Amsterdam to Paris in 9 days....what???

This was my first meal in France.  Baguette, croissant au chocolate, and the most fu$*#(% delicious apple strudel thing I've ever had.  I should have bought 5.  

Day 1

So I wanted to be in Paris by the 19th.  I have family there, and I wanted to make sure I had a few days to spend with them before I had to be in Barcelona on the 22nd.  So I did the math, and figured that I'd need to average approx 70km a day.  It's a little more aggressive in terms of distance then I had hoped for early in the trip...but you only live once and I was on a mission!  The pace was manageable, and with a few days for sightseeing tossed in the mix it wasn't that bad, bien sure, justement c'est Le Tour Gourmand, pas Le Tour de France!

North sea, beautiful!

First night camping!  

Day 2

I wanted to see Den Haag so I made the trip to see their coast line, I was not disappointed as they had great hats ;) (See all pictures from now on).  Delft was a very fun little town.  I went for a beer in town after setting up my campsite, and met a young couple from northern Netherlands in Friesland.  We enjoyed some great live Jazz music and spoke at length about the similarities between Friesland in the Netherlands and Quebec in Canada.  Both have fought hard to preserve their language and their culture.  She was proud of her heritage, as am I!

Day 3

This was a quick and easy day as I really wanted to see the biggest harbour in Europe.  I was not disappointed, it was huge.  I took a ferry to take in the view from the water, I posted some photos in a previous blog.  I also met an amazing couple in Rotterdam, Daniel and Oliver, while CouchSurfing there and they were fantastic hosts!  I hope to write a separate blog post soon about our time together!

Day 4

Camped right on the ocean, it was terrible.  Never go here, you won't like it.  Stay in the city, in a nice hotel, the view was awful, and the sand was dirty and brown.  Look at how disgusting it was:

Day 5

Ghent was my first "uh oh" moment.  See I arrived pretty late into town, turns out there are actually hills in Europe and they start in Belgium.  Anyway, after a long day I got in after dark and decided to check into a hostel.  Well, as it turned out it was a national holiday.  The city was packed, and there were festivals in the streets, which were a lot of fun later, but wasn't so fun when trying to find somewhere to sleep.  The woman who worked at the front desk of the hostel told me right away it was full, she even called two different places to see if there was any rooms left in town, and everything was full. This was the..."uh oh" moment....then without any hesitation, she offered me her couch at her place. I would have been literally out on the streets that night had it not been for her. What a kind and generous soul, I later found out that she didn't even know about CouchSurfing! I'm so happy to have now introduced her to the community, and we are all going to benefit as a result, plus I've already heard she has hosted more couch surfers!!! Merci beaucoup encore mon amie, t'es tellement gentille!

I had to get a helmet, the drivers are crazy in Belgium and the roads are horrible.  Bike paths have been cut in half, I'm now driving with cars on the road.  Instead of seeing dozens of bikes a day, I don't see any.  Tear, I miss the Netherlands already....

Day 6

What's really fantastic about couchsurfing.com is the regular way to find a place is to search for a host and send a couch request.  This is time consuming though because you have to send numerous requests in hopes of finding someone.  Alternatively, they've now enabled an "itinerary" function where you input your dates and where you'll be.  Then hosts can actually ask you to stay with them!  At first, I was struggling to find places to stay, but as my references grew, and word of my trip and its purpose spread, I found everything changed.  I really wasn't sure if I wanted to have my father's last wishes broadcast out over the website, but it came out on its own and it has changed everything.  I now have numerous people asking me to stay with them in each town I enter.  It's just incredible to see how people are reacting to my trip.  It's humbling actually, people have said it's their honour to host me, or that what I'm doing is inspiring.  I have never thought of this trip that way, it's just something I've always known I would do with my dad by my side.  It was going to be simple, quiet, and most importantly it was going to allow me to fulfill my father's wishes and help me to finally say goodbye to him.  This story has now been shared with many people on couchsurfing.com and as a result (with encouragement from my hosts) I've decided to put it all out there on this blog.  It feels scary, a little daunting, but I am going to live in the moment and go with it.  It's personal for me, and I really didn't envision this trip involving others.  But this trip has changed me, and I have started to change the way I see the trip.  It's no longer about travelling around the world, it's about connecting with others through the concept of why I'm on this journey.  I will be writing another post just on this topic as I have found it incredibly therapeutic not only to share my story, but to hear the stories from others...phew sometimes I get overwhelmed with emotion...and this is one of those moments...

anyway Laura was my first French host in Belgium, alors c'etait aussi le premier fois que j'ai eu l'occasion a pratiquer a parler en Francais!  She was very laid back and welcoming, she even made a delicious organic vegetarian meal!  It fueled me the whole next day as well, delicieux!  She was very interested in my Yurt and the idea behind sustainable building, she is studying Architecture and I can tell she will be someone to watch out for in the future.  She is keen, intelligent, and understands that our needs are changing as our planet changes.  Green construction is only the beginning, and she gets it.  Bon courage mon amie!!!

Day 7

This was another long day, holy shit there were a lot of hills.  This was the first time I started to consider what items I really needed and what I might throw away.  I'm talking about leg burning, heart pounding, sweaty, swearing fun!  Finally I was really getting my ass kicked!  So by the time I arrived I was sure I had finally done over 100km, nope just 67.  Merde.

I stayed in a "Chambre d'Hote" which is someone's home and they rent a room.  It was great, I had a hot shower and used the wifi!  Here's the house!

I found this old building by the side of the road.  It reads "No to throwing garbage in the King's forest".  How old do you think that is?

 Day 8

Another last minute couch surfing host picked me up via my itinerary, and I was very thankful!  Crazy hills again, with a nasty head wind.   I was earning my croissants this day, let me tell you.  Also of note, I have averaged 3 croissants per day, and it feels so good.  No guilt here, I probably burn 50000 calories per day.  Aurelie and her two roommates were a lot of fun.  We mainly just played with their 3 month old kitten, and 8 month old Australian Collie.  Wow, that was a wild night!  They were also all musicians, and they hooked me up with some great music to take me through to Paris.  Check out Les Ogres de Barback and Les Fils de Flute!  The second one being the bandmates that I stayed with!  The accordion is oh so French, and I love it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q-QiADpjiY

This poster was on their wall.  I asked what it was and they said it was a fashion ad.  I'm not sure which is more quintessentially French, the image pictured above or the fact that this fashion ad was made into a poster 7 feet high and put on their wall? 

 Day 9

I'm still trying to figure out why this day took so long.  I think it's because I'd just biked over 650km, which I've never done before, but also because there were no longer any back country roads.  As I approached Paris everything became more congested, and the roads were a tangled maze to get through.  I was late arriving at Vonny et Roger Penot's house, family I had never met, and yet they still waited for me to arrive before they started dinner.  It was well after 9pm, I felt so bad, incroyable qu'ils m'ont attendu!  And yet, I was about to discover that this was just the start of a heart warming, very special, and very touching visit with family.

I slept for 12 hours that night.

More to come...

WW

Biking with flags, flowers, and a lion

Leo le Lion et le tournesol

I don't know what it is, but I am drawn to circles, or maybe they're drawn to me?  I found this crazy Stonehedgesque site in the middle of farmlands in the Netherlands.

Best campsite so far!

This is Charles

I stopped into this bar to get a quick bite to eat.  I didn't event make it in the door when a very nice French couple saw my bike.  See, I've found that the Canadian flags really engage people.  They want to know how far I've come and what my plans are.  It has really bridged the gap between myself and the locals.  It breaks down any barriers and people are keen to engage me in conversation.  So I saw this garage sale and I decided to buy a stuffed animal outside Rotterdam.  So I added Leo le Lion to my bike.  In addition, I always add fresh flowers as well.  It makes for quite the funny bike, but tu sais, je fais ca pour te faire sourire.  And by golly people smile.  I had a car pull up to me while biking and point and smile at my lion.  People love it! Et ca marche bien parce qu'ils ont tous un sourire.

So with my flags, flowers, and a lion I have met so many people!  So back to the French couple, they were so nice and he was also a cyclist, they shook my hand and wished me Bonne Chance on my journey.  C'est chouette ca no?

So I now I walk in the the bar, and right away I meet Charles.  He is a very nice man, he is drunk at 1pm, but he is a very kind man.  This is an amazing bar typical of Belgium, every beer has its own glass, and the place is decorated very ornately.  Charles buys me a beer right away.  We talk about my trip, and I share with him the details of my father's last wishes.  He cries, and he calls his girlfriend.  He tells her he loves her and says he met a Canadian today that is doing the most amazing journey for his father.  I am touched by his kind words.  He buys me another beer.  All said and done, we talked for a good hour and drank four beers.  I finally get on my way, a little jolly I might add, but I have the chance to also meet his friend.  His friend, pictured below, has a BOSS mustache and I ask if I can take his picture.  Charles gives me his address, phone number, and email.  Tells me I must look him up if I am ever in Ghent again.  Merci beaucoup Charles, c'etait mon plaisir de te rencontrer!

There are some nights where I have to pinch myself...I am so lucky...merci Papa!

The kindness of strangers

Just before I left Belgium I had a long travel day.  I was trying to make it to France in good time.  So I had some long hours on the bike and at one point, I was so hungry I had to stop and eat the food I had bought.

I literally pulled right over on the road, and just grabbed my food and just started wolfing it down.  I actually had placed the plate on this hedge that was outside a big building.  I had checked it out first, and it looked abandoned as there was construction material everywhere.  So I was actually using the hedge as a table...not the most polite but when you're exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry...you just eat without thinking...

So all of a sudden a man walks out.  He sees me eating quite fast, but also using his hedge.  I thought to myself, "Alex you are an idiot, you disrespected this man's property and now he's going to let you have it".  I held my head in shame and he approached me with these words: "You mustn't eat like that.  It's no good for you to eat quickly and standing.  You must sit and enjoy the food, you must relax while eating.  It would be better for you to come inside and eat with me."  Quote, unquote.  No mention of the hedge, no mention of me trespassing, he is inviting me in?

So I agree, because when offered hospitality you accept.  He saw my flags, and he was very interested in my trip.  So we go inside and I meet his wife.  Turns out they've bought this old school and now they're renovating it, hence why it looks in disrepair.  They insist I sit down and then we all drink wine together.  I tell them where I have come from, and where I'm going.  I also share the story of my father's last wishes and they are extremely touched.  They offer more wine.  They ask if I'm alone, how I do it, and they are really moved.  The wife has tears in her eyes.

We have an amazing lunch together, we are merry and we drink wine.  We talk about their travels next, and they love Canada!  In fact, we spoke at length about the positive relationship between the Netherlands and Canada.  Not only is there the history from the war, we actually saved the Dutch from the Germans, but also the ongoing gifts of tulips that the Dutch send to Ottawa every year.  10000 to be exact.  I have felt nothing but love from the Dutch, and I have much love to give back. They are an amazing people and their culture is just so fascinating.

We get to talking about their trip to Canada. They like to travel by Caravan (RV) and they took a trip to Vancouver.  Then they went to the interior, and then after it all, they also visited KAMLOOPS!  They loved the dry hot weather, they saw the Rocky Mountaineer train, and they camped along the river.  WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT I ATE RANDOMLY ATE LUNCH ON SOMEONE'S HEDGE AND THEY INVITE ME IN FOR WINE AND FOOD!  THEN THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE VISITED MY HOME TOWN!

I love traveling so much...what a wonderful life.

WW

Camping, Den Haag, Rotterdam, and hospitality!

J'aime bien faire du camping, c'est bien plaisante et tranquille.  Ca nous donne la chance a reposer et penser a la route de l'avenir.

First time seeing the ocean!

This is where I met the German Family!  Those are the bike touring bags.

This is a great story.  So I'm checking out the beach and the ocean for the first time, and as you can see it is very windy.  I might add I was biking into a headwind for 4 days.  Yowza.

Anyway, I see this older gentleman with bike touring bags next to mine.  So we get to talking and he's very interested in my trip.  It seems he also has a son that is very interested in mountain biking.  We're going on an on about my bike and the equipment I'm using when his family shows up!  So he introduces me to his son, all of 16 years old, and he is SUPER into biking.  So much so that his father asks me to have lunch with them!  I've learned now that whenever someone offers you something, you just accept it.  It's hard, I'm not used to living off others, but the generosity I have seen in Europe has been nothing short of extraordinary!  Micha Eich and Niklas Berg were great company, and I loved hearing how stoked he was on mountain biking!

So I agree to sit down for lunch, I'd been biking all morning, and I was hungry anyway.  So I sit with his son and he starts firing questions at me about BC.  First he wants to know if I know of Whistler.  Yes, I know of Whistler.  Do I know of CrankWorx?  Yes of course!  Then he asks if I've ever been to KAMLOOPS!  He drops names like Matt Hunter, Graham Agassiz, and Brandon Semenuk.  All local riders from where I live!  What a small world.  I tell him that Graham Agassiz actually helped with our Bike to Work Week campaign, and that Matt Hunter also donated to my GranFondo event.  I thought it was just amazing that this 16 year old kid from Germany just loves these guys!  I agree, what they're doing is nothing short of incredible and we both agreed the videos on PinkBike from Kamloops are sick!  Anyway, just a fun lunch meeting with the family.  We talked a lot about Germany's  progress on solar energy expansion and we talked about the fracking that the Dutch want to do right on the border.  They were not too pleased about this.  All in all, I let the son know that he should continue to practice his English and then come visit me in Kamloops when he's done high school.  He could get a job at Sun Peaks, or work at a local bike shop.  His dad was very pleased that I was encouraging his English, and I hope to meet them again soon, come see me when you have graduated and we'll go shred the slopes in Kamloops!

Typical Dutch bikes

Nuff said

Rotterdam, biggest harbour in Europe!

Den Haag on the coast

Great capture by the GoPro, I just like the shadow

I will miss the Netherlands.  The Dutch were so friendly and welcoming.  After visiting in 2007 I promised myself that I would return.  Now after having a greater visit of the people and the country, I long to return already...

This one is for my sister, these blonde horses were everywhere.  Maybe you know the breed Dom?

Random photos!