To the Fort and Beyond: Cycling through the Netherlands, Belgium and into Germany.

Setting Off from the Ferry

After a massive buffet meal on the ferry and a fairly good night’s sleep in the cabin, we set off toward Rotterdam. About 20 km in, we hopped on our first Dutch ferry and continued cycling toward the city centre.

The plan was to ride for an hour and find somewhere for breakfast — but that never quite materialised. Instead, lunch outside the Maritime Museum it was.

Windmills, Wildlife, and a Night in a Fort

Not long after lunch, we left Rotterdam behind and passed the first UNESCO site of the trip: Kinderdijk, home to the iconic windmills the Netherlands is known for.

From there, we continued into Biesbosch National Park, which was strikingly quiet — hardly any traffic or cyclists. As I crossed a bridge, I saw an osprey catch a fish, and later, a crow chasing off another osprey for flying too close to its nest.

On the other side of the park, we reached Fort Bakkerskil, a beautifully converted fort built in 1880, which made for a memorable overnight stop.

Fair to say, I’ve started this ride in cycling heaven — where bikes take priority and smooth, flat tarmac makes it easy to clock up the miles.

Along the River Linge and a Pint in Wijk bij Duurstede

Setting off from the fort, we headed northeast toward Amerongen. Once again, the trail was a delight. We followed the River Linge for much of the day, passing through quaint Dutch towns and alongside charming houseboats moored on the riverbanks.

At around the 65 km mark, we rolled into Wijk bij Duurstede thinking we might find a well-earned ice cream. Instead, we stumbled upon a bloody good pint — no complaints.

We cycled on a bit further to reach our next stop: a trekkershut on a campsite. After dropping our bags, we backtracked to Amerongen for what I thought might be my last luxury meal of the trip.

Arnhem and Riding Solo Again

The next morning, we were up early to cycle the 30 km to Arnhem, which featured the first few inclines of the ride on the continent! We stopped for breakfast — which turned out to be my actual last meal of luxury: a big, wholesome bowl to set me up for the day.

We reached Arnhem around midday, had time for lunch, then Dad and Jon caught the train back to Dordrecht, leaving me solo again — with a familiar feeling, much like when Andy left me 25 km outside of Bristol.

I set off out of Arnhem and put in another 50 km before looking for a spot to sleep. I found a peaceful forest clearing and settled in for the night. Tried my hand at the harmonica — managed a scale and the first few notes of Happy Birthday.

As night fell, I had three visitors:

• An inquisitive deer, which bolted when I moved,

• A few bats flitting between the branches,

• And an owl, which landed on the branch above me before gliding off silently in search of mice

Crossing Into Belgium

I got going early the next day, aiming to stay just outside Maastricht. I stopped in Weert for a drink and to fill up on water, then pressed on. By 3 p.m., I’d covered 105 km and reached a campsite in Belgium. It was a steady 20°C — perfect for cooling off in an outdoor swimming pool I was lucky enough to find nearby.

Exploring Maastricht with a Local

The next morning, I set off just before 9 a.m. and arrived at Sam’s place in Maastricht by half past. Bags ditched, coffee in hand, and then Sam took me on a cycling tour of the city, including a great breakfast at Bikke — thanks, Sam!

It was brilliant to explore the city with a local — a welcome change from the usual cycle-eat-sleep rhythm. That said, I still set off around 3 p.m., crossed the border into Germany, clocked another 50 km, and found a great wild camping spot for the night.

It’s not every day you get to cycle through three countries in one day!