July 5 in the morning, a long voyage started. To the handlebar of our tandem, we crossed Switzerland and found the Rhine in Basle which we followed to Amsterdam. A total of 1' 200 km traversed in 7 days.
 

Log book: - Monday July 5, 1999 : Ecublens - Huningue 200km 6h54 - Tuesday July 6, 1999 : Huningue - Strasbourg 140km 4h10 - Wednesday July 7, 1999Strasbourg - Worms 203 km 7h30 - Thursday July 8, 1999Worms - Koblenz 152 km 5h45 - Friday July 9 1999Day of rest - Saturday July 10, 1999Koblenz - Düsseldorf 163 km 6h45 - Sunday July 11, 1999Düsseldorf - Oosterbeek 155km 5h54 - Monday July 12, 1999Oosterbeek - Haarlem 123km 4h33 - Tuesday July 13, 1999Haarlem - Wednesday July 14, 1999Mills - Thursday July 15, 1999Amsterdam

Article of Press: 24 hour old article article of the Newspaper of the NV

article the 24 hour old article of the Newspaper of the NV

Here some photographs of our super experiment:

for any messages here our email: nbaula@isuisse.com

Monday July 5, 1999 Ecublens - Huningue 200km 6h54

5h30, the alarm clock sounds and all starts to move at the house. Last preparations before springing for our adventure: The gourdes are ready, the bars also. The tire tube, the minutes and the cartridges are embarked. Passports, under... Really, it is necessary to think of all.

A good lunch in order to start the day with the signal level and the departure is launched to 6h30 exactly. Already first photographs and here us are on the roads. We have still sorrow to realize that the departure already sounded.

The first stage is far from being punt and already hardly hot which we must climb on Crissier, then on Cheseaux and finally on Morrens.
We are glad to have left early, because heat promise to be suffocating.
Still a small bump and here us are in Thierrens. Consequently we let ourselves guide by the false-dishes of Jorat.
We are made exceed by my parents around the 8h30 in the neighbourhoods of Payerne. In fact, we have appointment with them to lunch with 9h15 with the Lake Morat on a terrace.

We there arrive pile hair per hour and fully benefit from our first pause. Small braid, small juice and the company of charming sparrows which elect residence on the wheels of the tandem.

But the hour turns and we leave my parents to take again the roads, this time towards the unknown.

It is at this time there that we really manage to realize that we left, because the landscapes and the roads become to us completely unknown.
We cross Zeeland, Aarberg, then Lyss and finally let us arrive at Soleure, our second halt. We eat small something on a terrace of the place and must fill the tank with the gourdes. With this heat, we do not consume liquid badly...

Still a few kilometers of dish, then it is necessary to think of passing the Jura. The coast starts. Zut, that starts well: I have an alarm with the knee and I must stop urgently for stretcher and mass. Finally I believe that it is false alarm, the pain passed and we can take again our rise without obstacle until the node of our tour to some 774 meters of altitude.

We go down again in the plain and make a small halt for filling the gourdes again. Then the right end which quietly takes us along on Basle.
There, it is necessary for us to envisage something to drink for tomorrow, because we are only still until tomorrow evening, where my parents join us in Strasbourg.

Small stop with the coop. where we buy a powder isostar box. But how to transport it to the hotel, a few kilometers further without it annoying us? The gourde of one liter is empty. We thus fill the latter with powder and pass the customs quietly. It is the maid???

Here Huningue and our hotel. We lengthen of 2 kilometers to round to 200. Pretty Willy... It is close to 16h10 when I telephone my parents to reassure them our physical and moral state...

We put the tandem in the garage and take possession of our room. Finally a small shower. Unfortunately, we have only our clothes of bicycle, but that does not do anything. A small nap in front of the Turn of France. They, they made only 184km...

Towards 19h00, we think all the same of putting something in the stomach to us and go down. One proposes the menu of the day or the card to us. Being given the menu, we choose the card. But the laughter, because the room is enough class and we are in waterleg shirt. We are an attraction for a handle of kid who eat with their grandparents.

I acknowledge that it is good and that that passes very well. We then will lay down we for a good night of sleep than deserved more.

Tuesday July 6, 1999 Huningue - Strasbourg 140km 4h10

We midnight suppers towards 6h30 and we prepare nicely with going to lunch. Unfortunately, the time and of gloomiest and releases us water tombs...
We thus take our time and go up in room. The rain was nicely calmed. We wait still a little that the road dries the least and leave towards the 8h30.

The road is almost dry, but the sky threatens seriously. The goal today is to roll as much as possible without being made wet.
We definitively left the undulating profile of Switzerland for the large plates. And the only bumps are the bridges. The landscape only varies very little and we roll, either in the medium of the forest, or at the edge of the Rhine. The pauses are short and urgent only where necessary, because the threat weighs always heavily on our shoulders. It is not a race against-the-shows, but against the clouds!?!

Finally after more 120km of road, the sky becomes increasingly black and it starts to rain, but seriously. In less than 10 seconds we are completely soaked. Fortunately, there remains to us nothing any more but one small score of kilometers to Strasbourg. The weather is not too cold, not even wet. The first drops are painful, but once soaked, the situation is almost comic.

Arrived downtown, it is necessary for us to find the hotel. We thus go to the tourist bureau to seek a card. We are always also softened, but the rain ceased. God thank you we are not any more very far, because the weather seriously starts to be cold. The joke lasted enough, highly the shower and of dry clothing.

Finally, it is 13h15 when we arrive to our hotel. This one is in repair and promises to become enough owl and modern. The miss teaches us that my parents have just arrived and that they went to park the car. We thus leave the tandem in the room and quietly assemble in our room for us doucher, and especially to remove our clothing.

The room is owl, but very small, with the result that once suspended clothes so that they dry, one does not know too much any more where to go...
Hardly clean and in front of the Turn which I hear my parents arrive. They are right on the floor below ours. I thus put just a linen around me and go down towards them. Mom mounts our bags and we can finally equip us correctly. I must acknowledge that that done much good.

We give each other appointment to 14h00 and dad masses us a little the legs, history to repair us. We then leave to make a small turn in ville.La old town of Strasbourg is really nice like all. And we benefit fully from our afternoon. We can admire the pretty houses with their half-timberings and drink small juices on the terraces. Dad says to us that it can re-enter because it made a success of his holidays already well...

I will buy myself pants, because I start to have the mark of the seams of my waterleg engraved in the buttocks and that does not make a good of the whole...
But the hour advances all the same and it is time to find a restaurant to eat a trifle. We have much chance again and find a small veranda drink all at the edge of the Rhine of it. Very catches tourist with the first access, but the prices better are gone than elsewhere. We eat well.
It is all the same wise to note that Plumeau is part. It is more adorable and impresses me even in good.
After the meal, we return quietly to the hotel and will lie down.

Wednesday July 7, 1999 Strasbourg - Worms 203 km 7h30

We put the alarm clock at 7h30 and we find with 8h00 for the lunch. A good small dresser to start the day in full form.
We leave the hotel with 9h00. Time is not so badly. We leave Strasbourg without encumbers and we find in the wood of the city by avoiding circulation. It is tip-signal.

But this stage very quickly starts with evil to turn. Several villages are in work. What implies additional deviations, and thus kilometers.
Little before the border, we again make a turning of a few kilometers by the fault of the panels.

Then is with the tower of the cycle tracks to make us surprises. They are very clearly shown during kilometers, then suddenly more nothing... It is thus necessary to manage to find our road...

After a hundred kilometers, we are again lost in nature. We request our path from charming allemande who wants to send to us in Karlsruhe by the motorway. Fortunately, we see a signpost showing our situation. This one shows a cycle track skirting our Rhine. Ca it is a good news. During kilometers, we do not see a car and are in the medium of the fields, in full nature.

We thus follow our track when a crossroads is in front of us. We choose to turn right, but we find ourselves vis-a-vis with a netting, we turn back and borrow the second possibility which was offered to us. Unfortunately, we find ourselves on a gravel path, which becomes increasingly soft. We advance with 15km/heures. We continue still a little to see whether the road becomes again asphalted. But at the end of 5km, we start to insert seriously and we decide to turn back.

We find the road and follow another panel which takes us along to the medium of an industrial park which ends in gyratory in cul-de-sac.
Owl... That made 20 km already that we do not have anything any more to drink, and seriously start to be hungry. Silence settled between us. Highly that that stops.

The hour advances more and more and we arrive finally at Speyer. But it is already 15h50, we have appointment with my parents with 16h00, but with the hotel. This last is to approximately 50 km from here and we have already more than 140 km to the meter. A service station in sight. Ouf! We will be able to remake the full one and to inform my parents of our delay.

We buy a telephone card. But impossible to join dad on the natel. Finally, we call the parents of Guido so that they inform the hotel of our delay. People of the service station shows the most adequate way to us to leave this labyrinth. And us here are set out again for the last straight line.
Still some surprises related to the bad cycle indication of the tracks, but without too much remarkable turning.

Finally the Worms panels with kilometric indication. There remains nothing any more but 5-6 kilometers... To put a little balsam to us at the heart, we cross tens of small rabbits in the fields throughout the last kilometers.

Then finally the Worms panel. It thus does not remain us more but to find the hotel. Not question of tourniquer of the hours. We immediately request our path from a passer by and we fall above immediately.

When we arrive, my parents returned. They had been to walk the dog for Xième time since 16h00.
Indeed, it is already 19h30 and they had included/understood ½hour 1 hour from delay and not 1heure with 1 ½hour. They were thus made a blood of ink for some time...

All is well which finished well. We take possession of our room and take a good shower. We find ourselves with 20h00 to go to eat a Morse. The restaurant is rather sympathetic and Plumeau is likely even to meet two small buddies like him.

Guido is hungry for 4. Not only it eats its plate, finishes mine and that of my mom and in more buys big-mac. I believe that it was to seek rather far in its reserves.

But we do not make all the same long fire before deadening us.

Thursday July 8, 1999 Worms - Koblenz 152 km 5h45

We put the alarm clock at 6h45 and we find for the lunch with 7h15. The departure is given to 8h00. But what will hold this stage to us? I acknowledge that I am not very positive this morning and that I delighted this evening. Eh! yes, tomorrow it is day of rest.
In short, it is necessary all the same to go there...

We have appointment after 90km approximately to eat a trifle and have 4heures in front of us. Normally, there should not be too much problem.
We leave Worms without encumbers, the panels are rather clear. We are at the edges of the main road, but separated by a grass tape. They is well, one feels safe in spite of the rather dense traffic this morning.

My parents exceed us at the entry of Mainz. We are content, no nasty surprise until now. We cross this large city without obstacle and follow our line. The cycle track is right with misinterpretation compared to circulation, but that does not pose a problem. But the arrows indicate the line. We thus cross all the traffic and follow the panels.

Is this a joke or not? One will never know. Always it is that the pretty tarred road is transformed into small ground path which becomes less and less practicable. It must hardly make 1 meter broad and is framed pretty walls of nettles. Fortunately not too long. But it rained yesterday and the muddy path. We resemble more of outgoing VTTistes of a race than to lorry drivers...

This tour has all the same to last good ten kilometer and the advance was not faster. The hour turns...
We find our good quite smooth road all the same and make up for our lost time. Large black clouds are right behind us, but we escape the shower.
My parents await us at the edge of the road as envisaged.

We are restored and taken again our road. The cycle track has almost the feet in the Rhine. There is only one uninterrupted serpentine cyclists and the landscape is really sublime.

We make a small halt 40km further to drink a juice with my parents. We escape from accuracy from a memorable shower, which we observe since our terrace.

I must acknowledge that we have a little full the rods of them and that our buttocks make us suffer. But there remains nothing any more but one score of km than we swallow without too much sorrow. Guido makes just small a fringale and swallows the last bars that it remained us.

We arrive at our hotel without problem. My parents went to seek the car because there is a park with the hotel. They arrive almost at the same time as us in the hall of the hotel. It does not remain us any more that to embark our bags and the turn is played. A good small shower, then we find my parents in their room.

We leave downtown then to look at a little then seeking a sympathetic terrace. We find a small pizzeria. The server resembles like two water drops Bellini and is very funny. Everyone eats a pizza pie except me. I eat a good mixed salad.

But the day was long all the same and we do not take a long time to deaden us.

Friday July 9 1999 Day of rest

I awake towards the 7h30. Guido always sleeps. As I heard that my parents were awaked, I will say to them hello. I benefit from it to do a little electricity on the nape of the neck. Then Guido joined us.

We find ourselves to lunch, but the miss makes us understand that the dog is not welcome. We thus leave all in plan, and leave the hotel without anything to eat. Environment during a few tens of minutes is tended enough. Mom is annoyed against the hotel. Guido does not include/understand anything and is annoyed a little too. Me too.

But fortunately, we find a croissantery sympathetic and after the lunch the beautiful one fixes is back for everyone.
We will make a turn along the Moselle and of the Rhine. Guido then suggests taking the car and of going to drink a wine of the Moselle to its source. It manages to convince dad and we thus turn over quietly to the hotel.

About midday, we thus set out again conveys some to make our small ballade. We find a terrace sympathetic, but apparently we are not welcome. We thus take again the road and this time it is the maid. But with the first accesses, we were skeptics because a marriage has just unloaded. Fortunately, false alarm.
We thus taste our light local wine at the edge of the Moselle. Everyone is content, Guido because it had what it wanted, and dad because it did not do too much km and us to see our content men...

We thus return to pose the car and set out again with foot downtown. The men want to eat a sandwiche with shrimps. But we do not make long. We return to make a small nap before going to eat.

There, we have chance again. We find a restaurant sympathetic at the edge of the Rhine. The server speaks very well French and environment music is owl.
Day of rest rather tiring all the same and we will lie down without history.

Saturday July 10, 1999 Koblenz - Düsseldorf 163 km 6h45

And here, it is necessary to set out again. We put the alarm clock at 6h45. We decided to lunch with the hotel and to make a tournus with my parents because of the dog.
Guido and me thus let us go down to 7h15. I go up towards the half one in order to allow the parents to also go down and take the dog in the room.
While waiting for that everyone finished, I prepare the gourdes and the supply of the day.

We thus leave towards the 8h15. We cross the Rhine, because in theory it is simpler. After hardly a few km, we are already made eject principal road and must make a turning generating some uneven additional. Ca starts well.

But finally, the cycle track is very clearly shown and we find ourselves on charming a small road without too much circulation.

A cyclotourist takes the wheel to us and after a few kilometers, asks us where we go. It suggests us changing bank because it is easier to cross Bonn and Cologne since left bank and in more it is prettier. We thus take the vat and cross the Rhine.

I do not know if it is prettier, but one will see well. On the other hand, we must be mistaken a little road, because we find ourselves on attended an enough main road. Personally, I do not believe that it made us cross for that...

But after a few kilometers of turnings, we find the track which us our German friend suggested. Indeed, it is very pretty. We find ourselves on a small road at the edge of the Rhine. We stop drinking a small juice after a septantaine of km, history to change the ideas.

All the Germans are of output with bicycle. It is funny. Arrived little before Bonn, we very make kind of jokes about it. It is quite good! And we find ourselves without same y to have thought apart from the city and even of the suburbs.

Then we arrive for Cologne. We decide to make a small halt. I want of an end of bread and shock. It is the madness. Unfortunately, I do not find my happiness. Such an amount of worse, we nevertheless drink a good small Coke on a sympathetic terrace.

But it is not all that, it is necessary for us to take again the road. Small track in the medium of the fields. It is owl, but one starts to tire.

Suddenly, a bus is planted in the medium of our road. We are wedged behind with 15km/heure. One is finally able to exceed it. But since our road leads to a link to climb on the bridge, we put ourselves the question of the fate of our famous drunk...

Finally we are on the bridge which leads us to Düsseldorf. It any more but does not remain us to find our hotel. We move to the station and find a panel of situation. From there, not of problem to direct us.

When we arrive, my parents are not there, they went to walk. But our bags await us in our room. But I have just time to take a shower which my parents arrive. Ca falls well, dad comes to mass me the back and especially the nape of the neck while looking at the stage of the Turn.

We make a small nap and we find with 18h00 to go to eat. We go along Königs Allee. It is the street of Borough of Lausanne. Really smart and classifies. Contrast is rather violent with the close district which resembles the St-Laurent place étrangement.

We eat on the place. There is the festival of the book and full with stands outside. At the end of the meal, there is the brass band which is put just beside us. It is the madness as it is strong.

We return then quietly to the hotel to sleep a little.

Sunday July 11, 1999 Düsseldorf - Oosterbeek 155km 5h54

Alarm clock as usual. Then we leave. The panels are rather clear, therefore not problem to leave the city. On the other hand, once in suburbs, a junction on the right and not on the left generate us a turning of a few kilometers.

Normally, this stage was to be rather unpleasant, because we must cross Rhur. But, thanks to the cycle tracks and other small paths, we do not see only one factory. We are really astonished and rather content with the excellent news.

We make a small pause right before the border in MC Do. I taste finally this new tomato salad and mozzarella which we saw and re-examined in pub on the walls...

A few kilometers still and us here with the countries of the bicycles.

Once arrived at Oosterbeek, we tourniquons a little and fork a street too quickly. Result of the races: impossible to find our pension. We are obliged to ask for our path and we fall down on our feet.

The miss explains us that we can choose between a room with four and one twin-bedded room. Initially, we choose the twin-bedded room.

We go up to our room and find my parents in theirs, take possession of our luggage when the parents of Guido arrive. It is approximately 16h00.
Finally, we change room, because the room with four does not give on the road.

After a good well deserved bath, we find our parents on the terrace. Obviously, when we arrive towards them, they are smoking. They benefitted from our absence and are taken in obvious offence... After a small juice, my dad goes up to mass me the nape of the neck which makes me always badly.

He remakes me very new and we go down again. The hour turns all the same and the stomachs start with râler. But, it is useless to go to seek a restaurant elsewhere. The card of our pension is appropriate to us very well. The dad of Guido thus offers the meal to us, which ravit us.

The mom of Guido plays already her role of mom and brought packages of biscuits to us. Guido is very glad to re-examine his/her parents finally. Ca did all the same one crowned pay that it had not seen them.

Then, it is the hour of going to the bed for the small ones. There remains to us still a stage all the same... But before sinking in the sleep of the Juste, we make honor with biscuits... Greediness obliges...

Monday July 12, 1999 Oosterbeek - Haarlem 123km 4h33

Last stage. We put the alarm clock at 6h45 like every morning and we find all in bottom with 7h00 to lunch. But, all is closed. It is impossible for us to enter the room and nobody is inside.

We have patience a little and finally the miss arrives at half. She broke down of alarm clock.
We thus lunch and leave to 9h00.

We are motivated for this last day and advance well. After a few 40 km, our parents catch up with us and we stop towards them. The parents of Guido are astonished by our speed. We are again the targets of the apparatuses of photographs, but we do not try to escape from it. Our dads benefit from it to look at our route on the card.

We quietly take the road of the channels and we find encircled small houses at the edge of the channels. It is really super pretty. Still a small halt coke then the last 40km.

This stage appears surprisingly short to us and we arrive in the parents goshawks of the 14h00. We are magic and some to have really made it not yet. But...

We succeeded!!!

A good repairing shower and small glass then my parents leave us. We lower ourselves in front of the turn of France and here us are already in the arms of Morphée.

We then will carry the photographs and will buy a small trifle with my parents to thank them for the assistance.
We find ourselves all the team to eat Chinese. Then it is with the dodo that we will revive our tour.

Tuesday July 13, 1999 Haarlem

The alarm clock is done quietly with 7h30, but this time one does not jump of the bed. No the kilometer, not of road, nothing. It is finished.
One rises nicely and make a strand of toilet, then the krettenbel for the lunch. My parents come for 10h00. Papa will make a few kilometers in the dunes with Guido.

During this time, I benefit from it to go to show the centre town with mom. It is owl. The first thing is obviously a cappuccino on a terrace. But behind us, two misses drink one in an enormous cup of them. Ca makes really desire.

Then quietly, we visit a little the center and take a little good time.
We turn over in the parents for 13h00 and my parents leave us.

Towards 14h00, the dad takes on board us and invites us to eat fish in a new small restaurant.

Then we will make the races and we rest in front of the TV.

Wednesday July 14, 1999 Mills

We will seek my parents for 10h00. I leave Guido with his parents and I embark with mine. The dad takes us along to see the mills. We must take the vat with the car.

The small ballade in the village of in time, visits of the mills of time, then a cruising in the barge.

We set out again then for Vollendam, village of fishermen, where all the team eats herrings, sandwiches with shrimps or chips. Except me, which have sufficiently to lunch this morning. And here! Everyone is put at it: you are not hungry? You want nothing to eat? I prick the fly and me from there will be quiet one moment. My mom saw well that that did not go and joined me. I empty a little my bag and that is a little better. But I remain alone with it one moment.

We then will drink a coffee on a terrace and there I take a small section of cake. We then will buy eels and mackerels for this evening and a sandwiche with shrimps for me.

We return and mom and me let us go see whether the photographs arrived while the men look at the turn of France.

Being given that we have very small little time in front of us, I propose to mom one these enormous cappuccino, history to see once. We benefit from it to look at first once the photographs. Still light a small turn downtown and we must already return because the hour turns at a terrible speed.

We drink a small juice and we put nicely at table. It is comic to see dad dépatouiller with sounds eel to peel it.
Then with the bed.

Thursday July 15, 1999 Amsterdam

We leave to 8h00, before the lunch with the tandem. Guido wants to show me small rabbits in the dunes.
Normally, it is a natural reserve and the input is paying. But there is nobody. We there go all the same and will see well. Indeed, it is super pretty. With the first accesses, let us not see we, but small-with-small we can see some by here by there.

After this small walk in the dunes, we want to go to drink a coffee on a terrace, but all is still closed. We thus return quietly to the house to lunch.

After having eaten, Guido will see the programs of its dad and I benefit from it to sort the photographs a little. I have many pein to realize that we did all that.
We dine then on chicken and spinaches.

My parents come towards the 13h30 and we leave to feet for the station. We go to Amsterdam in the train. When we get out of the trains, we fall nose-à.nez with hundreds... which I say thousands of bicycles. We visit a little the centre town and benefit from the terraces.

I find a super pair of shoes and benefits from it to liquidate my tennis shoes which are returning the heart.
The men taste croquettes regularly.

We will eat in a pizzeria. Me, I take a salad.

Then we will throw a glance in the hot district before returning on Haarlem. Arrived at the station, it starts to rain rather extremely. We thus call the dad so that it comes to seek us. When it arrives, the rain ceased, but time worse.

END