It was a latish start and a few hiccups trying to get onto a long distance cycle way out of Amsterdam heading to Muiden.It was mixed cycling with cycle ways next to roads and even next to a motorway at one point, but eventually we were on dykes with a canal on one side and lakes on the other or cycling under tree lined avenues next to a huge canal.We arrived in Muiden a delightful historic town at the mouth of the river Vecht so a morning tea spotvwas slotted in.We encountered our first Transgender friendly toilet within the cafe/gasthof quite a nice sign half man half woman.It was hard to get moving so we stayed for a while warching boats go through the lock.

we were planning on lunch in Almeria another 20kms away so we got peddling, but never good to relax too long because you lose the thread of navigating the dutch way number by number.

Tim decided his mapout new app on phone could navigate us more successfully. So it was a change of route along the coast , which sounds lovely but in the Netherlands when all you can see is a long path disappearing forever into the distance with a sign saying Zeewold 30kms despondancy sets in as you can sense any hope of a nice lunch fading.We arrived in Zeewold at 3pm. The bakery saved us made us tea and coffee and with a few pastries later we were half recuperated. It was another 12kms further to Harderwjk a bustling beautifulwalled mediavel city.Mick had booked later so he turned his ebike on to continue on as Harderwjk was full not a spare bed.

Hotel Baars was quieter than expected and we would have slept well except the wind dropped and it was quite warm.A great bowl of mussels for dinner however to eat mussels here you just dip the mussel in a sauce and no eating of the soup the mussels are cooked in. I wonder why? I expecting a cool northern european summer have packed only 1 coolish top and 2 winter cycling tops, not to mention a down puffer jacket! After our 75kms today and with prospect of thunderstorms we decided to shorten our next day to 51kms and catch a train from Zwolle to Coevorden.

The plan day 2 was to meet Mick at Elburg for coffee so he didnt have to back track along to us. We found some beautiful cycle ways amidst fields of corn, cows, sheep and newly mown grass.A couple of wrong turns was enough for us to arrive 10mins late of the appointed time to meet Mick. Mick rang us 10mins later he was just entering through one of the town gates. I was able to stand in the middle of the market square and spot him coming.An easy ride into Zwolle a beautiful town full of trees and fountains and a train that was easy to negotiate so in no time at all we were at coevorden and time to chill.No ticket offices anymore just machines, easy to work out from german. Hotel talens was a great hotel and big rooms AND airconditioning.The thunder didnt eventuate so just a light shower to increase the humidity so lovely to have airconditioning, bliss.A bustling market square gave us a great choice of places to eat. Tried 2 new nonalcoholic beers- swingers and palm, palm a belgian beer very good!The boys tucked into some seriously large burgers, my chicken sate appeared deconstructed with peanuts around the edge of the plate in their shells….blissful sleep after our 55kms today.