Amsterdam - Duinrell

Today's Route

This morning the weather was terrible - again - really raining hard and thundering and lightening and everything. This must be unusual weather mustn't it? Surely - product of global warming or something?

Anyway, we got up into the rain, packed up the van and finally left the site just before the 12am deadline. I was getting a bit agitated as the time approached and Helen was still doing her hair - but it all came good in the end.

We took the van around the park that the campsite had been at the bottom of, and parked it in a parking place at the end of the rowing lake we had seen on our cycle travels the other day. There we had our breakfast - bacon sandwiches and a brew - cooked on the outside stove. We had just finished cooking when the heavens opened again (it had been sunny about 3 seconds earlier) and we ate in the 'safety' of the van.

One of the reasons we had chosen that particular car park (reasons for everything) was the bike hire place marked on the map we had - right next door.

After waiting for it to 'brighten up a bit' - which it did - we went over and hired 4 of the finest single speed, back pedal brake only bikes that they had - a bargain €7.50 each for 24 hours! Brilliant. Top Bike and Blue Bike got left behind today - if we were going to do Amsterdam by bike, we really had to do it on town bikes - no other option.

So, bikes at the ready we cycled into town - getting a little bit lost on the way, and occasionally losing Helen because she bottled out of crossing roads unless the little bike lights were green - we had a great time.

The bikes are really cool - so upright and so relaxing, not like 'regular' cycling at all. You feel really high up - so you can look around you and see what's going on, because there is only one gear you just have to do what you can (luckily it's pretty flat around here), and things like the back pedal brake (which I did have on a bike when I was a kid - but that was a long time ago) take a bit of getting used to - but brilliant fun - and the only way to do Amsterdam - and maybe the whole of Holland!!

Certainly the cycle paths in the Netherlands are amazing - I think I said that already - but really they are. They are, I think, better than both the roads and the pavements - and mean that cycling is a really excellent transport option - maybe better than driving in a lot of cases! And I guess that's why everyone seems to cycle!

Anyway, after having to shelter for 10minutes under a tree during a serious downpour and negotiating some slightly dicey car/cycle moments (you are allowed to cycle the wrong way down one-way streets usually – but when the road is only just wide enough for a car by itself – it can be 'fun'!) we did finally make it to the old Jewish quarter of Amsterdam where we locked up the bikes and went along to Anne Frank's house. It was very interesting – and very sad – so exactly as you would expect really, and totally worth putting on your “must see” list if you are visiting Amsterdam.

That took about an hour and up to lunchtime – which turned out to be chips & sausage from a street cart, fantastic, cheap and super lardy – but then, we were cycling so it's all about equal right?

After that we headed back to the van to hand the bikes back and get on our way to the next lot of fun on the agenda.

The cycle back was good (I know, I am going on about the cycling – but it really was good), anyway, we cycled back through a park – Jon showing off his silky skills – stopped off to admire the Olympic Stadium and generally just strolled along enjoying the experience, not getting lost at all, and easily got back before the 6pm 'curfew'.

On our way – 5:30pm, Friday, Amsterdam – rush hour! We didn't really move very quickly for the first 10 miles or so on the motorway, which was a bit frustrating, especially as we didn't really have that far to go, but it did clear for us in the end, I did see this cool sign, and we arrived at Duinrell – our destination – after a trip to the supermarket.

Duinrell is a place we went to a few times as kids – a big campsite on the same site as a small amusement park and (the big attraction) a water park. Also remembered (and still available) was being able to hire go-karts for bombing around the park on! Brilliant. It's not cheap for a night of camping - €49 for the 4 of us – but if you camp you get into the water park for €3.50 each rather than the usual €18.50 each!! It's a good deal when you look at it that way.

Anyway. Our pitch was OK, although I did opt for a no-electricity pitch, as that was what was offered and I thought that would be alright (it usually is), unfortunately when we were parked up and I went to set the fridge to run on gas, it wouldn't light. I couldn't understand it – although we knew were short on gas we thought we had some left, it had been OK earlier on. Jon switched the gas bottles over and still there was nothing going on – I tried lighting the stove – nothing. And then I thought I could smell gas. I smelt the bottle – thinking it might be the regulator leaking, that was fine – and then I smelt inside the cupboard -WWOOOah – and then I felt the pipe leading from the bottle into the van and located a massive hole!!!! I was gassing myself good and proper.

I quickly switched the gas off and opened all the windows, and disaster was averted! Lucky really that the pipe must have gone quite quickly – maybe when Jon changed the bottles - and during the day – rather than when we were sleeping or something, still, it could have had a slow leak for a wile! Scary. Anyway. Nobody died – which is good.

The next problem was that we were left with one empty gas bottle, one nearly empty gas bottle (remaining burning time unknown), no connection in the van, no fridge and only one burner – 2 packets of rapidly defrosting prawns and 4 hungry people!

Jon did try and get some more gas – they sell it at the campsite but only between 10 and 4 (it was 8pm by this time) and even cycled to a garage where he had been told they had it – which they did, but they had shut at 6pm! Bugger.

So, nothing else to do but start cooking the planned prawn curry and see how we got on.

As it went – it was fine. Using the single outdoor burner and our double skillet thingy to cook the curry and then, in the second pan (under the first – if you can imagine what I mean?) to do the rice, it all worked a treat, and the gas didn't run out! Dinner was served with a couple of bottles of Amstel = happy campers :)