Bulletin the Fourth. The Shame.
Many years ago at the Edinburgh Festival I saw a play called "I Licked a Whore's Arpmit".
Concerning an alcoholic so low that all he can afford is.. well... But it did have someone getting down to the bare scuddy, whihc is always good in Edinburgh. I digress.
On the strange habits of the Dutch - they wait patiently for pedestian and cycle crossing lights, even on patently empty roads. A lot longer than the British will wait. I wonder if this is a result of school lessons?
Just after arriving in the Netherlands I bought a takeaway coffee and brought it onto a local bus. On spotting me having a sly sip, the bus driver screeched to a halt and got out of his seat to lecture me. On seeing my blank expression he switched to English, and wagged his finger. No coffee on the bus! What if I have to brake sharply - it will spill all over the person in front of you. That was me told, as they say in Glasgow.
Yesterday in the heat I went out on my Hewitt tourer for the first time to explore the Kempen area, where Centerparcs is. I had a bust tour the previous day of the area, including a holiday park a la Centerparcs but favoured by Germans, Also the little town of Eersel.
So I headed to Eeersel following the long distance fietspad LF51. This is a route from Eindhoven to Antwerp.
The route was superbly well signposted, with LF51a going one way and LF51b going the other, so you know which signs to follow.
I agree with some of the comments above - even though this is a long distance route, it took a perverse delight in following every little byway through the contryside. At one point it neatly went round three sides of a farmers field on a sandy track jus tlike Mrs Pingus picture above.
Tough going in the heat, so when I finally arrived in Eeersel a well deserved pint barely touched the sides...
On the way back I looked at the map. There are superb Fietspad maps available for all the country - I haven't quite got the hang of the 'numbered junction' system yet. I saw that there is a direct route on a Provincialweg - what would be an A-road in Britain. Being a bit knackered, I decided to take this direct route. Superb cycle paths on either side for the whole distance. I know its not that pleasant cycling beside a road, but surely if there is a long distance route you would choose that rather than twice this distance through little lanes. If you were in the evening heading for your accomodation or a campsite I can imagine the LF51 route would drive you to screaming frustration.
So picture the lardy Brit, slathered in suncream, sweating along on his touring bike with 24 speed gears... I am a lardy git and unfit to boot.
10 kilometres from home who should come along but my nemesis - the Dutch Granny. Out for a pootle in the 30 degree heat on her sit up and beg bike...
She breezes past me as I asthmatically honk along.... So what did I do? Mash the pedals and uphold the honour of British cycling? Noooo..... I got on her wheel and drafted her home...
There. I drafted a Dutch Granny.