Bike-ulele tour, part 3

The Di Blasi, ready to roll.

This morning in Tiel, Del was determined to return to Amsterdam. Then we would take the train back to Den Bosch tomorrow, where we've got a workshop scheduled, and I could get my presumably faster Gazelle. "But that seems like a surrender," I told Del, since we could easily ride on to Den Bosch from here, under 40km. And I had purchased the folding Di Blasi for the trip and it worked ok, if not optimally, and thanks to Del's guidance, I'd fashioned a handy luggage transport technique: suspend the backpack from a wooden rod under the seat and use the sternum strap as a support on the seat post. By placing the bungee cords across the rear rack, the pack would be pushed back and not interfere with pedaling. We got a broomstick at a household items shop on Albert Cuypstraat in Amsterdam, and Del asked the guy at the bike store nearby to saw it to size. At the same store I purchased a nice handlebar bag.

Bike-ulele tour, part 2

Del Rey strums outside Oberhausen station. 

Today we embark on the first stretch of our bike-ukulele tour. We spent the night in Voerde, Germany, the "Ruhrpott" region which is known for its coal mines. Yesterday Del Rey did a workshop with the Ruhrpott Uke Club at a café called Fabrik 14 in the city of Oberhausen. It looked like a lefty coffee house with vintage posters for political rallies and a big black bust of Lenin over the bar. The barman a sad beanpole. After the workshop they had a song circle and played such mind numbers as "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" and "City of New Orleans." Del and I sat in a corner and drank pilsners.

Bike-ulele tour, part 1

On the ICE to Germany. Passing metro stations: Amstel, Spaklerweg, Van der Madeweg ... my old route. I'm in the front of the train, Del Rey's in the next car. Del makes up her mind about things. She's headstrong, which is how she got where she is today. Her Brompton folding bike is tucked under the seat as we embark on our summer '12 international bike-ukulele (bike-ulele?) tour.

Rondje Betuwe - Day 3

Outside Den Bosch

Today it's beautiful again as I sit in the little living room of the bunk house here at Het Dijkje. The plan is to head south to Buren, then get on the LF12, hugging the river Waal down to Den Bosch. So I'm only doing a day and a half of the three-day loop through Betuwe.

Rondje Betuwe - Day 2

View from the bridge, Rhenen

In the morning as Jan was removing my bike from his storage unit, he discovered I had a flat tire. A thumbtack pointed out the location of the puncture. Jan accompanied me to a bike store in the center where the repair is now being made.

Rondje Betuwe - Day 1

Up early fortunately. I am excited about this cycling journey. The weather forecast is unrelentingly good. Nothing's going to stop me now...