London’s streets in the darkness of 4:45 am were surreal. It seemed like it should be very busy all around me but it was silent. Under the orange glow of a street light a fox was standing in the middle of the road staring at me. I could feel the echos of the hustle and bustle that normally filled the streets even though there was only the occasional straggler limping home from a bar, or the odd early riser freshly reanimated with coffee stomping to an early job.

I had left John Dye’s place and was now pedaling to the Liverpool Street station to catch an early train out to the coast. My route was meant to be a simple single turn on to a straight road and then 3 miles to the station. Somehow 4 miles later I was farther away then when I started. Looking at the map’s perfectly straight road there seemed no way that I could get this lost but in the darkness and perhaps thanks to my not clear predawn navigation senses I had gotten way off course. It was exhilarating being out riding that early though. I pedaled faster and corrected my course reveling in the luxury of having the streets to myself. Rolled into the station just in time, grabbed a ticket, wheeled onto the train, and a moment later I was choo-chooing down the line.

At the end of my couple hour train journey I was in Harwich to catch the 9am ferry over to the Netherlands. I guess I like traveling by boat because I thought the 7 hour ferry ride was awesome. For 80£ ($100) I was able to roll my bike on and had a cabin to myself with its own bathroom and shower. I knocked out a bit of computer work and then realizing how short on sleep I was and passed out comfortably for a couple hours. You can do this trip as an overnight voyage too which essentially gives you a cheap hotel room for the night. There was a lot of very drunk dutch people by 10 am so I bet at night it is a real party. Coming from America where these transportation options are nonexistent having such easy access to getting around makes traveling fun. 

The ferry landed in Hook of Holland and after a slow moving customs line had been dealt with (bicycles wait in line with the cars) I was pedaling towards Rotterdam. It was now evening and the sun was low and throwing long shadows. The bike roads were the most perfect I’ve ever seen. Never a pothole or a crack, well signed, protected and simply the way you get around here. Loads of road bikers kitted up and checking watts on their bike computers zipped by. There was however an awful lot of people on motor scooters on the bike roads. Thanks to my head-on-a-swivel tourist wonder I nearly got hit from behind a few times. Nonetheless it was an easy and mostly calm 20 mile ride from the port into the city.

I’m going to spend a weeks based out of my Rotterdam hotel doing day rides in different directions to explore. From what I saw on my ride into town and tips I got while on the boat it should be excellent. I’m looking forward to checking out the bike world that is the Netherlands.