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Stage 17 - The Hague to Breda via (Rotterdam) 62km (30-Jun-2019)


Delft was always on our list of places to visit in The Netherlands and yesterday we did just that on our day off the tour. Also took the opportunity to further explore The Hague on a seriously hot day. Ursi even managed to climb the 300 plus steps up the very narrow staircase to the top of the tower in Delft. Not for me.








Our host, Abhi, had organised a home delivered Indian meal in the evening which went down a treat. Nice change from what we have normally eaten on the tour.
Early start today; after breakie, we left around 8.45am to catch a train to Rotterdam to reduce the riding distance and time to Breda. It was always in the plan to do that. Getting bikes loaded with panniers on the train is not as easy as it sounds when the platform is quite a bit lower than the train doors. Anyway, we managed to get them up and there was a first experience, where the ticket price for the bikes were more expensive than the passengers. The bikes cost Euro 6.90 each (that is the cost, matter where you travel to in The Netherlands). Our tickets to Rotterdam cost Euros 5.10 each.  
As always it was good to be back in the saddle on an agreeable day, not so hot. Rotterdam Central Station and surrounding areas were fairly deserted which made getting out of Rotterdam fairly easy.
Today's ride, as always on good bike paths, was uneventful, mostly through suburbia, along main roads and through some heavy industrial areas - nothing too exciting to look at or photograph. As my mate, Ellwood would say, today was all about riding. For what it's worth here are a few photos taken along the way.




The approach into Breda was nothing special, sums up the day's ride. Nearer to our Airbnb, bumped into a Kiwi, didn't get to talk to home for too long but it's always nice to meet neighbours. After checking in and a quick shower, made our way into Breda; appeared the whole town was either shopping or having refreshments in the town square. I don't know but somehow the people here appear to be different from the people in other parts of Netherlands. That's not being critical, just an observation.




Dinner was at a Japanese restaurant, (with this bike hanging off the wall) pork belly something or another for Ursi and a vege noodle for me. The tucker wasn't bad, all the same, can't wait to get back to Sydney to taste the real thing.





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