Day 50 - den Haag to Haamstede

Around den Haag there are lots of sand dunes and it is over these that you cycle towards the hook of Holland.

I think the signposts in Holland are a bit crap. It is very easy to get from a to b, but there is little information on the area. Germany had these great boards about what to see.

I suspect I took the dull way out of den Haag. At one point I tried to follow the dutch R1 but ended up going round a bus and tram stop so followed signs for the hook. It's a shame as I probably missed some dunes.

After an industrial bit following the hook and Rozenberg the scenery gets much nicer. First it goes into Brielle, a fabulous little village circled by a moat, and, of course, a stone church.

Then it start to hop between the islands going past dunes, endless beaches and a giant spit connecting two bits of land. Here there is a cycle path on the middle with the sea stretching endlessly either side and beaches lining the path.

The temperature hit 33 degrees today so stopping for a coke and an ice cream was unbelievable. I'd got through so much water that I was sick of it.

I decided to stop half way to Brugge in a town called Haamstede. The tourist information people directed me to a camp site, and it is good to save some money after Utrecht. I'm also getting some use out of this tent, which hasn't been slept in since the first night. It was definitely good security though.

The highlight of the day was probably the last bit on the way here. I took the long route following the R1 through the dunes, and some people looked shocked as I climbed a 10 per cent one. It was only a couple of hundred metres. It has made me have more respect for pros who do that for kilometres on end.

Day 49 - Den Haag rest day

Once again it was back down the beach to take advantage of the huge turn around in the weather.

The thermometer was hitting 30 and there wasn't a cloud in the sky all day. The tepid sea provided a welcome respite from the scorching sun.

I also set about repairing my bike on the beach, which now strikes me as a blunder as sand could get in the threads on nuts and bolts.

Frustratingly I need a spanner to fit the new spoke as it has to go in behind the gears. Ones pulling the other way would have been easy to replace.

A few days with a missing spoke won't cause any harm though, and the wheel is now a lot straighter after more work on it. I also tightened the brakes as they had needed to be opened to stop the buckled wheel rubbing.

This part of den Haag is brilliant. It is just completely relaxed, which is what I like about beach towns. I've seen so many town centres and churches that it was just good to be by the sea. There are things to explore and next time I go I'd like to visit the Escher museum.

Day 48 - Utrecht to Den Haag

Aside from one puncture and the broken pedals my bike has stood up to the 3000km of abuse well.

Leaving Utrecht it had its first problem to coincide with my wee hangover. One of the spokes on the back wheel had come out where it meets the centre of the wheel. Somehow the thick end which holds it in place had come off or worn away, so it required a replacement.

Luckily it happened right outside a bike shop, but being Sunday in Europe everything was closed.

When a spoke breaks it buckles the wheel, so my only hope was to straighten it and buy a new spoke another day. This was easy enough, but the wheel made me feel uneasy most of the day. I was continually looking, listening and feeling if anything was wrong.

The ride to den Haag was largely uneventful. There is a nice section along the canal to Woerden, which, like most dutch towns, has a huge brickwork church.

There is also a huge intersection just before the suburbs of the capital. It is would be nothing special, but being Holland it has a mini brother for bikes to negotiate the junction.

The Jorplace hostel I stayed in is near the beach so in the evening I went for a walk and a lie down. The sun was out and it was beginning to touch 30 degrees. The Schevingen district doesn't feel like the city with its chilled out beach atmosphere.

Day 47 - Utrecht rest day

My rest day turned out to be not so relaxing after finding out the hostel had no space for tonight.

An epic hunt through the rainy city took me to 4 b and bs - three of which were full and one nobody was in - a hotel and something Google said was a hostel. It had all the appearances with a table of half finished drinks, but nobody about. A neighbour later told me some Slovaks lived there.

Tourist information were nice and helpful, but after phoning round the hostels all they could hook me up with was a 70 euro a night place.

The after 4pm - afternoon is a bit redundant as there is little before it - was equally expensive but much more worthwhile.

I met a guy from the hostel, Ryan, and his mate, Paul, for some pool and beers, which continued into the night. They were cool people to hang out with, though I had promised not to have a beer till I got home. Oh well.

Utrecht is a nice city centred around the Dom church. I'm told it had an important role to play in the end of the Spanish inquisition so that is something to look up.

Now it is a student town and it has that laid back vibe.

Day 46 - Arnhem to Utrecht

There is no such thing as society.

Usually I'd completely disagree with that statement - despite some people believing I make Adam Smith look like a communist - but this trip has often been quite lonesome.

This is not to say I'm lonely, but more that my happiness has been mostly dependent on myself. Before Germany, when there was only one route, this was something I didn't think about.

Now, the Netherlands has brought about choice.

It was raining again, one of the external factors that can dampen the mood.

After making it to Rhenen following a ride along the river it began to get seriously wet. Unfortunately this was probably the nicest region as it entered a national park on the way to Utrecht.

This dilemma is what started me thinking about happiness and choice. As the mercury pushed 14 degrees I didn't want to take long winding routes, but equally didn't want to miss out on beautiful scenery.

I always feel a tinge of regret about something I may have missed.

In the end I decided on going straight along the main road to the picturesque town of Zeist. It is still through the woods, and it would be foolish to have regrets about what I missed.

Plus, I'd already got covered in sheep shit following the route earlier through a path used for grazing.

The point, I felt while riding, is that everything is your decision, no matter how simple. It can be rewarding, if a little lonely.

From Zeist it is a short ride into the centre of Utrecht.

Day 45 - Vreden to Arnhem

I'd been in Germany so long I'd forgotten how much of a pain it is changing country. Suddenly all the signs change and you end up on something called the Flamingo Route.

It seemed to be taking me vaguely in the right direction, but the reassuring R1 marks were gone.

After a while I realised why they didn't bother marking the route: everything is a cycle path. Even the main roads have marked off sections or paths running alongside them.

I later found out I was meant to be following the LP4, but as it didn't connect with Germany's R1 it wasn't immediately obvious.

The general bad weather has continued so it made sense to hammer it along to Arnhem.

My knowledge of the Netherlands outside Amsterdam is pretty sketchy. If you commit genocide you'll probably end up in The Hague and there are windmills, tulips and clogs. There genuinely are still windmills, despite my idle stereotyping.

Arnhem is one of the biggest cities and has a bit of an atmosphere to it. At first it looked pretty ghetto, but developed into a box standard town centre with all the usual chains.

Behind that, though, there is a series of alleyways, which look pretty alternative and are probably quite lively.

Then it started pouring again so I climbed the mountain back to the hostel. 

Day 44 - Münster to Vreden

A really uneventful day with little to see or do except plow on through the rain.

Most of the Münster region is farm land, so once you leave the promenade - the cyclists M25 - then tractors rule the road.

The crops also mean really annoying little flies, which I've never seen in England.

Both Vreden and Coesfeld, my lunch stop, are nice, quiet towns. There was a farmer wedding in Coesfeld town centre, with the couple driving away in a tractor.

More rain is forecast every day for the next 4 days, but there are some good towns in Arnhem and Utrecht coming up, followed by The Hague and Brugge. All with only 600km left.

Day 42 - Detmold to Münster

After riding 136.7 kilometres I'm feeling surprisingly fine. This was about the easiest cycling day since the ride out of Riga.

To start with it dropped about 200 metres, and there were no hills to speak of. The towns on route were also barely worth mentioning so it made sense to take advantage of a cool, dry day to get as far as possible making Münster the perfect destination.

Most of the land in the region is farming, and endless fields don't make great viewing.

The most interesting place on the way was Warendorf, which is famous for its studs. Outside almost every shop there was a painted horse in the pedestrianised town centre.

The other place that could be worth a visit is a nunnery that seeks to replicate biblical times. It was a little bit off route so I didn't go as it was early in the day and I was unsure about whether I'd make the distance.

More about Münster tomorrow as I'm taking a day off.

Day 43 - Münster rest day

There are some really great things about Germany and Münster is one of them.

Here you are more likely to be run over by a bicycle than a car as pedals are in power. And that isn't particularly probable either as everyone let's you cross or pass without a problem.

I've struggled to work out German road rules after being shouted at by a driver who wanted to pull out from the right near Goslar. There weren't any road markings saying I should give way and he was clearly turning into my road. I understand that on Berlin's system of crossroads it is like a roundabout with priority going to the right.

Münster, in contract, doesn't seem to need road rules. Everyone is too courteous.

It is also a nice city to walk around, at least in the old town. There are 4 main churches, the most impressive of which is the Lambertikirche. It looks a bit like a mini Sagrada Familia with its elaborate tower.

Then there is the castle, which is now part of the university. I doubt it would have offered much defence, but it is a beautiful building. A wee bit more attractive than Owen's Park. Behind it is a nice botanical garden, which was definitely worth visiting despite the rain.

The other great feature is the promenade, a path for cyclists and pedestrians that runs right round the old town.

Day 41 - Höxter to Detmold

A quick 55km cycle to Detmold today. With more rain forecast, and a large town close it seemed sensible to have a shortened day.

There wasn't anything of interest so it was head down through the wind with virtually no rest. After arriving it was straight up the hill to the hostel, again at the top of a steep climb. It is pouring down and only about 14 degrees so there is little to do except sit around the hostel.

If there is a break in the weather I might make a dash for the old town and dinner.

Tomorrow there is sun forecast so I might try to go 135km to Münster before a rest day after as more rain is predicted.

Ps. The rain has stopped and there is a place with curry pizza and free WiFi.

Day 40 - Bad Gandersheim to Höxter

It was wet, windy and cold. It wasn't a Tuesday night in Blackpool, but I don't think Messi would have fancied it - and neither did I.

In the end it brightened up, though the rain clouds kept threatening. I've been ridiculously lucky with weather this trip, only being caught in serious rain for two days in Estonia. Today a downpour started again when I arrived at the hostel, cleared up long enough to go out for dinner, before a storm broke out as I arrived back.

Anyway, don't want to give the British a reputation for talking about the weather. There wasn't too much to see on a shortened 74km day. The hills in the distance were pleasant, but there was only one serious 100 metre climb to Stadtoldendorf. With rain threatening it seemed best just to push on.

I hadn't realised how fatigued I was, but the lack of hills made me feel much better. The other major one was up to the hostel. After riding virtually flat along the river the hills bank either side and the hostel is at the top. It is about a kilometre of 10 percent, which hurts with panniers.

Höxter is an absolute ghost town this evening, despite being a Saturday. Nobody is in the restaurants or cafes, possibly because of the weather.

In contrast, the town of Einbeck, my first break of the day, was a bustling market.

I'm probably going for another shorter day tomorrow to Detmold instead of a rest day. While these small towns are quaint there isn't enough to do alone for a day. Maybe in Goslar there was.

Day 39 - Wernigerode to Bad Ganderheim

Today probably hit the highest point on the R1 - at least, I hope so. In the last couple of days it has risen from 40m above sea level to 390 just before Goslar. It then goes up and down hills and valleys. I feel like I've either been stamping away on the pedals or cruising down without putting in any effort.

While the cycling has been challenging - and mostly on gravel and mud - the views have been rewarding. First it goes past a monastery at Drübeck and then through the woods towards Bad Harzburg the path looks out over the valley.

The route climbs over and past Goslar - the region's main town - before winding down to the ancient city.

The central square is beautiful, but a little hard to appreciate immediately. Popping into a bakery made returning for some pictures all the sweeter.

Frustratingly I missed the emperor's palace, the seat of power of the holy Roman empire for 200 years. I even knew it was there, but in my haze of burning thighs forgot to check it out. There is also a mining museum in the hills.

From there it is back up into the hills again, but they are smaller and there is less to see. Signs warn of falcon (or another bird of prey) and one was soaring above. There are also plenty of dragons flies and butterflies in the region, as well as the irritating kind that stick to you in shady patches.

Bad Ganderheim is the next interesting town, around 40km on from Goslar. Other places listed were tiny hamlets.

There appears to be preparation for some youth festival under the church. Lots of German churches have a double steeple, giving them a fortress like air.

Under 1000km to go now, probably in 2 weeks, giving enough time for a couple of rest days.

Day 38 - Stassfurt to Wernigerode

The feeling when arriving after a tough day's cycling is great. I guess it is what motivates people to do run or ride long distances. It is a potent cocktail of adrenaline, relief and achievement.

It also helps when the place is as nice as Wernigerode. The castle looks over the cobbled old town filled with cafes and restaurants. Stassfurt had similar looking streets but a run down feel to it. People wanted to be here.

Going towards the first stop it started entering the highlands. It climbs about 80m up from Stassfurt, which is only about 40m above sea level. It also becomes undulating - a tough proposition with panniers.

The reward is more interesting towns, most of which have castles and old towns. Wernigerode is certainly the highlight of them, but Thale and Blankenburg are nice. Thale had a cable car and the road I took seemed to wind its way up the hills.

Sadly Germany has been a bit of a disappointment for the quality of the R1. They've put a lot of though into making sure it goes through interesting places - in contrast to Poland - but some of the paths are poor. One of them was not really suited for a hybrid, even though mine is set up towards the mountain bike end of the spectrum. They have also hidden signs behind hedges, while at Concordia am See the path goes round in a ridiculous circle. With the hills, a lot of wind and missed sign posts the 96.5km on the calculator worked out a lot more. And my body is feeling it too.

Day 37 - Dessau to Stassfurt

I'm writing this a day later and am struggling to remember too much of the cycling already.

The two major stop-offs on route, especially Köthen Anhalt, were nice, but it is disappointing when your destination is rubbish. Stassfurt was big enough, but had nothing of use. One pension was full, and the place Google said was a youth house had closed down long ago. There was another up the street, but it was just a place for the remaining kids to hang out.

I studied German at GCSE but can't remember anything. I probably didn't learn too much. My first exam was a success though when after wandering around aimlessly for a bit I managed to order some schnitzel and then follow the chef's directions to a place to stay.

Arriving in town is always frustrating due to the hunt for somewhere to sleep.

There isn't much more to say about the place.

Day 36 - Belzig to Dessau

The first half of today's route was the most interesting in a long time, with the exception of Berlin. Poland had unfortunately been rather devoid of sites since Chelmno.

First up was the castle at Raven providing a panorama of the woods that would be my view for the next hour or so.

Then Wittenburg is a fantastic little town, and the home to Martin Luther. There are two large and graceful churches in the cobbled centre, and one of them is catholic, interestingly.

After taking lunch here the path and signposting that had been so good deteriorated. Outside Wittenburg an R1 marker points across the tracks but on the other side there is a path going either way with only Lutherweg signs. It turns out you have to go what seems the wrong way to get over a bridge. From here there is also a lot of cobbles and gravel/sandy paths.

Dessau is another relaxing old town with plenty of churches and a baroque rathaus. I didn't get any pictures after racing to get to tourist info before it closed. After traveling and sightseeing all day sometimes all I want is to sit down with some food.

Day 35 - Berlin to Belzig

Berlin is a ridiculously bicycle friendly city, but riding out of town on a bank holiday it even got a bit crowded.

The route out of town takes in some great architecture, pleasant scenery and a great view at Wannsee after going through the lovely Grunwald. Looking out at the lake I almost cut up someone on a road bike, which were out in force.

Potsdam added to my historical weekend. It is a beautiful town dominated by the old and golden town hall. After here it gets quieter as the city fades into the distance.

Riding with Pat and the couple of days off have definitely made be fitter. All the complaining about the pace he set was not in vain.

Belzig is definitely a place worth visiting if not staying. For a start there is little budget accommodation, with two average hotels charging more than they were worth. The staff in one made Russian service look friendly.

The view from the castle is absolutely beautiful though. If you have the money it is worth staying here. There was also a local play being rehearsed within the walls.

Day 33 and 34 - Berlin

Berlin is an absolutely amazing city. It has this unique atmosphere, probably derived from its status during the cold war.

It is full of alternative people and has a huge art scene, but no one seems to do anything. It would be slightly hypocritical of someone cycling across Europe to accuse people of not working, but it would be entirely accurate. It seems everyone is an aspiring artist or musician.

The architecture and history of the city is absolutely fascinating, and worth checking out for yourself. Even standing at checkpoint Charlie it is difficult to imagine how fundamentally important this city has been since 1933, and even before.

A lot of thanks to Stu too for joining me for the day too.

Day 32 - Letschin to Berlin

Perhaps the most insane day of cycling so far in this tour. 107km to the Brandenburg gate turned into almost 150km after getting lost coming into Berlin and then treking back across the city to Lawrence's house.

From Buckow the ride starts to get really interesting stopping by a beautiful lake. We took a slightly different route along the TF path to get here. In Germany there are so many options, but it easy to confuse them.

From there it is great riding to Kopenick past a host of lakes dotted in the woods and perfectly manicured paths. There are also little beaches to chill out on.

Kopenick old town is virtually in Berlin, and from there it begins to get complicated. Virtually every street is a bike route so it is important to follow the R1 signs. Unfortunately these eventually lead to the river. I can only assume there is a ferry. Instead of hanging around we decided to go over the bridge. Attempting to rejoin the path on the other side we got hopelessly lost.

Although we went past the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag, Pat had to jump on a train back to Gdansk immediately after arriving at the station. It had been great riding with him for 5 days, even I'd my legs were now destroyed.

From there I headed out to Kreuzberg to meet Lawrence and friends. Beer and bbq has never tasted so good.

Thanks to Lawrence and house mates for putting me up.

Day 31 - Miedzyrzecz to Letschin

Again we settled on another hard day with the wind coming in from the North West. This meant periods of cruising and talking and others of tucking in behind pat to stay out of the wind.

There is not too much to report with the scenery as Poland is so flat. Sometimes fields give way to forests, but when the wind picks up it feels more like a battle with it that anything else.

The first town, Sulecin, had a nice little park where we ate snacks. The R1 takes a meandering route towards it, but we just decided to push straight along the main road.

Our route took us over some hills that proved tough with the fatigue building up and the weight on my back. It was also past a huge army base with tanks overtaking us on the road.

Like yesterday we pushed the penultimate section hard taking us to the German border. After getting there a day earlier than expected we had way too much Zloty left over.

In Germany there was suddenly a beautifully paved dedicated cycle path through the empty countryside. Nothing much exists near the border until the town of Letschin, which has a hotel and a restaurant and little else.

After sitting down thinking we had made it finding out the hotel was full was confidence shattering. After doing over 100km into the wind just being told there is somewhere else 5km away hurt my legs.

Eventually we found a guesthouse after lots of weird looking wooden caravan offerings. These would have been fine but there was nowhere to eat, and the place we stayed offered us dinner.

What has been great about both Poland and Germany is how friendly everyone is despite the communication problems.

Berlin tomorrow.

Day 30 - Trzianka to Miedzyrzecz

Cycling with a partner brings a different philosophy to the process. Alone I just cruise along at my own rate, doing different things. Sometimes I am looking around, checking out the scenery or thinking about random things. Other times I like to cycle hard and get to the next place to have a break.

Pat, meanwhile, does most of his cycling as training on a road bike. This means it is head down trying to set consistent or improving times.

I, like most tour cyclists, want to be part of the picture and see every pedal of the way. For Pat, and most people who cycle in one place such as London, that picture is the bike and the clock. He is seeing things inside himself by pushing his limits.

The desire to push himself resulted in faster times and longer distances for us as we naturally achieved a default compromise position. That was fine with me as it was good to have a change of motivation, and I wanted to get to Berlin for the weekend.

One section we blasted down towards Miedzychod was a beautiful forested area of about 28km until the town. Miedzychod could have been a good place to stay down by a lake. We, however, didn't have time to check it out and were fairly tired by this point, 94km in.

There were a couple of fairly poor sandy sections, which were frustrating as the R1 is mostly brilliant in Poland. The one just west of Miedzychod is almost impossible to ride on, though it is just part of the challenge and experience. I guess I found it is easier for this reason than pat, who struggled on a city bike, but also with the lost pace.

Then again, I could be completely wrong about the philosophy of it all and just struggling as Pat is fitter. Either way, it is what I was thinking as we flew down that lovely wooded section.

Day 29 - Naklo nad Notecia to Trzianka

The weather forecast is predicting rain all week, and the storms were brewing on the train yesterday with lightning in the distance.

With worries about the weather hanging about we decided to get on with it. The large town of Pila was about 90km away so we could always stop there.

The route definitely becomes less interesting at this point in terms of the towns. Most of them are tiny blocks with very little going on and no history.

The landscape is still decent, entering popular hiking territory in the west of Poland.

Pila is big, hut grey and soviet. After a rest we though about going to look round following a detour off the R1 along the river to get into the city. The clouds, however, had other ideas and we decided to get to Trzianka before the storm began.

Luckily it came in behind us, and we made it to the town unscathed. There is not too much to see here. No old town, just a fountain in a tiny strip of park.

Day 28 - Bydgoszcz to Naklo nad Notecia

After a day of renting a bike and catching trains to get back to where I left the route it away 6.30 by the time we started.
A rapid 30km ride into Naklo got us on track. Industry is booming in the town, but tourism is definitely not.

Tomorrow we are going to look to make up for lost time to get to Berlin for Saturday.

Day 26-27 - rest day in Gdansk

Day 25 - Grudziadz to Bydgoszcz

A tale of two cities with names that are impossible to pronounce, but Bydgoszcz was the only place I could get the train to Gdansk from.

Yes, I know it is all meant to be pedal power, but my friend pat is joining me for a week and that requires an airport. Moreover, Gdansk is backwards and we should be kicking off again from Bydgoszcz again on Monday.

The last day of cycling before the weekend was brilliant. It is about 80km, taking you through the tiny hidden gem of Chelmno. Up a climb of about 8 pet cent there is a chess board of an old town. Here I soaked up the sun and atmosphere.

Back down the other side it is a descent of 6 per cent for a kilometre and a half before going up and down it again.

These hills are off the r1, but Bydgoszcz isn't actually on the route.

My own navigational skills have been as dubious as some of the signage going into towns in the last couple of days. The day before I took a copilot inspired route along the river that led to sand, an overgrown path through the woods, sewage (probably) and a fence, meaning I had to climb back up through it.

Today's was infinitely more successful, following a cycle path down a rocky descent and then up a paved hill chasing two guys in lycra. It is always fun to see their look at the panniers.

Bydgoszcz is surprisingly big, and rather industrious. Luckily there are cycle paths along the roads. The old town is small, but this is becoming a modern city and a decent one.

Day 24 - Sztum to Grudziadz

Kwidzyn made the perfect lunch stop after the disappointment of Sztum. The cathedral towers over the surrounding countryside.

All the best towns in Poland appear to be up steep hills, probably because they were defendable in the middle ages.

The perfect view was also supplemented by a tasty bakery and the attractive city centre helped put the life back in my soul.

Aside from these hills the rest of the land is flat and makes comfortable cycling.

Grudziadz is also nice, though not really on the tourist trail if not for the r1. The city centre has a vibrant cafe culture with some outdoor pizza places.

Day 23 - Frombork to Sztum

Most of the time cycling doesn't really require much thought.

If you concentrate on the 75-90 reps a minute - about 15,000 with 5 hours in the saddle - it would get quite boring. That's why time is spent listening and watching the birds, brushing off the insects attracted to the maillot jaune, or just random thoughts. For example, roughly how many pedal strokes I do in a day.

The nature in Poland has been the best so far. There have been foxes, deer and a lot of cattle and horses, contrasting the Baltics where farming seems to have dried up. There was also a badger, but rather sadly one that is visible during the day is likely to have met a car related end.

On other days strong winds, busy roads or tough hills take up thought, but this was one of the easiest 100km I've done.

The problem was that it led me to Sztum, an absolute dead end town. All the young people had got out, and I'm pretty sure the hotel had fleas. The lake was quite nice though.