waking up in the town centre of Arnhem finding the Rhine and the famous bridge too far seemed an excellent place to start the cycling proper, I had a message from gary which i replied to saying i was up late and would probably not visit the bridge museum and just get cyclng, he said whats the rush surely you can spend an hour so i did, there wasn't much to see really just some films and a few artefacts, i was glad i went though
I set off cycling upstream looking to cross to the other bank at the next bridge, the first problem off the day propped up just outside of town the bridge was shut for repairs, as i looked at my ,map which i wasn't finding easy due to the fact the guidebook follows downstream route so i am sort of reading it back to front! my big road map not showing cycle routes its just too big a scale and only good for deeingn general direction of towns, i was totally unsure what to do at the road works a woman stopped and started speaking to some workies then asked me where i was going?she said the bridge is shut follow me my husband is meeting me here i need to be at class over the other side of the river we need to go back into town, so i followed them all the way back the way i had came and over the bridge, they were going fast he had an electric assist bike which i asked her why it had a little number plate when we had stopped at traffic lights, she explained it was the speed if you can reach 45kmph you need a number plate, every uphill section he would put his hand on her back to give her a little help, i was up out the saddle to keep up with them and nobody giving my wee back a push, once over the bridge she stopped and said here is your options one was to go back to where we met and swing a detour (sorry she said) the other was take the lovely scenic path to Germany but away from the Rhine, it would rejoin the Rhine later, no way was I going back the way again, i opted for the scenic cycle route and it truly was beautiful the very best cycle paths i have ever been on for miles and miles over 30 miles of perfect cycle lanes the dutch put cycling before cars and pedestrians,
I was still struggling a little at times with reminding myself on what side of the cycle path to be on its just like cars the opposite to us obviously, but i`ve never had to think about cycling this way really before, i was wishing I had brought the friendship bracelet i use for motorbiking abroad i put it on the wing mirror kerb side, then i remembered since i got my arm pinned and plated i wear my watch on my right wrist now BINGO reminder to myself when in doubt wrist watch to kerb Kenny, this worked for me , i still got caught out occasionally and sometimes because they have cycle lanes on both sides of a carriageway for example, you have cycle lane dual carriageway then cycle lane, you should still be on the right cycle lane but sometimes this went down to one at one side it could get confusing as the days went on, but on this first day it was all totally cycle lanes through orchards by lakes and canals along old disused railway lines through pretty villages very picturesque, on the path to kleve i stopped to take some photos at a canal in a park with a huge monument up a hill through the trees and asked a passerby if this was the border? he said no you are in Germany! there was no hard border no soft border not even a bloody sign for a photo stop at least we have that at every border crossing in Scotland, i then passed people out cycling up an old railway line on special build peddled carriages with tables for drinks and food very cool i thought,
i crossed a big river and cycled out the way into njimegen then headed of in the direction of xanten (the x is a sort of z sound) this was a roman citadel, a beautiful tourist town but it was Friday night and it defo wasnt a party town i went into tourist info and basically got sweet talked into taking a hotel booking nfor the night, at hotel nibelungen in the square 80 euros including breakfast oh alright then said i my options were limited now and it would be a decent cycle tomorrow on fresh legs, i checked in and got the garage door passkey to lock the bike up for the night, the hotel had a lot of bikes in its dedicated garage bike room and lots of electric bikes on charge there was alos trikes and recumbent s this area is serious about bicycling
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