Utrecht

We left Den Bosch on a cloudy and windy day, planning only a short trip as we were concerned about the weather.  We spent one night in Zaltbommel and then proceeded the next day to Utrecht. 

More windmills were apparent as we continued north.  The Dutch are very innovative when it comes to keeping the water out.  They have built dykes, fortifications and windmills to create new land.  Among the oldest is a water mill that dates to the 8th century.  Today, windmills are a characteristic of the Dutch landscape.

The bicycle paths led us across farmlands, through wooded areas and into and around the villages.  Bike paths and roads lined with trees were always a lovely sight and are common in the Netherlands.

We crossed the Waal River on a large bridge. Interestingly, in the Netherlands there are pedestrian and bike paths even on the largest bridges which is uncommon in the US.

We crossed the River Lek on, a ferry just for bicycles and pedestrians.  It was about a 5 minute ride across the river and cost two dollars for the tandem and both of us.

We arrived in Utrecht and we proceeded through the city center with construction and detours everywhere.  We found our way to our destination with few problems.  We were surprised to find ourselves at the White House (Witte Huis), not in the Rose Garden but in the bamboo garden.  Our B&B hosts were away when we arrived, but three delightful young girls from next door showed us our room and even lent us their phone for a quick call!  A lavish breakfast tray was brought to our room by our host the next morning...

On our departure, we were given a gift which has become our new mascot.  She is a curious creature, hand-made in Indonesia.  She wears a dress, has hands, feet and a tail!  She rides on Sal's handlebars and even has a seat belt in case of accidents.

We moved to our friend's comfortable and spacious houseboat and, instead of more churches and museums we opted for a new experience, sailing in the Netherlands!  With no wind to begin with, we motored through some interesting and unusual canals. The canals and islands in the area were formed by the harvesting of the peat bog in the last century. The islands are now dotted with weekend or holiday homes for the more fortunate.

By mid afternoon the wind had come up enough for us to enjoy some sailing.  We sailed on the lake for several hours and returned to the marina under sail via the same canals!  One could easily get lost in here...

On our last day in Utrecht, it was extremely hot so it was delightful to be shown some castles and small villages outside the city that were not filled with visitors.  We enjoyed Amerongen where the cheese market was just packing up, and just happened to be near a church where a young bride was walking to her wedding.