Local bike shop fixed it in four hours because I was a scumbag Aussie cycle tourist! Paid 90 euro for it though. It’s black because it was the only 32H rim he had. I should?ve got him to swap the lot for a stronger 36H!

So, in the process of cleaning the chain, I notice this..

FSCK!

Holey Soles Water Clogs.

I’m in the Netherlands FFS! I have three pairs of shoes that don’t fit properly and do various types of damage to my feet.

You have water clogs! My god.. pure GENIUS!

(No, I’m not smoking anything right now..)

and I’m too lazy to type the bloggage from the previous days right now..

Just letting you know I’m alive in case you start celebrating or something..

Will be heading into Germany very soon.

Over and out.

Beware! Cycle touring can change a person..

I’m getting sick of explaining the size difference of Australia vs. Europe to the Europeans. Actually, I’m not getting sick of it at all, but I do think they might not get it even when I explain it.

I found this comparison whilst looking for a map of Europe for root planning:

Original image found here.

Here is the normal map of Europe I was looking for.

My right knee is sore again. It’s not really my knee, rather than tendon thing on the outside at the back, near the top of my calf. It’s given me grief a few times now. I think I’ve got a cleat placement issue.

Wasting time on the internet before the Tour starts (5euro/5hr). Kicked at 2pm so I went exploring. Bought Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” (16 euro, new) which should give me plenty to read when I need to kill some time computer-free :). Tried to sell “Hard Questions” but De Slegte (pronounced “De Shlecker” as far as I could tell) don’t take single books. Have to carry it until I find someone who wants an english-language sci-fi. Doh!

Riding around I take an oppurtunity to draft a bus, as you do. Well, over here, don’t! Dutch wisdom seems to be “If it ain’t broke, break it and building something else” or “if there’s nothing there, build something there”. They apply this to the middle of roads and curbing. Riding down the road, you don’t expect to have to deal with a curb in the middle of the road! Anyway, I’m sitting on the arse of this bus and BANG! “What the f.. shit!” as I try and minimise the impact of the next “middle of the road curb”. I guess it’s a good way to discourage smart arses from drafting their buses, but geez, think of the bikes! 😛

This incident inspired me to air up the tyres when I spotted a service station with a proper compressor, i.e. not one of those stupid dumb-ass-car-driver-friendly-please-don’t-over-inflate-my-tyres compressors. I was a bit shocked to find both tyres below 30psi!! No frickin’ wonder my knees are about to explode! It’s like I’ve been pushing two gears higher for the same speed! Those automatic compressors lie. I was maxing them out (59psi I think?) and it was only recently they were filled so WTF is with <30psi?! I gave 'em a real 50psi. Woooah.. so much better!

Did 23k today at a Der Jan killing pace of 4.9kph 😉

Woke up with some really freaky dreams. Also freaky is the fact that I recalled them – for years I’ve been listening to people recount dreams whilst I never seem to have any. Apparently everyone has dreams but not everyone recalls them..

Had a ham & cheese croissant and some yoghurt for breakfast at the Camp Winkel (shop). Netted up for a couple of hours because it was raining. Around lunchtime I gave in – Sod it! I can’t sit around here all day! (I should’ve).

I was aiming to explore the Weerribben National Park, but I only made it 7 kilometres short of Giethoorn before I gave up and turned around. Watching the Tour in a warm, dry pub should’ve been my daily goal from the start!

The rain sucked but I put on my rainjacket and headwarmer and lived with it. The wind was something else though! Weerribben National Park was supposed to be earie due to the “silence, interrupted only by animal noises”. I couldn’t hear anything except wind rush – and that was while I was stationary! It was a boring ride (well, one highlight) and I was low on energy – my legs still feeling weak – so I turned into even worse wind and headed back to Zwolle. It still ended up being a 70k+ ride, which surprised me.

I rushed into a small pub in full cycling kit, ordered a coffee and tosti (toasted ham & cheese sandwich – their only food) and watched the Tour. Ended up talking to a guy (his name sounded like “eye anne”) who had just retired, aged 43, from his job at an aluminium smelter where they make custom aluminium components (no, not bike parts). I spent five hours in there talking to him! It wasn’t just the fact that he insisted on buying me drinks (“yeah right”, you’re all saying!) he was actually interesting. Chatted about darts and the upcoming competition(s) in the pub, politics, the UK bombings, the Tour, his job, all sorts of shit.

Tried one of the “digestive” spirits they had too – he insisted – it was made from herbs or something and tasted like scented vodka? I think he was lonely because none of his mates were able to make his ‘last day’ celebrations.

He was saying how his wife had worked the same job for 23 years but hated the last 6 of them. Apparently, if you are over 40 here you just don’t throw in a job because there’s too many young people who will step up and learn it (sidenote: The Dutch seem to breed a lot, there’s babies all over the place!). He kept insisting she leave. Eventually she wrote an application letter to a job and got it! Didn’t even go to second round interviews! Just like that. Guess experience still counts for something?

He was also telling me how he’d love to holiday in Australia (doesn’t everyone!) because 1) he’s the outdoors type and 2) he wants to be totally alone (with his wife) somewhere. In NL, you can’t go anywhere and not see someone else within the hour!

He also suggested I get a camp stove and as he explained it (and the cooking of the pasta meals I’ve been craving!) I thought to myself “I can’t believe I dismissed the idea of carrying cooking gear so quickly!!”.

But! Camping sucks when it’s raining (and it still is). Can’t dry clothes, so can’t wash clothes, can’t take a piss, can’t go into town and I finished reading “Hard Questions” so being in the tent is boring. Lucky the rain is on and off so I don’t really spend too long stuck in.

Went to “Sofra”, across the road, for a donner schotel dinner around 11pm. I relented on my “kebab ban” because “eye anne” said it was the best in NL. It cost 10 euro with another coffee and I ordered rice instead of frickin’ frites! I don’t know about it being the best but it was pretty good.

Showered, finally! Frickin electronic shower ate a euro of mine as I tried in vain to get it to spit out hot water. I love technology. Bed. Sleep. Rain.

The song with the lyric “Later you can sing to me like a shining star, but I’d rather do you on the back seat of my car” just came on. It’s pretty popular and I wonder if it’s playing much/at all in Australia?

Just a quick post to use up my net credit and to let y’all know it has stopped raining so I can finally leave Zwolle and head for Groningen!! Yay!! Just called a hostel there and beds should not be a problem which is good coz I want a break from the tent.. although I must say, these last two days have been SUPER COMFY in the tent. Maybe my spine has formed a match with the ground underneath? Maybe I’m just too tired to care? I dunno, but I’ve slept really well.. I even managed to pack everything without cracking the shits! I’m now an expert! hahahah!