I had hoped for another beautiful sunrise, but I can dream. The sky is completely blocked by clouds. There’s also a bit of wind. But once on the track, it turns out to be a tailwind! Perfect. I make good progress, keeping an eye on the sky. The clouds become increasingly threatening as I approach Harligen. I arrive in town under the first raindrops. I find a shelter to get my rain gear. I don’t feel like riding in wet clothes, so I put on the kway pants. Suddenly, Géraldine appears! She saw, on the tracker, that I was approaching the town and waited for me. We chat for a while, then she’s off again.
The rain only lasts about thirty minutes, so I take off the kway pants but keep my hood under the helmet and the big gloves. I’m tired today. I’m cold and it’s bright out, so I’m riding with my sunglasses on to rest my eyes. The good thing about having to ride an extra 20km the day before is that I’m riding 20 km less today! Indeed, the next hotel is in Amsterdam. There’s not much before or after, and stopping in a big city means there are more hotels to choose from, so I won’t find a closed door. But I’m not there yet!
In Stavoren, I come across a Kibbelings snack place that is just opening. They’ll be the first of the trip. Let’s see if the stomach can take so much fat in the middle of the day. I know I don’t usually like a greasy midday meal, but I feel like eating Kibbelings. My greed will get the better of me! Just as I’m about to leave, Delphine shows up! We chat for 5 minutes, then I’m off again. Up to Lemmer, I’m going to have a hard time. The wind shifts a little more, and when it’s head-on, I’m pissed. But I keep things in perspective. Because the memories of 2021 come flooding in, especially on this stretch. Stavoren had been my campsite, with a stormy night ahead. Nothing to do with the little wind that makes me swear in 2022. Add to that the fact that I’m busy outdoing myself! Stavoren had been the end of my day 4 in 2021. In 2022, the end of my day 4 will be in Amsterdam, 133km further on! It’s a source of pride for me, even though I’m feeling more and more tired, even though the day wasn’t all that difficult. I’m yawning a lot. I tell myself I’ll find a bench in Lemmer to close my eyes, but the city is hectic! There are people everywhere. I bump into a dotwatcher who had followed me last year and wanted to meet me in person. This little social interlude reboosts me and I decide to carry on. I’ll take a break on the dike further on, towards Urk.
From Urk onwards, morale is going to soar! I’ve got a tail wind and I’m riding 25km/h without pushing that hard. It’s night and day with 2021. I’ll do in one go what took me 1.5 days in 2021… No need to take shelter in a hotel in Lelystad this time.
I arrive at A’Dam around 7.30pm. Haa, I’ll be able to sleep for an extra hour! I feel I need it. After all, I’ve just done 915 kilometers in 4 days. No wonder my body’s grumbling.
There’s a bike storage area in the garage, so my bike is safe and I can sleep soundly.
