful. But it’s also very busy and touristy. (Also, we’ll hear from many locals to avoid the restaurants in this area!)

This time we enter the city via the northeast, through residential areas lined with mostly independent shops. For all the grandeur of the older inner cities, it’s often just as inspiring to visit the outer streets, where life seems a little more “normal.” There’s a nice buzz in the air with the busyness of post-work Friday afternoon rush hour.

Justin challenges Alison to a race for the final 200 metres to the hotel/finish line to determine who will win the yellow jersey, but by the time we’ve argued about whether that’s stupid or not we’re already there. Finished!

We check in and have an hour until our room is ready so we grab a quick bite to eat. An authentic-looking ramen restaurant is our immediate go-to and absolute heaven after 10 days of eating bread for lunch! By the time we’re done, we can head to our room, unpack and then we get a notification that our bike pickup is 15 minutes away. So we hit the bikes for one last time — light as a feather now with our empty pannier bags and no backpack — to meet with the folks from Cycle Classic Tours. While we did receive a generous discount on the bike rentals from them, we would go with them again at full price anytime. The bikes were superb,  communication about pickup and drop-off was simple and clear, and they were just generally well-organized and great to deal with. If you’re inspired to try a Dutch cycling adventure of your own, we highly recommend them.

We feel a little sad and out of sorts walking back into the city without our bikes. It’s been an amazing 11 days and it will be strange to break the routine of waking up the next day to cycle to another destination. But of course, we’re also ecstatic and proud of our accomplishment of biking more than 400 km and it’s time to celebrate. We already know our first stop: Belgisch Biercafé Olivier Utrecht. … Although café is hardly how you’d now describe this beautiful drinking establishment that used to be a church! It’s certainly a majestic place with a very impressive beer selection that you should definitely visit if you’ve never been. But the charm has faded for us a bit since we were here on our honeymoon and it was still fairly new. Now, it’s a big tourist destination and we see lots of groups stream through for photos who don’t even stop to have a drink.

We decide to check out some more humble haunts and can highly recommend stopping by: Drie Dorstige Herten Café (the “Three Thirsty Deer Café”), an awesome proeflokaal/tasting room run by brother and sister Menno en Kayleigh de Bruin, who provide excellent service and are super knowledgeable on all things beer; De Morgenster, a bruin café on de Oudegracht where you also have the option of sitting along the canal but further away from all the tourists; Café Jan de Winter, a small cozy bruin café that IS in the super touristy part of the Oudegracht yet somehow manages to be gezellig and a welcome retreat from the crowds even when it’s busy inside or on the terrace); and our personal favourite by a narrow margin, Café DeRat (see below).

Utrecht is hopping on this Friday night with terraces completely packed and people spilling out of restaurants and bars with drinks in hand all in joyous spirits. It’s a scene we wish infrastructure (and unnecessarily restrictive laws) would allow for more back home. … But we also realize we’re far too old and tired to join in these festivities that will go on late into the night and are happy to be sheltered from the noise in our hotel room for a good night’s sleep. It’s been a long trip and we need the rest.

CAFE OF THE DAY: Café DeRat

We mentioned the many great watering holes we visited in Utrecht (well, we had to celebrate our last day of biking! And Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands so there are a lot to choose from!). But what made Café DeRat stand out for us was its simplicity, communal vibe and, of course, gezellig atmosphere. It’s all things a good bruin café should be. But it’s also uniquely tucked away from the busier streets in a downtown residential neighbourhood. So it’s home to a lot of locals, which is a nice respite from the many tourists that flock to Utrecht. We immediately felt at home in this tiny bar full of charm, character and a cute cat.

WHAT THE AMATEURS LEARNED: We wake up on what would be Day 12 of our bike trip but, of course, we don’t have the bikes anymore and our Tour de Pays-Bas is officially over. It’s a strange feeling as we set out on foot to Utrecht Centraal Station to get the train to Rotterdam to first visit Justin’s mom before we move on to Amsterdam. While we have to admit we wouldn’t quite be up for a 60 km bike ride to Rotterdam (and then another 70 km ride from Rotterdam to Amsterdam!) today, and it does feel like a tremendous luxury to be travelling by train after all that cycling, it’s amazing how attached we got to our daily routine these past 11 days. At one point on the train ride, we both spot a couple about our age cycling together and looking like they’re off on their own adventure. We smile as the train speeds by them. We kinda wish we were in their shoes again. We already miss it.

We’ve already mentioned that perhaps a better way to have done this trip would be to spend two nights in each destination, giving us more time to appreciate the town or city we’re in, be able to rest up a bit and have more time to write down our thoughts for these travel newsletters. But we don’t really have any regrets about doing it the way we did. Going over our notes and expanding on them days after the fact has also been rewarding in being able to relive the journey and appreciate what happened with a bit of distance and do some additional research on things that we were simply too tired or oblivious to while being in the moment. It’s helped shape what was in many ways a blur of cycling into a cohesive journey. We really appreciate you following along with us and hope these newsletters have been a little bit entertaining and inspiring for you to read.

For detailed writeups on all the places we visited, there’s always Lonely Planet, Wikipedia, etc. What we were most interested in doing was covering as much ground in the Netherlands by bike as we could in 11 days while always having interesting places to stay en route. We think this is a uniquely Dutch experience to be able to do that (and no Dutch tourism board has sponsored us to say this!) and an opportunity available to almost everyone (especially with e-bikes being so popular now). Of all of our trips to the Netherlands, this one has certainly brought us closest to appreciating just what a great country it is.

Tour de Pays-Bas Day 12: Rotterdam Noord to Noord Brabant!

After finishing our 11-day Tour de Pays-Bas, we went on a wonderful trip to London, Liverpool, York, Madrid and Valencia. When in Europe, it’s great to take advantage of the fact that you can be in another country with an entirely different language and culture in the time it takes for us to get to another city in this province (or, often, less)! But as much fun as we had seeing family and friends and visiting places we’d never been before, we always thought of our two-wheel adventure and, honestly, kinda missed being on our bikes.

So when our friends Rutger and Maud invited us to spend a night at their farmhouse in North Brabant, we knew there was only one way to get there. But this time we’d be back on Justin’s parents’ old stadsfietsen (city bikes). They’re good sturdy bikes, perfect for short errands around the city, but they’re definitely heavier and slower than the fancy Kalkhoff trekking bikes we rented for our 11-day trip. They’re the same bikes we used for a couple of long-distance treks on our honeymoon 11 years ago, and while we have fond memories of those rides, they weren’t easy! With our destination of Standdaarbuiten a good 60 km away (longer than many of our previous day trips), will we be able to make it, or will we have to turn back after 3 km and take the train instead?

Rotterdam - Standdaarbuiten, Noord Brabant: 65 km

Google Maps time: 3 hr 28 min minutes   Our time: 7 hrs 30 min (with long stops in Dordrecht and Zevenbergen)

Skeptical but also inspired, we set out. … And we’re flying! The weather is mild and there seems to be no sign of our old foe tegenwind. If anything, the wind seems to be behind us and pushing us onward. From our previous longer excursions on these stadsfietsen, we recall having to really push it to reach speeds above 20 km/h. But that seems to be our average and we hit speeds of 30 km/h at points (OK, we did have to push it to hit that mark!). We’re not quite sure to account for how well it’s going. Is it the lack of wind? Is it not being saddled with four 20-litre panier bags? Are we just in such amazing shape following our previous trip that we should consider going pro? … Probably a combination of the first two factors.

We left at 10 a.m., giving our friends an ETA of 4:30 p.m. But at this pace we’ll be there in time for lunch! As we have so much time on our hands, we decide to take a longer route that will take us through the beautiful city of Dordrecht.

Our bike route for the most part is quite scenic getting out of Rotterdam. Interestingly, we join up with a major five-lane highway about 9 km into the trip … and it’s also kinda relaxing? With enough separation between the motorway and bike lane (and again, a pleasant lack of tegenwind for such an exposed area), we leisurely pedal alongside cars. It’s the kind of setup I wish that we had here. We also join our motorized friends crossing the Van Brienenoordbrug, a major motorway bridge crossing the Nieuwe Maas waterway. With our own bike path on such a major road, it’s another satisfying experience of feeling just a valued a commuter on two wheels.

We make really good time coming into Dordrecht around noon, allowing us to have a leisurely stay there to explore and have lunch. Yet another location that has been dubbed the Venice of the Netherlands, the many small canals with residential and commercial buildings rising from the water is a picturesque sight to see. Alison treats herself to a freshly made stroopwafel and Justin gets a cone of fries and we later have lunch at Centre Ville, which seems to have the most happening terrace in the city (we’ve been to Dordrecht once before and it was packed then, too). We sit inside to enjoy the old-school café ambience (with Persian rugs on every table!) at a window seat alongside a canal and enjoy our last Twaalfuurtje of the trip (which has become a lunch favourite of ours. … Although to share! We just can’t eat that much bread after a bread-heavy breakfast every day as well!). Centre Ville is especially charming in that there seems to be no sign of any adults running this place but rather staffed by high-school kids working for the summer (and doing a great job!).

Well-nourished and relaxed from our stay in Dordrecht, it’s a little tough to get the momentum going on our bikes again. But we look ahead to crossing the border between Zuid Holland to Noord Brabant – the ninth province we will cover on our bikes!

If we feel a little sluggish setting out from Dordrecht, it doesn’t take long for us to get inspired as our bike path takes us through parts of the Biesbosch National Park, on a raised dyke alongside extensive wetlands and waterways that lead into the Hollands Diep river.

We’re headed toward the Moerdijkbrug, which will take us over the Hollands Diep river and into Noord Brabant. And if the ride through Biesbosch was inspiring, our trip over the bridge is equally so – just maybe not quite as peaceful! The Moerdijkbrug dates back to the late 19th century, and while it has been updated and modernized to allow for car traffic, it seems as though they’ve neglected the outer railing for the bike lane, which feels dangerously low and open. It’s a bit of a harrowing ride across the bridge, and once again we’re so grateful for the lack of tegenwind on this journey!

But we make it across in one piece and pull over to a little area where we admire the view and a sign welcoming us to Noord Brabant. Heading on, Moerdijk itself is a quiet town. Maybe a bit too quiet. We see almost nobody as we bike through on this quiet Saturday afternoon. Although we do admire an old clock tower (that chimes three times as we ride in) as well as an old church, the external framing of which has been turned into an outdoor basketball court.

It’s 3 p.m. and we’re still a little early. With a closed bridge on our route forcing us to take a detour, we make our way to the town of Zevenbergen. We figure it might be a good idea to cool down and have something to eat and drink so we don’t show up as sweaty ravenous monsters when we get to our friends’ place!

Zevenbergen has surprisingly a lot to see and do for a city of less than 15,000 people. The town centre terraces are packed, there’s a charming walk along a canal (and a mermaid statue that Alison admires) and there’s some kind of festival they’re setting up for that night. Looks like fun, but we have to move on as we’re now technically running late!

We’re even more late as Google Maps gets a bit confused with directions (nearly leading us onto a motorway at one point – our friends did tell us they were living a bit more off the grid these days!), we finally make it to their street … and ponder aloud if we’re at the right house. All to the amusement of our Rutger and Maud, who are sitting in their walled garden listening in on our confusion! It’s so great to see them again and we’re super inspired as we tour their new digs. It’s an ongoing project to completely refurbish this old farmhouse into their dream home. But it’s already a beautiful and cozy place where we enjoy the rest of the night over drinks, great conversation and an absolutely delicious barbecue dinner, including fresh produce from their garden and some of the best tasting local fish we’ve ever had. Thanks again for the wonderful stay, Rutger and Maud!

We’re beat from our long bike ride and ready for a good night’s sleep. We decide we’ll bike the 25 km to the city of Breda the next day and take the train back home from there. Rutger also has a tip for a pretty crazy sight to see en route. We go to sleep already looking forward to another half-day adventure on our bikes.

Borrel’s Bonus Tour de Pays-Bas Day 12.5: Standdaarbuiten - Breda

We wake up at Rutger and Maude’s home and enjoy a coffee with them. Unfortunately, Justin does not share the general Dutch preference for a light and often sweet breakfast. In this case, Zeeuwse bollen (traditional cinnamon buns from Zeeland), thoughtfully provided by our lovely hosts. His loss! Alison loves it. But we both agree to find something more substantial en route to Breda, where we’ll also be catching the train back to Rotterdam.

Rutger has recommended we go via Oudenbosch, a town just 5 km away. Its claim to fame? A replica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome designed by legendary Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers! It is indeed a grand and imposing if somewhat puzzling monument in this otherwise sleepy town on a Sunday morning. 

But the town is also quite lovely and we enjoy a stroll through the streets, enjoying the whimsical public art and trying to distance ourselves from a British cycling group also making a stop there (and really talking far too loudly on this quiet morning … But we’re probably just as annoying!). 

Unfortunately, not much is open yet and there’s little to be found for breakfast (not surprising, as the classic fry-up Justin is craving is really only to be found easily in Amsterdam, likely due to years of hungover tourists complaining that a slice of bread with Nutella isn’t going to cut it!). We peruse the nice looking sandwiches at Bakkerij Nagelkerke, but we’re really craving something warm on this brisk summer morning. Fortunately, we’re in the right place.

“Warme worstenbrood!” The cheerful announcement comes from one of the young bakers in the back as she presents a massive fresh-from-the-oven tray of Bakkerij Nagelkerke’s – and the province of Brabant’s – finest: sausage bread (i.e. sausage meat encased in a roll)! The words were like music to our ears and she could tell as she eagerly asked us how many we’d like. “Twee, graag!” She was maybe a little puzzled that we only wanted one each, and in retrospect, we probably should’ve got a dozen. They were delicious! 

(Funny enough, a year prior, a friend and proud Eindhoven native was determined to get us a worstenbroodje before heading back to Rotterdam. We nearly missed our train as he searched frantically through a grocery store only to send us on our way with two cold worstenbroodjes, which, needless to say, were a little underwhelming. In any case, Bakkerij Nagelkerke – famous for its worstenbroodjes – made us realize what our friend was talking about. They’re fantastic!)

With “warme worstenbrood” in our bellies, we set out on our final 20 km bike journey to Breda. It was a nice ride, breezy but easy (although, to be honest, writing about it now, we can’t remember too many details about it now. And, as you’ll notice, we have few photos from this day of the trip. I guess we were finally experiencing some bike travel journalism burnout, and weren’t even sure we’d write about this final leg of the journey!)

Park Valkenberg

Breda is not unfamiliar to us as we’ve been a couple of times before. We bike in through the outskirts along the canals full of cozy looking woonboots (including one that must be the world’s most aesthetically pleasing Dutch coffee shop, aka weed store). We lock up our bikes at the train station, and stroll into town.

Breda’s beautiful city centre takes a little to get into as the train station is a bit of a ways from the city centre, somewhat uncommon in the Netherlands. But it’s a really nice way to walk into the city along a tree-lined street and then through the lovely Park Valkenberg (which used to be full of a very cute and hilarious band of wild chickens, who sadly had to be removed recently due to the risk of bird flu), and then through old architectural walls to reveal cobblestone streets … and a very happening city centre where the cafés are packed!

In town, we beeline it for a snack – a well-earned patat speciaal for Justin, and an appeltaart and warme Chocomel (met slagroom!) for Alison.

Finally, it’s time for that always delicious post-bike-ride biertje. We pop in to Cafe de Bommel, a classic brown cafe that’s been a Breda staple for almost 40 years. It’s pretty quiet on this August Sunday afternoon (everyone is out on the terraces today), but you can tell that this place knows how to throw a party. There’s a stage in the back and posters on the wall for upcoming gigs. We’ll have to come back sometime. The bartender is friendly, the beer is cold, and we enjoy a gezellig borrel. 

After our snacks and drinks, it’s time to grab our bikes and catch the train back to Rotterdam. As we make our way to the platform we’re delighted to discover that the stairs leading up to the train platforms are built with grooves at the side to make it easy to push our bikes up the stairs. Ingenious little design details like this make all the difference in supporting a convenient, flexible and interconnected transit system that serves everyone.

If only our city planners back home would take a note.