Day 13 - Rain, plucky cyclists, orange sun
Trip Start
Aug 31, 2008
1
14
Trip End
Sep 13, 2008
Rotterdam,
Netherlands
Friday, September 12, 2008
The stretch bypassing Arnhem was awful, all traffic crawling, and in heavy rain which lasted all day. Not the best way to appreciate otherwise very decorative countryside. The Dutch are a tough lot though as they were still happily cycling along on their ubiquitous cycle paths, nowhere near any villages, even when being soaked by the rain.
Getting to the harbour (number 5805) for the ferry to the Uk was easy, so long as you followed signs for 'Engeland', and not the harbour number signs. A bit confusing, but I remember this from my last trip in 2006. That year I actually tried to drive through the freight gateway. The lorry drivers were very patient with me as I had to turn round. At least they muttered quietly to themselves.
Right now I am looking out from the café on deck 8, not quite managing to admire the view of the Rotterdam oil terminal. There are many more huge wind turbines here than I remember from two years ago. Mind you, it makes sense to use otherwise tatty industrial land for something instead of just growing weeds. If you want to see a prime example of this, look at the north bank of the Tyne as you leave North Shields for Norway. It's a complete disgrace, and an awful introduction to our country for the Norwegians.
The sky here is heavy with grey clouds, but there is a gap just above the horizon, with the low sun shining through at a shallow angle. As a result, all the interior of the café is bathed in lovely orange light. Considering this region is highly industrialised, the air and the water are remarkably clean. A large population of gulls perched on the crane opposite suggest that the fishing here must be good.
Tomorrow - Hull!
