I remember cycling through Rotterdam and its outskirts 39 years ago (my first longer bike trips (two nights away) with friends and no parents)- what a nightmare! There were no bike paths along multi-lane car roads, no signposting, etc. Totally different experience this time! Cycling through the conurbation of Rotterdam was actually totally relaxed – the bike infrastructure has improved so much here and is really quite amazing now!
All in all cycling near my old haunts, but not exactly through them, has been a really nice experience. I still like the countryside around here, although I can tell it has been built up a bit more since I left the country in 1987. Found a monument to the lost village of Jacobswoude, interesting history: as we all know, humans have always changed their surroundings/environment in detrimental ways….
I had also almost forgotten, how pleasant it could be to cycle along water so much. The birdlife is great, seeing grebes, herons, geese, ducks, etc. always makes me happy.
Arrived at Robin‘s just as it started to spit a bit and re-hydrated with copious amounts of Yorkshire tea. Got to know the new puppy, Chewie, and its sharp teeth, and generally started relaxing.
