Cycle Tour Bike holiday along the Rhine and to Amsterdam

A rainy day! In the morning overcast and dry. Moderate to strong westerly and southwesterly breeze, so headwind to Hoek van Holland and tailwind from there. After our lunch break it rained the rest of the day with a pause in the evening, which we used to pitch our tents.

Very varied physical conditions. First good paths out of Rotterdam and its suburbs along the river. Heavy traffic. Through a part of Vlaardingen in a residential area. Afterwards down to the river to a fine tarmac path. Passed a few locks with detours. On the breakwater the whole way out to the mouth of the Rhine into the North Sea. From there first on pedestrian paths, later on good bike paths through the dunes and into the big city of The Hague. Here partly without a bike lane, but cyclists are never bullied. Out of the city through forests and again of fine bike paths.

The first stage in the last part from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. The first stretch went along the river until its mouth, so the Rhine part of the bike holiday was thus over. The direction changed now sharply from West (and earliger North) to East and Northeast. The stage goal was altered from camping in Leiden to Wassenaar in order to have two final stages of about the same distance.