Day 1 or you have to get there first…..
… even though it is only about 280km.
The most necessary is packed quickly, if only because I am traveling with the tent again.
So I’m leaving at 9:30. Not too long to drive the already well-known and in the western Ruhr area barely palatable pudding, I take first the A2 / A3 towards Arnheim for the first hour to quickly to progress.
I leave the highway about 50km before Arnheim and follow the announcements of my Navi on the highways to the northwest.
Now one will guess that Holland is not only flat but also straight. Means, the missing curves, not mentioning the almost outrageous number of roundabout, must be compensated just by the area on the roadside. And in fact,it tries, the roadside. Never ending forests of mixed and coniferous forests provide a pleasant driving experience during the warmer midday hours. Well, every now and then you have to go through the city, which is detrimental to the driving pleasure. So Appeldorn, compared to the almost same-sounding high-spirits drink of the 80s is hardly offering something like fun. But, I’m doing, with several stops, sometimes with, sometimes without coffee, but always with a cigarette, well and reach around 14:45 clock, the ferry terminal in Den Helder. Fits, the next ferry leaves at 15:30. Time enough to choose the campsite that will house me for the next 2 nights. I choose the camping Woutershouk, at least 5 stars and you treat yourself otherwise nothing!
The crossing goes by in a flash, which is not necessarily due to the on-board entertainment program, but simply the duration, which is only 20 minutes. So off to the “promenade deck” shoot 2 – 3 pictures, tap a coffee and already the ship’s bell reminds you to visit the vehicle again. Well, round trip is quite affordable with 8 €, so what can you expect?
After just under 20min so down from the vessel and the last few kilometers to the campground “sat down”.
Once there, of course, dealing with the tiresome “paperwork”, 1 man, 1 tent, 1 bike, no electricity.
The helpful specialist assigns me to a spot and insists on cash payment. Okay, it’s just late in the season and with such a small vehicle it obviously means something like “money under the table”. Well, I do not care, i can not deduct the tax anyway.
Unloading, construction and setup are then quickly by hand and no 10 minutes later, my “Empire” is set up and the bike parked behind the front desk. Right, vehicles have to stay outside. I have not experienced so synonymous.
But now hurry up to the 800m distant food market, since they close at 18 clock.
Shopping for a little something and then I can sit back and relax in my camping chair (but not too much, it’s just a camping chair).
Time to try the new equipment.
In addition to the new, thicker air mattress, what I say, rather “guest bed”, I have indulged in a cheap Chinese gas cooker and a “dish combination” from the same production country. I have to take care of my own coffee now.
And I do. At first, I do not trust China’s engineering and I wish I’d packed saftey goggles and asbestos gloves, but what can I say, works well, and actually does it in a cute little teapot that was part of the set, heats about 0,3 liters of water in just 2 minutes to a temperature sufficient to enjoy the freeze-dried coffee.
Sits, fits, does not wobble and still has air.
Full of enthusiasm over the strengthening of my self-sufficient nature of the campsite, I pour three coffee around 6 pm in the lower jaw, and around 20:15 clock i find myself in the comfortable air bed and fall asleep really quickly. The coffee must have been a “fake”.
Then tomorrow more ………
