#RoadsFromRome Day 10 - Into The Netherlands

I packed up my final wild camp of the trip this morning, and rolled out onto the flatter north German roads. With the promise of a stay with family this evening, a rest day tomorrow, and just a flat run-in of 180 kilometres to get there, I was in good spirits.

I stopped at the first supermarket I could find, as yesterday's closures had seen me empty my rations bag, and I needed some fuel and water to get me through the next seven hours.

Buoyed by patisserie, coffee, and peanut butter on rye bread, I was making good progress. By 13:00 I had reached Holland, and had just 80 kilometres left. I stopped at a café to celebrate.

Not long after, the real Netherlands began to materialise. The long flat dykes, huge bridges, pristine cycle paths, and presence of hundred of bicycles of all shapes and sizes. The sun came out too, and the wind swung round to bring a cross-tailwind rather than the northerly headwind I have encountered all weekend.

I pedalled on hard, excited to see speeds sit consistently above 30 kilometres per hour. Before long I was seeing the familiar sights of Veenendal, and knew I was almost home.

I arrived to a hero’s welcome from my cousins, and we enjoyed a typical Dutch meal to celebrate. Tomorrow, a relaxing day promises; including proposals of pancakes, Bakfiets cargo bike riding, and all-you-can-eat sushi. I should be well set up for the final two days of pedalling ahead.