Bike Riding Along the Coast

Yes, we are a little behind.  Right now we are sitting in a small internet oasis in Avignon, France, but we would like to take you back to our day spent bike riding and relaxing in Noordwijk.

After eating our hearty hostel breakfast of bread and cheese followed by a cup of coffee that instantly made hair sprout from our chests, we decided to rent bikes and ride through the dunes and streets of Noordwijk.  It all started at the local bike rental shop with a no-nonsense, strictly business dutch woman.  Luckily we came armed with a tip from the friendly staff at the flying pig.  We were warned not to tell the woman that we were staying at the hostel; I guess because they had some problems in the past with the rowdy hostellers from the Pig.

And that question, "Where do you stay?" was precisely the first question that the woman asked.  We went with the story that we had taken a daytrrip from Amsterdam.  After a quick once over and a request for a passport, to make a copy, the woman turned and walked to the back of the shop.  She returned without speaking pushing a bike in each hand.

To give a brief description of this woman, if you can remember the mother of the bad guys in the "Goonies" that is what this woman looked like and acted like.  She wore all dark clothing and constantly looked disgruntled.

The woman then quickly pointed to the lock and gears on the bike before showing us to the door.  On the way out she was sure to remind us that the shop closed at 6:00.

The Ride

We spent the day with our behinds perched on the plush, padded seats of leisure bicycles, swerving our way through Noordwick and into the surrounding Dutch villages. We began our trip by mounting the sandy dunes for a birds eye view of the town and the salty waters that surrounded it. From there, we winded on the paved bike paths, though the plesant and scenic greenery of the Dutch countryside.

Some things we noticed during our journey:

The homes in this area boast perfectly manicured gardens, complete with ponds, fountains and precisly laid cobblestone pathways.

Agriculture seems to be the pulsing heart of the Dutch lifestyle. For apartment dwellers who do not have land of their own, they share the responsibility of tending to community gardens. These gardens are sprinkled all over the country side, with each garden divided into twenty plots and twenty sheds to house the tools needed to satisfy the green thumb. Everything from the shared bike trails to the community gardens and close proximity of houses, are a testament to the harmonious, closely knit lives of those residing in the village.

Before returning our bikes, we found a grocery store and purchase fruit and sandwhich fixings before heading to a quite gazebo to eat. Luckily there were straps on our bikes to tether down the food, as they don`t provide bags at the grocery store-yet another example of the Netherlands eco-friendly behavior. In the afternoon we sat on the beach and sipped on a 1£ bottle of wine- vino is so inexpensive in Noordwick-while we planned the next leg of our trip.

Finally, one last trip to the Dutch grocery to purchase some snacks for our five hour Thalys ride to Paris...