Days 2-3 Cycling through WestFriesland, Holland

After a wonderful peaceful nights sleep in our 15th century dutch barnhouse we woke to sunshine and less wind. Other german cyclists we met at the bed and breakfast had found the wind equally exhausting. Breakfast was enjoyable meeting a whole range of people everyone was so friendly probably the best place for socialising in our whole trip.Hosts are alas selling up as they feel they are getting too old to run a large bed and breakfast. This did mean that we got away a bit later but I thought the ferry to the island Schiermonikoog ran every hour…We also hadnt bought the next map east to get us to the ferry and so missed the quick route to the ferry so instead of 3.5kms we did 10kms, yes ,never pays to be too relaxed. It was 1015am and the ferry had left at 930am, the next one wasnt till 1230! We ‘d also stopped en route to look at the memorial to 8 english and dutch soldiers who’d died defusing a large german landmine on the beach.The memorial was an english landmine..

After coffee and peddling around the harbour at Lauwersoog we finally got on the ferry to the island. No cars are allowed on Schiermonikoog so everyone was either on their bikes or on foot. It was lovely to see whole families on their bikes, and carrying their family dog in a basket on the front.Very relaxed family holiday island with just dirt tracks through the sanddunes plenty of cafes spread throughout the island.17C meant I wasnot immersing myself in tne sea even if the sun was shining. Reminded me of Rottnest island off Perth as it even had the pine trees like on Rottnest. Quite a few bunkers left on Schiermonikoog from the second world war and half the island is fenced off as a bird reserve.My idea of visiting different islands didnt work out as ferrys linking you to other islands are dependant on tides due to mudflats and sand banks, hence only go once a day.You’d need plenty of time to work this out for the 4 islands to the west.

We stayed in an old style hotel with a balcony overlooking the band stand, very nice apart from limited wifi only down by reception and that didnt always work.However that is tne charm of being on an island getting away from it all.

Only 1 night on the island as had to modify how to get back to Amsterdam for our 3 nights there.The rain and wind did its best to stop us taking photos today just love the wide open landscapes and tiny canals dotted everywhere.We are staying tonight in Dokkum whose claim to fame is murdering Bishop Boniface in the market square near where we are staying, incredible Dokkum used to be Frieslands main harbour.

Frieslands water table is totally man managed nowadays but is always relatively high. Water is pumped in from the Rhine if it drops and if it becomes too high it pumped out to sea.Peat farming created huge lakes but encroaching agriculture upset the balance in these lakes and hence artificial management has been needed.

We are staying in the annex of the old poor house, it has been done up now and is a hotel hopefully not too many ghosts!Plenty of cycle tours to do around here and very easy to find your way around by numbers!!Of course the market square our hotel is on is getting ready for its annual beack festival tonight and tomorrow but rain might stop play. Otherwise well have beach volley ball on our door stop tonight.

Great place for a first cycling trip, dutch are so helpful, just get a map out and you’ll have people surrounding you trying to help.