My street senses suddenly sent off an alarm– something was going on here. I locked eyes with the man and his shifty body language confirmed it. I held my ground for a moment trying to figure out if I was in danger. The man broke our eye contact, ducked out of my way and I knew I was safe. This guy was frightened and trying to get away. The grocery stores here have automated gates that open as you walk in and close behind you. On the other end of the store you scan your receipt to open another set of exit gates. This guy was trying to time the entrance gates to run out after they had opened for someone. The gates next to the lane I was entering opened and in a blur he was gone running down the street with a sandwich and a bottle of apple juice. 

I read so much in his eyes in that split second. Or, maybe I wrote a story for him because can I truly “read” someone’s eyes? I saw a man in distress who was stealing because he needed it, not someone with a screw-the-man attitude to paying for things. All around him the other customers were in business clothes and somehow that made it seem like it wasn’t a crime. I thought to myself, “if you need it go for it (it’s not like it’s bike theft)”. Writing this the morning after I think the classy move would have been to gently stop him and then pay for his food. I think he needed some kindness. However, my brain was slowly coming down from a long day of riding and by the time I glanced over my shoulder there was only the last blink of his running shadow. 

I rode from Amsterdam to Rotterdam following the west coast of The Netherlands. It was a warm 90º+ day (Texas friends call that winter) and very sunny. A big chunk of the west coast is sand dunes and the bike trail took me through those with their welcome rolling hills. No shade for a lot of the ride and I was getting roasted. A few stops to reapply sunscreen that felt like it wasn’t helping. How do pro riders keep from getting fried? Is there some kind of sunscreen that actually works? Speaking of pro roadies, if I was one I would say, “I had a good leg day.” 

I felt strong all day and on the little rolling hills created by the sand dunes I had a bottomless amount of power in my legs. It felt good to mash the pedals down and race up a hill with strength in reserve. My route took me about 80 miles (129km) from Amsterdam to ZandVoort, then down the coast to Hook of Holland and back to Rotterdam. It was all nice bike roads or bike lanes, mostly exposed out in the sun but a few nicely shaded wooded stretches. I enjoyed the ride and had one of those days where I kind of just wanted to finish it. As a result I didn’t stop to take hardly any pictures and aside from a short pause at a little skatepark in The Hague I mostly didn’t take any breaks. 

Back in Rotterdam it was the same hotel I stayed in last week. I closed the shades to the setting sun (I’d seen enough of that fireball for the day) and took a long cool shower. I knew exactly what prepackaged salad and sandwich I was going to buy at the grocery store next door. I knew the French guy working behind the hotel bar would not lend me “just a fork” so I could eat my salad– I had to accept a fork and a knife because he didn’t serve barbarians. I also knew the hotel lounge had the big cold bottles of sparkling water I liked for free. I spread out my collected spoils for dinner on my hotel room desk and it felt like home.