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.
