But it’s been a great trip. We can’t claim to have ridden the full 1000km, though we made a very good fist of it.
We sometimes took a shortcut, and due to last week’s rain there’s a stage between Dordrecht and Vlissingen we still have to go back and ride. We’ll do that as soon as we can get a couple of dry days with the wind at our backs.
Thanks to Ilona Stoker at Greenpeace and Jasper Vink at Bionext for suggesting the ride and helping us organise it all.
Thanks also to those who offered us hospitality and interesting conversations along the way. We enjoyed your company and your enthusiasm for the work you do, and we learned a lot.
Thanks:
Cor Bergsma at B&B Unia Zathe, Ee
De Zwarte Haan and B&B Jacobs Hoeve, St Jacobiparochie
Asse Auge at Gerbrande State and
Mv Wiersma at B&B ‘t Kastielsje, Sexbierum
Sjoerd and Akke, Ijsboerderij de Buterkamp
The op de Hoek family, B&B Stjelp Plaets, Lemmer
B&B Maria Johanna Hoeve, Noordeloos
Wilma Abspoel at Wereldwinkel de Punt, Arkel
B&B Berkenhof, Dordrecht
Mv en Mr van der Slikke, B&B Nummer Zevene, Biervliet
De Oude Boerderij, Hengstdijk
and also Niek Vos, the Teimens family and Vrienden op de Fiets (Friends on the Bike).
We hope to see you again when our backsides have had some time to forget the pain.
Well done, Richard! I’m out of breath just reading about the ride. All the best, Duncan
Thanks Duncan. It will be nice to rest the backside, though hiking in the French Alps from tomorrow will require whole new set of muscles.
Well done, Richard and Mevrouw – I’ve enjoyed being an armchair passenger on the Pieperpad. Surely the next adventure should be a cross continent cycle?
Thanks Steven, What’s a nice small continent we could start with?
Good on you Richard & Mevrouw T. When you’re old you’ll be able to look back on these youthful exertions and wonder that you had so much energy.
And maybe we’ll wonder why we did it, Jonathan. The answer will be – it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Thanks for the entertaining account of your endeavors, Richard. Mrs T and you deserve that delicious organic sandwich from Odette’s! It’ll be waiting for you when you get back from the Alps (Wow, the Alps now? For real? How can one not stand in total awe of so much stamina and perseverance?)
-Mina
Thumbs up Richard and Mevrouw T.! You must be very proud of yourself.
I enjoyed reading your stories very much and I am now looking forward to follow in your ‘footsteps’. I am leaving this sunday for the 1000 km ride on the Pieperpad. I hope I will experience the same hospitality and interesting conversations along the way as you and Mevrouw T. had. Nevertheless, I hope the weather wil be better… at least no rain ;-). If you have any tips or suggestions for me, please let me know. You, your friends and other people who might be interested can follow me on http://www.wegvandaan.nl or on http://www.pieperpad.nl
Take care! Daniëlle van der Zalm
We’ll follow your ‘tyre tracks’ too, Danielle. I think you’re starting in the south, which is a good idea, given that the wind generally comes from there. Enjoy the ride!
Massage time? The trip sounds wonderful.
Enjoy the French Alps too.
I enjoyed reading your stories Richard.
Thank you for sharing this with us!
I hope before leaving Belgium you tasted “the real French fries from Belgium” ?