Because we are travelling up the western seaboard of Holland we are travelling up the line of dykes. But whoa, let's leave Alkmar first
Followed by a lovely little trip thru the countryside
And does it get any better than this
Then comes the granddaddy of all the dykes. This one is about 40km long and we ride right along it
Part way along is a huge big statue and judging by the copious parking spaces it is a very important one. Is is the person who thought of and/or built this dyke or is it the little boy who put his finger in the hole in the dyke ?
And as we leave the dyke the land gets even flatter. A lady at a petrol station said yesterday that up in this area the land is " flatter than flat". I pondered the meaning of that today? Is it possible to be flatter than flat? Is it explained by the theory of relativity ? Or do we need to look to the ancient philosophers to see if " flatter than flat" has some existential meaning? I left the problem unsolved.
It also occurred to me on a more practical note as the miles drifted past that if a lot of Holland was flatter than flat then it stands to reason that the domestic activities co-ordinator of the Dutch Alpine/Mountaineering Club would have a very easy job !
Anyway enough of being frivolous. We are approaching Germany where of course Kiwi humour is no laughing matter! . We pass the overhead cameras. We are in Germany .
And I have to get this one in. In Germany a lot of towns/cities are prefixed by the word "Bad". Thus "Bad Warzburg", "Bad Medenklarz" etc. I saw a sign not long into Germany that pointed from our road to a town called "Vibes". I wonder if sometime in the past the town might have been called " Bad Vibes"! That is what a few hours on a motorbike does to you !
We sampled the German autobahn system. A famous German chappie called Einstein once came up with a formula that said e=mc2 I think some of the cars on the fast lane of the autobahn we're seeing if they too could approach the speed of light !
Then off the autobahn so and through an absolutely delightful German rhododendron town. The rhododendrons were everywhere and is absolutely full bloom. They were , as you might say, truly "blumen" !
Then it was down to the ferry across the Elbe, thus avoiding the big city of Hamburg
Followed by more delightful country lanes
And we now find ourselves at a hotel 50km south of the Danish border. But look at the name of the hotel!
Well, we will see what difference a night in this hotel makes to yours truly! Watch this space tomorrow!
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