Zeeland ➤ Vlaanderen pt 1

Vlissingen, Zeeland

On my way to Middelburg for a fietstocht to Belgium.

kp 85 -> 93 -> 92 -> 90
Now near a place called Ritthem, a short distance east of Vlissingen. The  trail runs along the northern bank of the Westerschelde (the mouth of the Schelde river from Antwerp), and all the way big container ships and freighters ply the waters. Factories and chemical refineries define the far shore, but this side is a nature reserve with some fine beaches, such as this spot with patches of sand beneath trees fronted by swamp with views of the ships. It is 7km to Middelburg via the LF-13.

LF-1 Hoek van Holland to Voorne

Maasvlakte 2, west edge

"bicycle street ... cars are guests"

On the beach, Hoek van Holland. About 500m north of the main beach and easily reached by fietspad, following the signs toward Den Haag. A sand corral for bikes, no parking lot. An idyllic stretch of white powdery sand. Eolic windmills and cranes of the port take up a strip to the southwest. Just a smattering of people this Sunday perhaps because conditions aren't ideal for sunbathing. It's warm enough when the sun is out–around 20-1 C degrees–but large clouds pass over periodically, blocking the sun and cooling off considerably, and there's a stiff wind from the south. You need a screen of some kind to enjoy it, as a group just below me has set up: an elaborate partition of fiber propped up by poles. The sea is a little rough, sailboats zipping by not far from the shore.

LF-1 Katwijk -> Hoek van Holland

Katwijk, Zuid-Holland

At one of the beaches south of Katwijk. It's practically deserted, vast and absolutely clean. Ships in the distance. Generally overcast but the sun pops through now and then. Not so windy as yesterday. A police car drives along the sand.

Here come a bunch of horses down the hill to the beach. The flats between the dunes and shore are dotted with ponds. I can see the bungee tower of Scheveningen in the distance.

LF-1 to Zuid-Holland

Noordwijk beach, Zuid-Holland

Fietstocht! This will be slightly different. Rather than putting the bike on the train, I'm going to get it. It is still parked out in Zandvoort. So the idea is to head down the coast, a route I have long contemplated. The weather today, and as forecast for the upcoming week, is not ideal. But it should remain warm, 20°C or above. Today the sky is filled with big cumulus clouds with patches of blue between them. Sun is not out of the question. A bit windy.