Flevodelia, part 3

The Land Art tour of Flevoland province continues. But to access the next works, both located on remote Noordoostpolder and unconnected to the rail network, I had to start from another province, Overijssel. The city of Kampen was my jumping off point for the northeastern portion of Flevoland, accessed via a bridge 9 km to the north. I then traversed the southern edge of the reclaimed land mass to reach the two large-scale objets d'art, both located at its eastern edge. After visiting those, I returned to Overijssel, making for the town of Meppel via the southern section of the substantial Weerribben wetlands reserve. A few days later, I began a very circuitous journey to the next and final piece. This involved a riverine jaunt south to the ancient city of Zwolle, the entire route following the LF-9. 

Flevodelia, part 2

Just outside Dronten

The tour of Flevoland continues. I had reached Dronten, the easternmost town in Flevopolder (that being the younger, southwestern component of this artificially constructed province). I struck further east, skirting the railroad, to reach the edge of the land mass, location of one of the quirkier works of land art that formed the basis of my tour. From there I jumped over to the adjacent province of Overijssel and had a tour of the ancient rural landscapes around Elburg before proceeding further east through a splendid riverine landscape to the town of Kampen. Now I was poised for the next leg of my journey, the remote Northeast Polder. 

Flevodelia, part 1

 

 

Flevoland, the Netherlands' 12th and youngest province, is generally given short shrift in travel guidebooks, as it has few genuine "attractions" other than the former islands of Urk and Schokland, both of which were incorporated into the land mass that became the Noordoostpolder in the mid-20th century. But in fact the flat expanses of Flevoland harbor a unique set of nine "land art" installations that exploit the possibilities of the landscape as a medium, while some reflect on its history. I've already seen the Green Cathedral, now I wanted to see the others. They provided a perfect pretext to explore. So I worked out an itinerary where I could visit one or two per ride, then park my bike at the nearest train station. I started by cycling from Amsterdam to Almere, the province's westernmost city, with a couple of land art pieces within cycling distance, found another amidst the vast polderland, then two more near the town of Lelystad. 

All signs

Plans are afoot to install a new network of fast bikeways for commuters, primarily between cities and suburbs. A few pilot routes have already been installed: Eindhoven-Veldhoven in Noord-Brabant; Deventer-Apeldoorn; and Utrecht-De Bilt. To designate these special routes, a new signage element will be added: the letter 'F' (fast I guess) plus the number of the route in white lettering on a blue background. The website of the Fietsberaad shows what these look like. 

A number of signage systems are already in use throughout the Netherlands. It can be a bit confusing to visitors, and in fact many Netherlanders aren't aware of them either. I've discussed and illustrated the various types of signs in previous posts and how they can be used, but I'd like to break it down here and provide a brief guide to cycling signage in the Netherlands. 

Park & Ride, Part 2: Winterlude

Cyclin' large

The autumn days got chillier as I continued my journey in stages through central Netherlands. Having skirted the rivers, I was now poised to plunge into the great forests: to the north, the Veluwe and to the west, Utrechtse Heuvelrug. I traversed the northwest corner of the former, then the northern edge of the latter as far as Hilversum. An icy wind propelled me home from there. 

Park & Ride, Part 1: The Great Waal

I've been getting into a new mode of touring, partly due to lockdown rules. Overnight stays with Vrienden op de Fiets are out. So instead of overnighting, I simply leave my bike at a train station at the endpoint of the day's tour. Then return another day to continue the tour. Parking is always available at stations, usually secure, often sheltered from the rain. I tried this approach along the North Sea coast last summer with great success, from Amsterdam going straight west to Zandvoort beach, then heading north in stages: Beverwijk, Castricum, Heiloo, Alkmaar, each station an easy 5-10km ride to a fabulous beach. Then I rode back along an alternate route with different beaches. 

This time I tried the park & tour method in central Netherlands, and again it worked brilliantly.

Amsterdam: Oud-Zuid to Zuidoost

Lockdown time but it's ok to take a bike ride. This is one of a series of tours I took in March and April from a guidebook put out by the Commissie voor Welstand en Monumenten (Commission for Well-Being and Monuments). The commission reviews architectural proposals throughout Amsterdam, whether renovations of existing structures or new buildings. They assess each project to determine if it fits into the existing architectural context and also reflects the historical legacy of the neighborhood in some way.

Mexico flashback edition: Bicitekas

Prepare for takeoff: by the Angel, Mexico City

Bicitekas is a Mexican cycling advocacy organization with the formidable task of promoting two-wheel transport in a country that is almost as car-obsessed as its northern neighbor. Lately they've seen some positive developments with the installation of temporary cycling infrastructure as biking is encouraged as an alternative to overcrowded public transport amid the current pandemic.

Back when I lived in Mexico City in the early 2000s, I joined Bicitekas on several of their Critical Mass-style demonstrations, which gathered Wednesday evenings at the Ángel de la Independencia monument. What follows are accounts of two different Critical Mass events which I recorded in my journal.

Zeevangroute

A roll through the polderland. Starting at Purmerend, north of Amsterdam, this loop traces the former triangular island known as the Zeevang, land of ancient pastures laced with a filigree of slender canals. The east side follows the bank of the Markermeer south along a high dike that takes in broad swaths of the stark, serene landscape, ending up at the storybook town of Edam. From there it's smooth sailing along a broad canal, the Purmeringvaart, back to the start point.

•  Route: Purmerend - Kwadijk - Oosthuizen -Beets - Schardam - Etersheim - Warder - Edam (via LF-21) - Purmerend 

•  Distance: 32km

•  Train access: Purmerend, Hoorn

Imboschroute

This woodsy jaunt starts at Rheden, east of Arnhem, then heads north through the heath and forest of the Veluwe National Park almost all the way to Apeldoorn. The open spaces of the Rozendaalse Veld and the deep woods of the brook-laced Imbosch make for a serene ride. For an attraction there's the architectural oddity of the Posbank pavilion with adjacent sun-drenched terrace café.

•  Route: Rheden - De Steeg - Rozendaalse Veld (via LF-4) - Imbos - Loenermark - Apeldoorn
•  Distance: 35km
•  Train access: Arnhem, Velp, Rheden, Apeldoorn

Haavikerwaard route, Gelderland

IJssel

This route strikes northeast of Arnhem along the IJssel river (which continues on to Zutphen) and crosses a lake, the Giesplas, via two ferries and several splendidly remote peninsulas. It continues to skirt the river as far as the storybook village of Doesburg, then follows a beautifully serene curve of the river to the town of Dieren via yet another ferry. This puts you at the edge of the Veluwezoom national park, but instead of climbing into the vast forest, I skirted the railroad west back to Arnhem in time to catch a massive celebration on the anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem. 

• Route: Arnhem-Velp-Giesbeek-Doesburg-Dieren(along LF-3)-Rheden-Velp-Arnhem
• Distance: 48 km
• Train access: Arnhem, Velp, Rheden, Dieren

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.