Sunday 28th May 2023 - Tim's report from Dordrecht
‘From Our Own Correspondent’
Ride Report by Tim Newbery from Dordrecht, Netherlands.
(Tim’s on a 1000 km journey along the Netherlands ‘Maasroute’ from The Hook of Holland to Maastricht and back. Epic tales and photographs to follow on return in early June).
“My Sunday started in a small but beautifully appointed ‘mini camp’ at Nederhemert. The sun had been shining since dawn and temperatures were due to rise to about 23 Degrees Celsius.
It would seem that the Dutch generally don’t do early mornings; I’ve found that most shops, cafes and amenities don’t open till about 10 am.
Today being Whit Sunday (Pinksteren in Dutch), it was to be a little different and after having been woken at 6 am by a cockerel and hens, I would busy myself for a 9 am departure. The bells from the village church would sound the calling to prayers and I was told that Nederhemert was in the Netherlands ‘Bible Belt’, evidenced by a group of older women dressed in Sunday Best (long ankle length skirts, large hats almost all in black) walking in the middle of the road on a procession to church.
Today was originally a 70 Km route to Dordrecht but the ferry at the campsite was closed and so a diversion was necessary. Not a real problem as there are so many cycle friendly tracks to use, options were endless.
The Dutch use a system of ‘knoopunnt’ points where you navigate by numbers. All are comprehensively marked with detailed information boards at every numbered location. You can’t get lost. You don’t need a map. Remarkable system.
Today, winds were favourable and a tail wind would aid my travels through the attractive Maas lands, fields now being mown for hay and giving that distinctive smell so familiar at this time of year. Lots of bird life with sighting of heron and the noise of frogs amongst the marshes.
The route would take me up onto the Maasdijke where quintessential dijke thatched houses were set just behind the banks. Some dating to the 18th Century, the Dutch being the grand masters of land reclamation.
The three castles at Woudrichhem, Gorinchem and Loevestein all based on the river bank were one of the highlights of the route. Part of the Old Dutch Waterline, they protected the region from invaders for centuries. Loevestein Castle, founded by Dirc Loef van Horne in 1358, is also interesting in that it held a number of RAF and allied aircrew prisoners in WW2.
By the marker of a crashed Short Stirling that had taken off from Oakington and whose surviving crew were detained at the castle, I met a Dutchman who said that his father also flew Short Stirlings in WW2, based in Norfolk. He survived and later flew as a captain with KLM. His son (the man I was speaking to) also joined KLM as a pilot.
Following a well deserved lunch and a beer,
I would now head away from the Maas and enter the Biesbosch National Park. Thanks to an open connection with the sea, the land is regularly flooded. It’s the largest national park of the Netherlands and one of the last extensive areas of freshwater tidal wetlands in Northwestern Europe. Beaver and deer are common sightings, but sadly not today although the sound of frogs was all pervasive.
With about 75 Km on the dial I finally arrived at tonight’s campsite at Dordrecht. I was given a spot right alongside a small dike. Sounds of frogs! I wonder if I’ll get a good night’s sleep. Croak Croak.
Tomorrow, the Delights of the Netherlands oldest city, Dordrecht, and onto Rotterdam.