20 July

Not much doing today, apart from preparing for tomorrow's journey. The weather is showery and windy, and a gale is forecast for the northwest of the country.

I leave tomorrow morning, and this is therefore the last entry on the Shell Gallery, until I return to Holland. I'll close with a few images of the past 2½ months. Blogging will resume on Tuesday 22 July on Northern Trip.

Saturday

Not much improvement in terms of weather, continuing with the heavy showers and mediocre temperatures. Went to the cemetery for the last time before my departure on Monday, to leave some flowers. Next week, the weather in Holland should get warmer, so I hope they will keep. Have taken a few pics, some of which will feature on the public part of my Flickr site. Don't think we escaped the rain on the way back - no chance!

Soggy day

Although I was lucky to return dry from a shopping trip, my dad was not. He got caught in a downpour of monsoonal proportions. No surprise that we did not venture out today. The other, more valid, reason was a visit from my sister. Unfortunately, she got caught in traffic on the motorway, so her 75 minute drive now took over 2 hours. It was nice to see her and her family before I leave on Monday.

Picture links

Yesterday's pictures, about the walk round to the swimming-pool, can be seen here.
Today's pics, "Rainy Ride", can be viewed here.

A few images are a bit fuzzy; the light was low, and trying to take pictures from a bicycle when you're doing 10 mph in those conditions is asking for that.

Anyone got any ideas yet what a cerviduct is?

Rainy ride

In spite of the damp forecast, we did set forth by wheel just after lunch. From the centre of Velp, it was northeast bound towards the Zijpenberg (nice ascent) and onwards further north towards the Imbosch, where we were only two days ago. As we arrived at the crossroads, the heavens opened, so we waited for a few minutes. Three other intrepid cyclists did keep going through the rain. After it dried up, the journey continued north towards the Loenermark. This is an area of woodland and heathland, with a few treacherous hills to keep you on the pedals. Once out on the western side, near the hamlet of Groenendaal, it was a straight run down the old Apeldoorn to Arnhem road. It runs close to the A50 motorway, which is busy. It is spanned by a cerviduct - I leave it to you to work out what that is. We returned home along the Koningsweg and then down the cyclepath past the cemetery. As we passed the Castle, the heavens opened again. Although it was but a brief shower, it has now been raining for nearly two hours.

I'll post a separate entry when I've uploaded all the pictures.

Nostalgia

My trip down memory lane, which much of the past 9 weeks has been about, took me to a swimming pool this afternoon. A former one - it closed in 1988 after 33 years of service. It was the place where I was awarded my A-diploma swimming (to certify I would not sink like a brick) many moons ago. My memories of Beekhuizen (on the periphery of Velp) are of arriving on the pushbike in a searing heat, park the bike in the racks, walk up the hill and pay a small fee. Change in the communal changing rooms, and then go outside to the pale-blue pool area. There were three pools; one paddling pool for the tiny tots, a shallow pool (2 feet in depth) and a deep pool, where the water depth would increase from 3 to 5 feet, until the floats, where the depth would increase sharply to 7 feet. A diving tower loomed over an area of 12 feet in depth. After a swim, you'd lie on the sunning lawn on your towel, until you got too hot again and would take another plunge. You'd be there all day on a really hot day.
Hardier souls, like my father, would go down there at 7.15 am for a constitutional - when he was the age I am now. The pool's heating system wasn't all that good, and the water only got up to 63F.

The pool closed down in 1988, and I had left the area some 6 years previous. I had taken a peek through the fences in the 90s, but today's visit was a shock. The bike racks have gone, as has the paving around them. The entire pool and lawn area is heavily overgrown, to create a nature reserve. I felt very sad to see the smartly painted bath & buildings so delapidated and unrecognisable. Wonder what the old poolmaster, if he's still alive, makes of it all.

Updating

Updates on this blog will cease after next Sunday, 20 July, until I return to Holland again. I am flying to Stornoway on Monday afternoon, and will review things from there. Northern Trip will become my primary blog again, but probably with a changed remit.

The Shell Gallery will, as I already indicated, remain where it is, as will the pictures.