Compassion Rising Tour 2025 - Antwerp - German border

Near 's Hertogenbosch

July 4: Antwerp - Alphen (NL) (61km)

Finally on the road with the bike! Later than desired, but so be it, it worked. The new website you are now visiting got online after much toil. With many thanks to Tania Emmerechts from T-Link web design.

It is intended from Antwerp to Tallinn (Estonia) to cycle. I have already crossed my first land border. Probably several times, as I crossed the enclave of Baarle Hertog/Nassau. What a mess of BE-NL-BE-NL is that there.

I am cycling again for a good cause, but this time not for a Tibetan project, but for a project in Ukraine, although there is still a link to Tibet.

Along the way, I had already had a very nice meeting, a separate post on that will follow.

It was lovely cycling weather today, and near the nature campsite near Alphen where I am staying overnight is a swimming pond. I thought it would be a shallow splash pond, but it got quite deep after only a few metres. The upper water layer was almost too warm already, but the temperature difference with the deeper layers was still big.

There is no better way to end a cycling day.

Bike day ends with swimming session in natural pond

July 5: Alphen - Heerewaarden (61 km)

Another pleasant cycling day today! Lovely cycling weather, with a brisk breeze, but it came from a favourable direction. So the kilometres grinded much easier from between the legs.

I left over the 'Bels line' cycle path towards Tilburg. On that stretch I passed 'Mock airfield De Kiek' from World War 2, a fake airfield to fool the Allies.

After Tilburg, I continued on cool separate cycle paths through woods and heathland until 's Hertogenbosch. At Loonse and Drunens Duinen nature reserve (one of Europe's largest inland shifting dunes, a wonderful recommendation for hikers), I paused at a bowl of fresh Betuwe cherries.

's Hertogenbosch I had never crossed. I always drove around it on my way to elsewhere. The centre is moody. Many typical Dutch houses in red brick.

Then I had to ride next to a provincial road for a while, but the last 5 km were again to be savoured: over a dike between Maas and Waal with sweeping vistas. And a tailwind, what more could a cyclist wish for?

The marina campsite in Heerewaarden is also highly recommended: right on the banks of the Meuse, modern sanitary facilities, a good tavern, but most importantly: a super-friendly welcome.

's Hertogenbosch

July 6: Heerewaarden - Oosterhout (40km)

Last night was a restless one because of the wind flap tent night, resulting in a bad night's sleep. I was fortunately able to lie down a bit longer, as I only have 40 km ahead of me today until before Nijmegen, where on Monday I Tenzin Tibet House go visit.

The ride was two-thirds over the Waaldijk and the rest next to a provincial road, from where I could turn left after about ten kilometres to make the approach to the long Tacitus bridge across the Waal river.

At the end of that bridge, Komoot wanted to send me to the towpath via a high, steep staircase, albeit with a bike chute. I wisely cycled around a triangle with all my gear....

I spent the last hour and a half cycling in the casting rulen. Fortunately, the wind came from the right rear, I didn't have the wetness right in my face.

And how happy I was that campsite De Grote Altena in Oosterhout has a comfortable seating area for tent campers, where I could dry and touch up. With sofas, microwave and fridge, TV... Just like home

Hiding under bridge next to the Waal

July 7: Oosterhout -Laag-Soeren (50 km)

Despite overnight rain, we managed to pack up dry around 10 o'clock.

First to Nijmegen city centre, to visit Tenzin Tibet House. I made a separate post about that.

Today, Komoot again wanted to send me up or down steep stairs on 3 occasions when there were easier alternatives nearby. Soit, otherwise the navigator works fine.

The wind has apparently turned. Between Nijmegen and Arnhem I was right up against it. Slow plodding in a smaller gear.

And once past Arnhem it started to hilly quite steeply. First climbing out of the Rhine valley for a long time, and then the hills of the Dutch 'high mountains': the beautiful Veluwezoom near Posbank.

Galloway cattle

Twice there were Galloway cattle with calves right on my route. With cows with calves, you always have to be careful. At the first herd, an impressive bull came walking in my direction, away from his herd. This worried me a bit, but fortunately I was on a descending section so I could quickly sprint away 'in case'. The animal looked at me peacefully as I hummed along, not a shred of aggression 😅.

At the second herd, which was on an uphill section, I hoped for a similar reaction. And that hope was happily fulfilled, because there I could not have sprinted away.

Due to the tougher course, I arrived at the campsite only after 7pm. Actually too late to complete all my evening tasks.

July 8 rest day at Boszicht campsite

When I wanted to pay extra for a second night at the campsite, I had a nice conversation with Benno, the manager, and got a night for free!

July 9: Low-Soeren - Beerze (77 km)

Great cycling weather with a moderate crosswind. The route was mainly along towpaths alongside canals, and also some stretches on car-free cycle paths through heath and forest.

At Ommen is a 'Sahara' shifting dune (tip from Els van Vlimmeren) where I wanted to go for an evening walk. The nearest campsite was Ommerland, but they charged 46€ for one night with bike and tent. I politely declined for that, which is insanely expensive.

Fortunately, 5 km away I was able to visit for 13 euros at Huttopia De Roos campsite.

From the tractor field, the nearest sanitary facilities were about 400 metres away. I had a quiet spot right next to the Fight. The choice was quickly made, I ended the day with a fresh dip in the river. So nice that in the Netherlands you can swim anywhere where it is not forbidden. My back neighbours the Galloway cattle completely agree.

Camping on the river Vecht

July 10: Beerze -Emmen (61km)

When my automatic pee alarm woke me just after six, my legs still felt very heavy. So back into the sleeping bag and continued sleeping for another two hours or so.
Afterwards, I felt rested and caught my morningCAMPAIGN on. Packing always starts with some chaos, but eventually everything ends up in the right place in the right pannier.

I only left at 11.30 am. Fortunately, it was only 50 km to Van Liere Media print shop, where I had to pick up flyers for the next countries I will now cross.
It was a quiet ride with the same crosswind as yesterday.

At one point I approached a village announced with the placard 'Gemeinde Laren'. I was suddenly in Germany! Actually, I could have guessed, because I had been riding on a bad, bumpy cycle path by Dutch standards for some time. Tomorrow I will be in Germany. My sit bones will have known.

After a few kilometres, I crossed a wooden border bridge back into the Netherlands. Fortunately, the cycle path was on the Dutch side of the little river.

Bridge between the Netherlands and Germany

At Schoonhoven I passed a vast oil field of yeshivas. Sinkholes I fortunately did not see....

Retrieved from Emmerdennen campsite I was received very warmly, so much so that it made both manager Jan and myself happy!

First thing tomorrow morning MOCTA, the Museum for Contemporary Tibetan Art in Emmen, and then across northern Germany. Genau 🙂

July 11: Emmen-Lathen (38 km)

It is already my last ride in the Netherlands! Too bad, I like cycling here.

On my way to Emmen, I came across the impressive dolmen D45 against. It dates back to the Funnel Beaker Culture and is a mere 18.5 metres long. It consists of several giant rocks in a row, bordered with copings.

On the largest capstone would King Louis Napoleon have stood with his horse, to prove his horsemanship.(1806-1810).

I love spending time at such megaliths. There is always a very special energy there that gives an open feeling of indefinite connection.

A little after eleven, I visited the Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art (MOCTA) by Lama Tashi Norbu. He was not there, too bad, he is setting up a second museum in California. A man apparently unstoppable..... I left the surplus of my Dutch-language flyers there.

After a light lunch in Emmen, I cycled another 40 km or so until just before the German town of Lathen.

Along the way, the Nelleke stopping me for a chat. She asked if I was on holiday, so I had another opportunity to explain what I was doing. As a farewell, she gave me two mini cucumbers for the road.

About two kilometres before the border, I then photographed a Dutch windmill. One mill per transit, that is not excessive.

And my criticism of the German cycle paths yesterday was a bit premature. Today's were quite doable, except for the cycle paths next to rural lanes.

Lama Tashi Norbu wishes me a prosperous journey with a puja (in 2022)

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