Day 9 Amsterdam

April 21, 2024

Today we left the barge around 8:45 am and said good-bye to the fantastic crew of the Lena Maria. Less than four hours after we departed the barge, they had another crew of cyclists ready to depart for their own adventure. They were not going to start with much better weather as it was only about 44 degrees with winds of 13 mph and gusts of 21mph, and yet it did rain and hail throughout the day. The winds continued to increase through the day as well.

About ten of us headed for the North Market with a historical background dating back to the 17th century. After about a forty-minute walk, Cindy and I decided to we were going to go find Anne Frank’s house that was nearby. We wanted to take photos before the crowds grew. When we reached the museum, we were approached by a staff member of the museum that asked if we were going inside. We didn’t have tickets for the museum and just asked for directions to the actual house. Instead, this staff member got us inside where we were able to purchase tickets. It was totally unexpected. I was glad I was able to tour the museum, however it is a very sad experience. I made it through almost the whole museum before the experience brought me to tears.

After the museum tour twelve of us met for a boat tour of Amsterdam. Of course, it started to hail just as we were about to board the boat. We learned some fun facts about the canals: there are 4000 total houseboat leases available throughout all the canals. Those leases are good for 100 years (but also include monthly fees as well). Every decade the boats need to be inspected, and that is where it can become very costly. Many of the houseboats have their motors removed to make additional room for living space. These boats need to make special arrangements for the inspections. Amsterdam is the most expensive city to live in Europe (outside of London). There are more canals in Amsterdam than there are in Venice. The boat speed limit on the canals is 4mph and is enforced by using laser beams to measure the speed. Under the Central Train Station, there 14,000 bicycle parking spaces for commuters. There are thousands of bikes pulled from the canals each year.

After the boat tour, eight of us headed to our hotel, stopping along the way at an Argentinean Steak House for lunch. It was more costly than we wanted to spend for lunch, but at the time it was raining (of course) and they had room to seat us. The day ended with dinner and drinks at the hotel restaurant; everyone was too tired to walk any more.

It was a memorable trip that we will all cherish forever. The wind made everyone stronger, and I’m sticking to my original thought: I would rather bike in the wind than the mountains/hills. It can be a tiring, slow pace, but at least in the wind, my knees are spared. The Netherlands is a wonderful country for a bike ride.

One view of Amsterdam from my hotel room.

The crew of the Lena Maria waving good-bye.

One of the many unique houseboats along the canals.

A more close up view of the doors to the Anne Frank house.

Reproduction of the hidden door to where Anne and her family hid.

Mail boxes seen along the walk through Amsterdam.

The group that took a boat tour of Amsterdam.

Day 8 Aalsmeer / Amsterdam

April 19, 2024

The first part of today’s ride was to Aalsmeer, home to the worlds’s largest flower auction. Only 12 of the 24 riders chose to cycle today. Rain, wind and cool temperatures have taken a toll. There were 8 people from the other group and four from Sue’s (the group I am in) that rode today. From our group it was Fred, Ray, Ellen and me. It was 49 degrees with 15 mph winds from the WNW and gusts up to 30 mph. There were only a few times during the day when we were into a headwind and that was a good thing because when we finished riding, it was 51 degrees with 18 mph winds and gusts up to 35 mph. Due to the rain, I didn’t get many outdoor pictures.

It was an 8.3-mile ride to the flower auction where we were given a tour that included trying our hands at “purchasing” a flower at the exact moment the guide asked us to achieve. We aimed for 40 cents and then 50 cents. The “clock” moves with one hand until it reaches the point you, as a buyer, would want to pay per plant. It was fun to try and get the exact amount. Fred managed to time it just right two times. After we left the flower auction, we traveled along the Amstel River and through the Amsterdam Forest. We met the barge at one location and then cruised into Amsterdam. The mooring site is in the center of the city.

Almost everyone chose to go do some initial exploring of the city. I decided to stay back and stay warm. The chill from the ride today is still with me. I will explore tomorrow. Those that did explore met another downpour.

Our farewell dinner was once again melt in your mouth delicious. It began with salmon tartar, with a main course of either prawns (shrimp) or steak. We had a unique dessert as the chef brought it out on a platter with a giant “sparkler.” We ended the night reflecting on the trip and going over plans for tomorrow as we exit the barge. What was very obvious the whole trip was that the Dutch are amazing in unforeseen situations. Wouter summed it up with a Dutch saying: When you can’t do it the way you should do it, do it the way that you can do it.

Although this is the first picture, this was me at the end of the day’s and week’s ride

At the very start of today’s ride out of Oude Wetering, those of us that cycled took a very short ferry ride.

Near the beginning of the ride. I had six layers and at about mile five I thought “I may need to take off a layer.” Well, that thought faded as the light rain turned to a downpour.

This is Fort Kudelstaart. It is one of fourteen fortresses built in about 1910 in preparation for WWI. It is now a UNESCO heritage site,

The four riders from Sue’s group that cycled today as we took shelter during one of the many deluges throughout the day.

The “clock” used at the Flower Auction. Note the white light on near the 40. If a plant or lot is not sold on the day of auction, it is destroyed to maintain price stability,

Behind each number, and directly in front of where you sit, is a button that you push as you get to the price you want to pay for the flower/plant. This is actually a small auction area as most included room for hundred of buyers.

A bike used about 100 years ago for transporting flowers.

A sample of one of 200 different hydrangea varieties grown in the green houses at the Flower Auction.

Once we left the Flower Auction, we were supposed to be on our own and following our own GPS, however after the first several riders made a wrong turn out of the parking lot, our guide Wouter decided to do one last ride and guided us back to the barge.

Wouter was lifted in celebration at the end of the day’s ride; his last VBT tour he will lead,

I noticed the captain, Frank, was wearing a Detroit sweatshirt. I asked him for a photo; unfortunately, his eyes were closed. The engine in one of his prior boats was a Detroit Diesel, so he bought a Detroit sweat shirt as a memento.

A view from the barge as we made our way to the mooring location in Amsterdam.

This rain jacket is officially retired from my wardrobe - into the trash it goes.

Our barge is moored next to another barge, so if you wanted to go into town, you needed to walk across the barge next to us.

Photo courtesy of Lynda and Ray. They went into a convenience store and saw these edibles.

The crew and guides from left: Gert (chef), Lawrence (2nd mate), Frank (captain), Luna (waitress and room attendant), Wouter (guide) and Lia (guide).

Day 7 Alphen / Oude Wetering

April 18, 2024

This morning when we left the barge, it was a balmy 42 degrees, after a low of 36. The winds were relatively calm out of the north at 5mph with gusts of 11mph. The good news was that the sun was shining!! We headed to the Gouda Market area for group photos. Balt & Joyce brought mugs from Willie Geist’s Sunday morning show for a “toast.” With any luck, the group photo will be chosen for the upcoming Sunday show. After photos, we pedaled alongside peat lakes and onto the banks of the narrow Rhine River to Alphen aan den Rijn. That ride was just under 25 miles. The temperature was wonderful 51 degrees and the winds had doubled at 10 mph with gusts of 17 mph. I still don’t mind the winds. The barge was in Alphen and we boarded for lunch.

After lunch you could add more miles, or travel on the barge to the next stop in Oude Wetering. I opted to stay on the barge. It was nice and relaxing and we were able to see sights along the waterway. Tonight, dinner was on the barge. It was also a celebration of the retirement of our one guide Wouter. He has led 100 tours across 20 years, and our tour is his last. Our other guide, Lia worked behind the scenes to make tonight special. She purchased water color paints for a guest Sherry (a member of the “Sue” group) to paint him a special memento. The chef arranged for a real champagne toast, and a unique dessert to commemorate his last tour.

Sporting my MS team jersey as I ride for a good cause.

I am amazed as I cycle along and continue to see waterways everywhere!

Just in front of me is Sherri (black jacket), Ellen (purple) and Sue (yellow).

We had to open this gate to enter a section of the trail/route; sheep were grazing.

The sheep were used to bike riders sharing the territory,

Working on the waterways is a never ending task in the Netherlands.

As I was travelling on the barge after lunch I was able to see several drawbridges open for the barge.

Toasting to Wouter’s last tour as a VBT guide.

The 100 was representing the about 100 rides that Wouter led over the past 20 years when he was in his :first” retirement.

Sherry, a rider in our group, painted this landscape scene for Wouter. Lia purchased the paints and watercolor paper while on the tour so that Sherry could make this artwork.

Day 6 Cheese Farm Visit / Gouda

April 17, 2024

Today, insult was added to injury. The day started with riding in the hail. It was 44 degrees with a wind chill reading of 39 degrees. Winds out of the north at only 9 mph with gusts of 17 mph. It wasn’t supposed to rain until later in the day, but it just wasn’t meant to be. When we were near Zoeterwoude, we stopped at a local farm that still produces small batch Gouda cheese. The farm has been in the family for over 100 years. While touring their barns and cheese making facilities, we were offered four different cheeses to taste. They may not make large amounts, but the taste was delicious.

Just as we were ready to depart the farm, it started to hail again, only this time in large amounts. We all waited till the hail stopped and then proceeded to ride again in the rain. About five miles down the road, we were greeted by Lia who was dressed in traditional Dutch clothing and wooden shoes. She had snacks for us and three different cheeses that we could but on fresh sliced bread. From there we finished the days ride ending in Gouda whose namesake cheese is among the Netherlands best know exports.

Back at the barge, we changed into warm clothes and headed to the town center looking for the main church devoted to St John. The church is famous for its stained-glass windows. Unfortunately, we entered the wrong church into our GPS and missed entry into the famous church. By the time riders Joyce and Balt informed us of our error, we were already sipping wine and had ordered an early dinner. As our luck would have it, just as we arrived back at the barge, it started to hail again!! I cycled just over 22 miles today.

As a few of us were playing a card game (99) with Sue, our barge had to move from its slip to accommodate a larger ship. In the end, three ships moved about to make room for all of them. It was quite interesting.

P.S. Alan, I think we need to invest in the best rain gear for our future rides together.

The local cheese farm that we visited. The photo in the foreground was taken when the Queen visited the farm and the owners’ daughter asked to show the Queen her kittens. It was not part of the itinerary and made “news” at the time because it was not on the Queen’s itinerary,

Fred and Gayle enjoying the ride (in the rain).

A waterway on the farm property. There are waterways everywhere in the Netherlands.

Where the cheese is made by mixing milk and microbes. If the cream is skimmed off the top of the milk during the process, it is considered “light.”

The current method used for pressing chees into molds. The cheese in the foreground were some of our samples.

The older type of equipment that was used to press the cheese. Not that there are “shapes” as well. The local farm patented these forms, however the patent is only for three countries, including the Netherlands. It would be cost prohibitive to patent it world-wide.

It’s hard to capture in a still photo, but the white dots on the cobblestones is hail. Note the thatched roof on one of the buildings on the farm. In 1966, the farm was designated a national monument which means the outside of the buildings must remain true to its roots, including roof type and paint colors.

There was just few hundred yards of dirt path that we had to ride today. Riders from the front back: Gayle, Sue, Ellen, and Sherri.

Lia at the snack stop today. Some of the Gouda was more than a year old and some six months old. All of it was delicious.

Lia demonstrating how the locals ride in the rain. Photo courtesy of another rider.

The six of us that rode the last six miles together into Gouda. Left to right: Lorie, Ellen, me, Fred, Sue and Sherri.

On the walk back from dinner - yes, it was raining.

With Sue, you can always count on card games. This night was a game of 99. From left to right: Lorie, Sue, Maggie, Ellen, Gayle and me.

This was the larger ship that pulled up alongside our much smaller barge.

Just how close our barge was to the larger ship before three ships shuffled among the slips.

The larger ship ended up along the pier, with a smaller barge docked alongside it. We moved up the the spot that the barge on the left had been occupying. It was an interesting shift.

Day 5 Keukenhof Flower Park / Leiden

April 16, 2024

Today was all about the Keukenhof Flower Park and Sue’s birthday. Our barge set off at 6am, before we had breakfast, because the barge needed to be past a certain bridge before construction started at 7am. That gave the barge captain the opportunity to allow us into the bridge to see how he navigates. It was a unique experience. While I was in the bridge, I got to see the drawbridge open and lower. Then it was on to breakfast where Sue was surprised with a mousse “cake.” We all sang Happy Birthday in English and then the crew sang to her in Dutch! The captain brought out the cake and it was a special day indeed for Sue.

In addition to viewing the bridge, the short trip on the barge also moved us up a bit for the first part of the days ride. Wouter guided the group to where our GPS would align with the day’s route. When we started the temperature was 48 degrees with a feels like of 40 due to the 25 mph winds with gusts of 42. Oh yes, it was raining again. We made a relatively quick stop about five miles in for a restroom stop if needed, because the next opportunity was not until we reached the flower park. We rode past many tulip fields, but with the rain, I didn’t stop for many photos. One that I wish I had stopped for would have been to show how the petals had all been blown off the tulips in certain fields. I thought they were tulips that had not opened yet, but I then saw all the petals were in rows on the ground.

When we arrived at Keukenhof Gardens it was 49 (feels like 43) with winds at 22 mph and gusts of 38mph. It made walking through the gardens a very cold walk indeed. I had on a winter jersey, my cold weather jacket, and windbreaker vest and my raincoat and I was still cold. It did stop raining for a short while. We did walk through a large swath of the 80-acre park. It has more than 7 million tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other flowers. The orchid house was a treat for me since I love to grow orchids and a treat for all of us because it was indoors.

We stayed a few hours and then six of us headed on our bikes back to the barge. Others opted to shuttle back because it was raining again. About 2 miles from the end of the ride we were supposed to take a short ferry ride. We were told to wave to get the attention of the ferry operator on the other side. Well, after five minutes of waving I called Lia, our tour guide. She called me back to say the ferry wasn’t running due to the winds. Plan B. Start riding and have my Garmin reroute us. Between Fred and my Garmin, we made it back to the barge. It was now 48 degrees, feeling like 42 with winds of only 17 mph and the gusts died down to just 28 mph. For the day, I cycled 23 miles.

For dinner, we took a boat ride through one of the many canals in Leiden and we were dropped off right at the restaurant. It was a beautiful boat ride; the walk back to the barge was just as spectacular. All of the canals add such a charming and unique aspect to the area.

The captain surprising Sue with a slice of mousse cake,

The captain in the bridge. It was a cool experience to be in the bridge as he communicated with his crewman in the front of the barge, and used his navigation.

The drawbridge opening for the barge. View from the front of the ship. Notice the solar panels on the front of the barge.

The drawbridge closing as seen from the rear of the barge.

Even though the weather was not all that good, I stopped to take a photo of these fields of hyacinths. The aroma was amazing.

Inside the Keukenhof Flower garden. There were hundreds of flower beds to choose to photograph: I only included a few.

Orchids inside the garden. It was hard to pick just two pictures,

Fred, Ellen and Sherri riding on one of the trails.

This windmill was in the perfect place for me to get this photo of Fred, Sherri and Ellen.

You can see Fred trying to signal the ferry operator to come to our side and move us. Little did we know there were no ferry trips this day.

When the ferry was a bust, my Garmin rerouted us, and we ended up having to come down this staircase. Ellen told me hold the back brake as I navigate the bike down what I will call a “bike gutter.”

Along the boat ride in Leiden as we made our way to dinner.

One of three tables at the restaurant for our dinner.

This photo reminded me of Janet & Rod - this one is for you. It was along the walk from the restaurant back to the barge.

In Leiden along the walk from the restaurant back to the barge.

Day 4 North Sea Coast / Haarlem

April 15, 2024

Today was a unique day. Today our guide said it was a first. The first time the entire group of cyclists had to be shuttled to the barge. But then, he corrected himself and said “except for Nate.” When seven riders left the route around 11am, the wind was 23 mph with gusts of 40 mph. The rest of us decided to move on because the lunch stop (on our own) at the North Sea beach area was only about 4 more miles. Nate skipped lunch and headed to Harlem. All of the riders who did not shuttle from the either the first snack stop, or from the Bulborum, were absolutely soaked when we reached the beach. Luckily a restaurant (the Zeezicht) was open and we had a warm lunch and waited to be shuttled to the barge - except for Nate. He rode the entire way to Haarlem on his own. He shared that the hail was coming at him sideways and the ground turned white. While we were eating lunch, there was a Severe Wind Warning with winds now at 31 mph and gusts of 50 mph. I ended up riding 17.6 miles of the potential 39 miles.

A little about the Hortus Bulborum. It is a garden museum dedicated to the preservation of rare and historic bulbs. There are tulip, daffodil, hyacinth and other flowers. We had a tour guide explaining the history, however the rain and wind sent us indoors for the remainder of his presentation.

Those of us shuttled, were going to arrive in Haarlem before the barge so VBT arranged for us to visit the only open museum: De Cruquius. The museum is the old Cruquius steam pumping station. The pump started work in 1850 and pumped Haarlem Lake dry in three years. It is part of the Netherlands history of reclaiming land through water management/pumping.

At the beach of the North Sea. The blowing sand reminded me of the movie Dune.

Our guide, Lia, navigated us out of the busy city of Alkmaar. This was the spot where we then continued on our own.

Gayle cycling in front of me through a park on a bike trail. Many a time I thought I was on a trail dedicated to bikes only to see a car coming my way.

Our snack stop today.

The North Sea in the distance.

Tulips named for Rembrandt even though he never painted any tulips.

The group of us that took refuge at the beach in a restaurant,

Inside the De Cruquius Museum.

My room.

One of our guides, Lia, telling us about the plans for tomorrow. Many of us 2018 Coasters say she reminds of us of our fellow Coaster, Rita.

In Haarlem, the view from the bow of our docked barge.

And the view from the stern. Where was that blue sky today?

Eleven of us decided to stay on the barge, stay warm, and ordered in pizza to the barge. It took a second set of pizzas made when the delivery person could not find the barge on the first try, but it all turned out good. The barge chef brought us each a glass of Limoncello to round out “Italian” night. The crew and guides are just the best.

Day 3 De Rijp / Visit Schermerhorn Windmill Museum / Alkmaar

April 14, 2024

This morning when we started riding around 9:00am, the temperature was 51 degrees and the winds were out of the west at 10 mph with gusts of 17 mph. By lunch time at 12:30 pm the temperature was 55 degrees and the winds increased to 14 mph and gusts of 26 mph. By the end of my ride, at 3:30 pm the temperature was a bit cooler at 54 degrees but the winds had calmed a bit to 12 mph and gusts of only 22 mph. On the ride up to about lunch time we were headed more northerly and winds were not that bad to cycle, however after lunch we headed west into a direct headwind. I changed my plans to add an extra 15 miles because my GPS file only had the first ten miles. I must have missed an update. In all worked out in the end. I’m still sticking to my preference to wind over hills/mountains. I just went into an easier gear and slowed down. Next, what did we do and what did we see. I rode about 25 miles of a potential 39 miles.

We stopped very early into the ride to see a wood working windmill replica at Hef Jonge Schapp. The name means “young sheep” because the original windmill that was built in 1684 was owned by the Schapp family (sheep) and the father, a successful operator, built a windmill for his son to own and work. Many of the original windmills were disassembled during WWII for the wood to heat. The shape of the wings and the added sails are what make the windmills move. We had to take a ferry across a small canal today. 12 bikes fit on the small ferry. From there we made our way to the to of De Rijp and met near a church built in 1655. We continue on across the Beemster Polder, and almost untouched piece of low-lying land reclaimed from water. The Netherlands is below sea level, so water management is a top priority. Today, the Beemster Polder is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We continued on to the former windmill complex of the Schermer Polder. We were able to tour a “water” working windmill that are different from work working windmills because families lived in these in the past. Afterwards, we continued on to our lunch stop at a local “care farm” where people with special needs are employed. After lunch we could choose to ride ten more miles or 25 more miles. Due to my lack of updating my files before I left, I did the extra ten miles with my friends, Sue, Maggie, Ellen, Gayle, and Lorie. We cycled into Alkmaar for the end of today’s ride.

We were able to see the windmill use wind power to saw logs into planks of wood, There were three frames with each weighing 1600 kilos. As one frame goes down, it helps to lift a different one. Wood hewn by hand can do one meter an hour. A frame with multiple blades does the equivalent of 35 man hours of labor.

Some of our group cycling ahead small town.

The winds knocked this “cow” onto its side.

A local horseback rider was along side the trail.

The ferry ride.

My rental bike. Our guys told us that the Dutch are beginning to call these “muscle” bikes because they use muscles for power rather than pedal assist e-bikes. They said it was very uncommon these days to have 24 in a group and only one e-bike. Our solo e-bike rental was for a person who was trying their first bike ride and doesn’t ride at home. Normally when the Dutch passed us on the trails, they were on a pedal assist e-bike. Depending upon their commute direction, and the direction of the wind, that is a very good plan.

A snack stop on today’s route.

One of our guides, Walter and Lorie cycling ahead of me.

A church in the town of De Rijp.

Within the town of De Rijp.

When we are in towns, large and small, we tend to ride along quite a bit of cobblestone.

A bedroom inside the Schermerhorn Windmill Museum.

Flags showing the strength of the wind.

This tub was at the lunch stop at the de Schermer care farm.

We saw tulip fields today. These fields are used for the production of bulbs. Due to the direction of the sun, I couldn’t get a photo in front of the whole row, so there is one photo with me, and one of the whole row.

Stopped for a local brew just before reaching Alkmaar. Trappsist beer is brewed by Trappist monks. There are only thirteen of these monasteries with two in the Netherlands - La Trappe is one of these.

Day 2 Zaanse Schans

April 13, 2024

What a difference a night of sleep can make! After a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant the la Passione last night, the sleep came instantly.

Today we met our trip leaders onboard the Barge Lena Maria. We cruised out of Amsterdam, sailing along the Noordhollands. It is the waterway that connects Amsterdam to the North Sea. We docked just shy of Zaanse Schans where we received our rental bikes and took a three mile “warm up” ride to adjust to the bikes and learn some of the local signage. It is going to take some time for me to adjust to the hybrid bike with handle bars that I am not used to and riding without clip-in pedals. After the short ride, we had a chance to tour a local outdoor museum and then had a delicious dinner on board the barge. The meal was made by our very own chef. After dinner we had a rider meeting to learn about tomorrow’s ride and meet one another. When I talked about my expectations for the trip I said that I hoped to not eat my words for all the times I have said “I would rather have a headwind than hills (or mountains). Today when we rode the winds were a consistent 17mph with 32 mph gusts. Our guide Lia said “there’s a reason there are so many windmills in Holland.” There are 14 riders in our “group” and another ten riders in a “second group.” It is amazing how once cyclists meet each other on a ride at some time in their life, they continue to plan trips together. The two groups on this trip are excellent examples.

A “traditional” Netherlands home on display within the outdoor museum.

Group dinner from Friday night.

After the shuttle into Amsterdam, we had a brief overview from our guide Walter.

Skyline view from atop the OBA Oosterdok Public Library in Amsterdam.

The barge we are traveling on, The Lena Maria, docked in Zaanse Schans. The rooms that we stay in each night are below deck.

Ellen, Gayle and I toasting during the crew introductions upon boarding the barge.

Fred (left), Sue (middle) and Maggie (right) pulling into a stop. The guide stopped a few times along our warm up ride today to explain street signs.

These windmills are part of Bezienswaardigheden van de Zaan region - basically a free outdoor museum open to the public.

Also part of the museum was the chance to see a wooden shoe being made at the Klompenmakerij Wooden Shoe Workshop. In the past they shoes were carved by hand. Today a machine holds one shoe as a model, and a piece of wet wood is attached to a second section and is molded/carved to duplicate the model. In this photo, the inside of the shoe is being carved away.

There are many types of wooden shoes, including: Sunday clogs, regional clogs, work clogs (including ones for horses), unique clogs, and wedding clogs (the white ones in this photo).

I found an antique mailbox while walking through the outdoor museum.

Maggie and I demonstrating how cheese wheels are carried - we had a light load.

Photo courtesy of Sherry Hawk.

Fred, Gayle and I on the deck of the barge.

The end of the day, just before dinner. Wish you were here Alan!

Day 1 Den Haag

April 12, 2024

It’s been a long travel day that started yesterday, April 11th, leaving for the airport at 9:00am. Arrived at the airport the required two hours prior for an international flight, only to end up with a delayed flight out of Tampa due to severe weather. We left almost two hours late and thus missed our connection out of JFK airport. Not to point fingers, but this is the second time I travelled with Sue and Fred and missed a connection - the last time was when we went to ride around the Big Island of Hawaii. Luckily, all six of us leaving from Tampa were able to get onto another plane headed to Amsterdam. We arrived about 7:00am local time (1:00 am back home) and were taken to our hotel by tour company arranged transportation. I’ve been awake since then and it is now 2:00pm local time (8:00 am back home). More than 24 hours awake and it is starting to get tough to keep the eyes open. As soon as I finish a short blog for today, I will be taking a quick nap before all fourteen of us go out to dinner. I’ve included photos from the walk around town today. Tomorrow we head to the barge for the the start of our Bike & Barge adventure for my friend Sue’s 85th birthday.