Nieuw Landroute

Natuurpark Lelystad

Hardly a tourist destination, the young city of Lelystad nevertheless proves a brilliant case of urban planning, surrounded on three sides by parklands and nature reserves, with a few genuine attractions by its harbor. After an on-foot wander through the province's famed avian reserve and a harborside jaunt, this route follows a serene green circuit of Flevoland's second city. 

•  Route: Lelystad - Oostvardersplassen - Lelystad Harbor - Natuurpark Lelystad
•  Distance: 40km
•  Train access: Lelystad

Lage Vuurscheroute

After a prosaic start skirting the urbanization/farmlands of Baarn and Soest, this route snakes through the pine-studded dunes of the Soestduinen, then proceeds pleasantly along a broad tree-lined path, finally entering deeper woods south of Hilversum. 

•  Route: Hilversum - Soest - Den Dolder - Maartensdijk - Lage Vuursche (via LF-9) - Baarn
•  Distance: 46km
•  Train access: Hilversum, Baarn, Soest

Staverden Route

The circuit is named for a castle in the Veluwe. Beginning at the town of Nunspeet, it enters the western corner of that vast forest, then reaches significant patches of heath. Near the village of Elspeet are the remnants of a Jewish hideout from the Nazis. A road leads west to the castle, beyond which the route strikes north through a dense, mysterious wood known as the Leuvenumse Bos, and concludes with a thrilling ride over an undulating trail. 

(original date of this entry: Oct 22, 2018)

Today is Monday and I'm taking one more ride. Significantly cooler, around 14 degrees C, and cloudy. But it's the last day of decent weather. So I'm taking my keuzedag (day of free travel on NS rail) and traveling all the way to Nunspeet (between Amersfoort and Zwolle) for a tour of the Veluwe forest.

kp 13-29
This skirted the A28 but at a reasonable distance and made for a nice initial jaunt, the sun dappling my head through the trees. I didn't mind the highway drone. 

kp 29-18
Here you enter the forest proper, though it's a bit too well-tended to be called a forest. More like a large park. A straight strip of asphalt flanked by rows of birches. At 18, I stray off the route and go a bit further south to visit "Het Verscholen Dorp." This was a hideout in the forest for onderduikers (like Anne Frank). I got to see one semi-underground hut in a good state of preservation. An explanatory board says some 80 to 100 Jews and other families resided here from 1942-4, taking shelter in a set of nine huts. As a monument back along the main route attests, the Nazis found out about it somehow—tipped off by the locals, perhaps —and eight were shot in the vicinity. They had to dig their own graves first.

This neck of the woods must be some kind of tourist attraction: the place was busy with families and dogs.

Staverden Route

kp 18-16-15-14-40
Vierhouten is a holiday center in the middle of the forest. A few cafés were open but nothing appealed to me so I kept going. Outside Vierhouten the landscape opens on the typical sandy wasteland/heath of the Veluwe and other Dutch national parks. The forested bits are carefully managed here with stacks of pine logs which emit a pleasant aroma. I cycle through the Elspeetsche Heide for a while and it's sunny and open. Midway I come to another of the area's low-key attractions: a reproduction of a prehistoric tomb that was located here.

The town of Elspeet was dull and noisome. Besides, the knooppunten are confusing and you have to mix it up with large vehicles.

kp 89-87-86-67-83
West of Elspeet the route then skirts a road and passes the Kasteel Staverden (the eponymous route title) with associated brasserie. At kp 67 I finally left the dull drone of traffic behind and entered a rather forlorn rural landscape. kp 83 is at the edge of the Ermelosche Heide.

kp 83-84-85-51-42-53
At this point, I was already tired and hungry and a little cold. But this was the real forest, the Leuvenumse Bos, still and deserted, dense, the path littered with dead leaves.

Then I go over the A28 and could head for Harderwijk (6km) or Nunspeet (8km). I choose the latter to complete the circuit, and it's a lovely stretch along meadows and up through forest.

Maastricht - Nijmegen - Arnhem (pt 7)

In Maastricht. The day is picture perfect with a taste of autumn. Hanging by the Maas at the Bonnefanten Museum's missile tower, observing the fietsers as they zip by. After marveling at the Maas and basking in the sunshine, I got to work editing a translation (on the recent Mexico quake), first inside and outside the Bonnefanten café, then at the Bibliotheek Ceramique.

East Vlaanderen to Limburg (pt 6)

Sint-Truiden markt

The street market in Sint-Truiden was a real eye-opener. All the abundance of Europe on display … the supermarket pales in comparison. There was even a tobacco stall! And a giant seafood vendor with beautiful girls in aprons doling out mussels from stacks to wizened women. I got a pickled herring and a chicken cutlet, plus some of the land's famous apples.

East Vlaanderen - pt 5

Hoegaarden

Where I am now: at the bottom of a field near Meldert, west of Hoegaarden. From Leen's place near Korbeek-Lo (east of Leuven), I headed south and over the A3/E40 to reach Neervelp, where I picked up the LF-6 east. I could've taken a more direct route to Sint-Truiden via knooppunten  ("LF is passé," said Luc in Boeschout), but I suspect the LF is more scenic and traffic-free. Leen Rosseel didn't know. Though she's lived here 37 years and is an avid cyclist and walker, she never took it. So far the route has gone through dull deserted villages and along roads with trucks, but just outside Meldert a strip of asphalt branches off through a field and now it's a truly rural scene. Signage is good and here again the LF often follows its own route, independent of the knooppunten. I haven't seen a single cyclist; I guess the LF is passé. The day is sunny, rather cool and quite windy though the wind is at my back.

East Vlaanderen - pt 4

In Leuven. It's a hot day and I have nothing to do. Right now I'm sitting on a sort of grandstand by the Entrepot, an in-town dock where there's an old market or depot turned into a tony café. Ariane, my Vrienden op de Fiets host, says this part of town is being converted into a café zone.

In October, Ariane says, the population of Leuven doubles with the influx of university students. Now it is rather sleepy. My tentative plan is to look around town, then take a ride out to where my next Vrienden op de Fiets hosts are, a place called Korbeek-Dijle, southwest of town. Tomorrow I'll stay in yet another place, east of Leuven. This is fine; on a trip like this, it's good to keep moving.

Ariane's apartment is quite near the center of Leuven, a functional flat with large windows overlooking a playground occupied by swarthy locals. She's lived there for the past three years.

East Vlaanderen - pt 3

Nete river

Every trip has its ups and downs, and today is a big up … so far. I just had a sandwich of pickled herring w/onions on fresh pumpkin seed bread plus summer cherries--all from the Tuesday market in Duffel--sitting in the extraordinarily pleasant Park 's Heerenbeemden, at around 11 am. The park is by the blauwebrug (blue bridge)--which crosses the Nete on the way south.

East Vlaanderen - part 2

I've been cycling through the section of Vlaanderen that is south and west of Hoogstraten. It is dull and empty. Nothing but cornfields, cows and agro-industry, interrupted only by the highway. The air is permeated by the stink of chemical fertilizer; can't be healthy to keep breathing the stuff in. Finally, at kp 98, somewhere around Malle, I hit a canal with a picnic table. A rarity in this landscape. So I take a break.

East Vlaanderen - part 1

Park Valkenburg, Breda

Got the train to Breda, and here I am in the wonderful Park Valkenburg. Quite a bit of low-key activity: cyclists on the paths between the stately oaks, groups of youngsters picnicking on the grass, old folks strolling, delinquents getting high in front of the fountain. Valkenburg has not only ducks, pigeons and swans but chickens too. One fine orange-capped specimen squawked thunderously at a scrawny interloper. It was so loud it drew the attention of passersby. The church bell chimes 7. It's blissful and I'm glad to be here.

Gooiroute

Hilversum

Hilversum is just half an hour from Muiderpoort, my local station, on the Sprinter bound for Amersfoort. The 'Gooiroute' is a 40 km jaunt via Hilversum, Naarden, Huizen and Laren, with forests in between. I'm sort of training for a late-summer tour, which will probably be to Belgium. Is it already mid-August?

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.

Antwerp → Bergen op Zoom

76 cyclists so far today

Though I'd originally planned to take the train from Antwerp back to Amsterdam, I changed my plan and decided to cycle up to Bergen op Zoom, the Dutch town near the border, then catch an NS train from there.

Antwerp

Dageraadplaats, Antwerp

After yesterday's intense ride, today, Tuesday, I'm taking it easy in Antwerp, rediscovering the city. This is at least my third visit since I moved to Amsterdam and I'm starting to love the place. I could easily live here. I like the trams that lumber through the streets, the Jews on bicycles. It seems a less self-conscious place than Amsterdam.

Schilde route

Albertkanaal

Today, Monday, the weather is splendid and I'm doing the Schilde route: "fietsen door de groene gemeenten rond Antwerpen." This will take me through the towns of Schilde, Schoten, Brasschat and Willekom. Right off the bat (kp 3 → 15) I'm going through the large park called the Rivierenhof, with fields, gardens, woods, a lake with swans, acorns dropping, and a small castle. A fair number of fietsers out to enjoy the weather. It is as delightful as anything Holland has to offer.

Ghent → Antwerp

Ghent

It was a long exhausting journey to Ghent via the LF-2, which, though it appeared to be the most straightforward route from Terneuzen, actually takes a substantial eastern loop before heading for that city. Fortunately the signage was good and I cycled along a succession of tree-lined paths through countryside, finally reaching Ghent at dusk. I spent a couple of rainy days in the lively university town, sightseeing, staying at the home of my friend Wim.