Blauwe Kamerroute

A fall ride: the Blauwe Kamerroute.

The station is at Ede (though it's called 'Ede-Wageningen'). You can rent touring bikes for €7.50 there (shop closes at 7pm), and OV-Fiets bikes are available 24 hours.

(original date of this entry: Oct 14, 2017)

Ede is at the southwest edge of the vast forest known as the Veluwe. The first bit (kp 66-88), north of the railroad tracks/A12, is superb, running along the margin between De Sysselt, a hilly forest now all aglow in autumn foliage, and the Ginkelse Heide, a big flat tract of straw. Weather is summery, conditions are ideal. 

kp 88 - 89

Just before kp 88 there's a tunnel under the highway. Then you reach the railroad tracks at kp 88, a crossroads for Arnhem (east), Renkum (southeast) and Wageningen (southwest). Picnic tables and an ijsjes cart. Then continue along an asphalt path through the forest till the Landgoed Panorama with a cafe but no panorama. Shortly beyond you enter Dikkenberg forest: upright pines, still and warm.

Blauwe kamer route

kp 89-41-80
This continues to be superb cycling. At kp 41 the asphalt turns to dirt. There's a gentle roll and curves that keep it interesting and slightly challenging. At kp 80 I'm at the edge of Wageningen, which backs up on the Nederrijn.

kp 80-61
This winds downhill to the river and now (to kp 83) I am overlooking the meadow that forms the northern bank of the Nederrijn. Nearby is the ferry to Zetten. I'll now head west toward Rhenen, skirting the river.


kp 83 - 73
This is a fine stretch up on a dike overlooking the meadows and streams down to the Nederrijn. Aside from being the "land of life sciences," Wageningen is a port of sorts, with factories and a mill by a harbor. This stretch is rather busy now and atypically many of the cyclists and strollers are young—university demographic here. I'm about halfway through the ride. Now return north to Ede.

Wageningen by the Nederrijn

kp 73 -> 32 -> 31
This is, as described, a varied route. The dike continues to kp 32 at the edge of Rhenen, with broad meadows and lots of fat sheep. Some cars play the dike, and at the turnoff north there's a road with plenty of traffic. Suburban/rural/affluent Holland. The route leaves the road and drops to a creek, skirting this all the way to kp 31, chopped up fields at left. Then toward kp 28 big farms, open fields.

Heading north, kp 92 -> 91 follows a creek with orange mushrooms sprouting on the bank. Darkness fell, and I was riding up the road back into Ede. Even this bit was fun, as the bike paths on either side of the road (N304) were illuminated and, it being a warm, dry evening, plied by plenty of cyclists. It gives you the sense that the place is actually inhabited by people rather than the lifeless equivalent in, say, Germany or Maryland, where only machines drift by holding obscure souls. 

I went too far up the road and missed Ede train station. Turned around, asked a young man in flaccid Dutch, "Waar is het station?" (Even got the article right.) "Go to the second traffic light and turn right," he said in clearly enunciated English. I followed his directions--the second traffic light was a bike signal--and pulled right up to Ede station, I had just missed the Amsterdam train, waited around 12 minutes for the train to Schiphol, which stops at Amsterdam-Zuid. So a bit more pedaling to get home. 

I ought to mention here that I've become a Vrienden op de Fiets gastadres, on the prompting of Breda hostess Yvonne Lewin. I am somewhat uneasy about the prospect of hosting cycling guests, but Yvonne is supporting me.