June 1

The real story...

Stage 1

Don't know that this is an exciting day, it was more like a day for learning how to navigate and forage in a foreign country.

We left the hostel around 9, heading south along the N208 and soon passed Haarlem and into some suburb or other. The houses were nice, some very big estates, and the trees along the fietspad were huge. Somehow I went west instead of east. The orginial plan had been to not follow Jerry's route exactly as we were starting a bit North and East of Amsterdam but to met up with his route around Oudewater (I mean who doesn't want to see where they weighed witches?).

Oh - Jerry. At this point I should introduce Jerry who has become a close friend of ours. He is the man who wrote the book from which many of the route directions came. We are now very close and sometimes we are very fond of him, sometimes a bit disappointed.

But at this point in the ride, we've yet to really rely on Jerry. Trying to get back on course, we really begin to trust the little red and white fietsroute signs. The idea however is not to take a route, but to pick the next town you are going to. The signs only point to towns and also give you kms to the town.

So around noon, after riding through some nice industrial land (and for industrial land it was nice) we stop and have a snack which thankfully we'd brought. An hour later we realize that we will need to carry more food because its not for another hour that we come across a markt. Neither Amy nor I do well on really empty, tired stomachs. But we manage to find some good bread and cheese (its hard not to find good bread and cheese here), and ride on . The countryside has become more agricultural. Very agricultural in fact, we're riding through what were, only 3 weeks ago fileds and fields of tulips. We've seen a few windmills, although right now I can't recall our first.

And then we arrive at Oudewater around 4. It is a cute Dutch town. Really cute. brick streets, brick houses, little cafes. The lady at the VVV directs us to a nearby Kamping. By now we're pretty tired having riden about 70 km and although it is next to a highway and in the middle of the field we settle in. Very happy with our first day.

I figured out the maps and it looks like we are out into the country now!

Kelly

June 1 - Amsterdam to Gouda 71 km (44m)

• Ride begins at the Vondelpark (which we'll have to add to the milage), at the western end of the P.C. Hoffstraat
• Follow P.C.Hoofstraat to Stadhouderskade and turn RIGHT.
• Follow Stadhouderskade until you get to the Amster River, and turn RIGHT down this street.
• Amsteldjik (also called S110)
• When you pass Martin Luther King Park, the S110 is called president Kennedylaan. You'll see signs for the A2
• Follow bike path to Utecht. Follow it toward Hilversum and Utrecht along the A2 bike path
• Exit the A2 heading toward Utrecht and Abcoude, following the bicycle signs. Follow the path through Abcoude, Bambrugge.
• 19.5: N201. Follow signs to Loenen. You'll follow a pleasant raod along a canal.
• As you hed into Loenen, there's a gas station on your right.
• At the first bend, follow green and white bike signs toward Breuekelen and Maarse. This will lead you alonside a canal and beautiful Dutch houses.
• Head next toward Maarsen
• 32.0 As you approach Maarsen, follow sings to Maarsenbroek.
• Next follow sings for Vleuten and De Meern.
• Continue following signs to De Meern
• 43.0 De Meern
• Follow signs to Oudewater 17 adn Montfoort 9
• continue on the road to Montfoort and Oudewater.
• Oudewater was founded in the 10th century. It was internationally known because of its "Heksenwaag", Witches weighinghouse. Emperor Charles V granted Oudewater the privilege to weigh women, who were prosecuted for witchcraft, in the Netherlands and abroad, and to give them a "Certificaet van Weginghe", confirming that they had been weighed in Oudewater and were not too light, and thus were no witches.
• Follow this path all the way to Gouda.
• As you approach Gouda and the N207, you'll come to a large roundabout.
• Turn RIGHT and head toward Gouda.
• At the intersection ahead, turn LEFT to Centrum, Alphen and Rijnm, Rotterdam, and Den Haag.
• Follow signs to the VVV and Centrum.

Gouda