spirit of surrim

My rear tire went broken next to Breda. But I was lucky: I made a stop in the last big city in the Netherlands to check my tires. The first bike shop had only time in about three weeks, but they send me to another shop - "Appie's Fietsen". Wonderfycul people, like a family. They fixed the tire, put on new wheels and a new brake disk, even though they had closed. It was the most expensive bill on my tour, about 250 € :-D When I cycled with the new tires it was feeling like a new bike. They have also contacts in Morocco, really great! :-)

The next day it was raining a lot. I followed my way, discovered an interesting place full of sitting banks, alternative playgrounds with small houses, wooden instruments, climbing area and some roofs. When I went around I found a place where you can watch birds, with a roof, sitting amenities, closed and on a small hill. Perfect to cook someting.. and sort all my stuff before I cross the next border.. and a sleeping place. It was raining 4 times, also with thunders and lightnings, with storm. The best place I could find on this day.

The border was really not far away. I crossed it the next day without any big changes. The cars look different, the cycling paths are not so good anymore :-D

I Brussels I met Dona. I got the know her next to Amsterdam on her own one week bike trip. It was really great to see her again. My outer tent was nearly broken, but Exped send a new one to this address. It didn't arrive when I was there. So I needed a place to stay. Louise was a really great host. I stayed a few days, we talked a lot, cooked very tasty things, I could exchange my outer tent on her "balcony", program some stuff for the homepage, explore the city, rebel a bit, with the nice people from XR Leiden and XR Den Haag in mind, learn a bit French, copy everything on my new memory card, download maps from France and Spain, manage my pictures, buy much organic food, plan my next targets and finally we played chess till the night. Awesome! I'm ready to cycle to France!

But I'm also feeling a bit like a insect - I can't stay here long, I have to leave. Every day it's getting a bit colder, the sunrise is 2-3 minutes earlier, it's about 1300km through France and mountains are nearly everywhere.
I have to change my way of cycling, I'm a bit afraid. Now this are only numbers. But how are 5400 meters up and down feeling like? There is no way like in the Netherlands anymore, not much sun anymore. God bless!