August 29 Hoek van Holland 35 K Cycling around, I Hit the 3000 Mile Mark / 4828 Kilometers, Boarding Ferry to Harwich ENGLAND for 10:00 P.M. Departure

I arrived here, Hoek van Holland yesterday about 2:15 p.m. to catch the ferry boat over to Harwich England. But the ferry left at 2:00 p.m., and the 10:00 p.m. was booked as well as the 2:00 p.m. today. So I had to buy a ticket for today's 10:00 p.m. departure on Stena Line. It is a 9 1/2 hour trip across the North Sea and I arrive in Harwich England at 6:30 a.m. England time on August 30th. They are an hour behind western Europe. I then jump off the boat and onto a train to the Liverpool Station on the eastside of London. Stena Line sells a combo ticket, boat & train to London. Last night I stayed at a very nice, but inexpensive, pension right on the main street of this terrific little town of Hoek van Holland. The theme here is "Get Hoekt". Lots of nice eateries and bakeries. Yes, food here is appealing. I really like the Netherlands. And it is so much easier to navigate because English is like the second language and most everything is subtitled in English. Then there is the bicycle culture. Just an amazing system of bike paths and lanes, all well-marked. I easily found my way from downtown Amsterdam to Hoek without a map. Every intersections have detailed signage. I took a photos of the inside of a "not-so-big" Bike Shop here in Hoek. It only had 800 bicycles on display. Today I biked over to this library in the next town, s'Gravezande, three times, and also to the world-famous "Maeslantkering", the surge barrier that will hold back the ocean in the event of a massive storm. Well, let's hope they are correct!

August 30 Arrive Harwich England, Train to London, Cycle to St Paul's Hostel, Box up Bicycle for tomorrow's flight from Heathrow to JFK in NYC

The boat ride over from Holland to England was smooth. There were about 900 passengers, mostly people with cars or campers. The ship, Stena Line's "Britannica" is 252 meters long, a big ship that has restaurants, shopping, cinema, and trucker's lounge. No passengers are allowed on deck during the journey. Immediately upon arrival I loaded my bike and rode down the ramps of the ship and through customs to the nearby train platform where I caught the train to the Liverpool St Station in central London. From there I cycled just a couple K over to St Paul's Cathedral where I secured a room for the night at the nearby hostel. Tomorrow, August 31st I will fly from Heathrow Airport to JFK Airport in New York City. While checking my email at the hostel I learn that my daughter Faith has gone into labor a few weeks early. I had hoped to home in time for the big event.

August 31 Fly from London to New York City, Airport Bus to Time Square, Dinner at the ESPN ZONE, 11:15 Greyhound to Pittsburgh PA

What a fantastic bicycle journey. I biked 3000 miles in 10 countries; England, France, Spain,

Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands. I experienced a mountain-top finish of The Tour de France (Hautacam), cycled up 20+ of the famous Tour de France mountain climbs in the Pyrenees and Alpes including the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, and L'Alpe D'Huez. Cycled across the Spanish Pyreneean wilderness, Pedaled through the Italian cities of Torino, Pisa, and Florence via Cinque Terra and Tuscany; Biked to the hometown villages of 3 of my 4 grandparents in Slovenia and Croatia and discovered the family tree back to 1500, I rode a train through the incredible Austrian Alps (think "Sound Of Music"), and cycled in 3 countries (GDR/AUS/SUI) in one day as I circled Bodensee (aka Lake Konstanz); I followed the bike paths that parallel the Romantic Road in Germany spending nights in Augsburg and Wurzburg; and finally arrived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands where I cycled the world-famous bicycle paths to Hoek van Holland. Let me know if you want to go with me on my next bicycle adventure.

September 3 Greetings To All Who Have Followed My Blog

Just wanted to let you know I am back in Greensburg PA and I have had my bike tuned up at the Greensburg Cyclery. Thanks Karl. I will be posting many photos over the next few days. It just didn't work out as I was traveling to do so. Also I will be posting the journal entries for the days I have left blank. I hope you continue to enjoy this blog. Let others know about it if you would. And I would love to hear from all of you at cyclingsimmons@gmail.com 

 

Fully Loaded? Gear List for Touring Europe

Can you imagine whittling everything thing you have down to the bare essentials of what you would need to live while touring. Fully Loaded Bicycle Touring is when a cyclist has everything they need (or may want) on their bicycle while on the road. Check out these pictures of Fully Loaded Bicycles. http://www.fullyloadedtouring.com/

TRANSPORTATION:Bianchi Volpe
Tubus Tara front rack
Blackburn Mt-2 rear rack
2 water bottle cages
2 water bottles
Zefal frame pump
Pyramid Apex fenders
Ortlieb Bike-Packer Plus rear panniers (red)
Ortlieb Bike-Packer Plus front panniers (black)
Ortlieb Ultimate 4 Plus handlebar bag
Blackburn HL 530 headlight
Princeton Tec helmet headlight
tail-light
Mirror ????????????????
Cateye cycle computer
Safety decals ??????????????
2 Pyramid 24" Bungee Rack Straps
Wrist Watch on handlebars
Bell Helmet
Mace (Halt)

HOME SUITE HOME:
North Face 2-person tent w/small Temperature Gauge attached to zipper
North Face Cat's Meow 20-degree sleeping bag
Cascades Design Thermarest 3/4 ultralight sleeping pad
Petzl headlamp

CLOTHES CLOSET:
2 Specialized bib pro cycling shorts
2 long sleeve REI OXT shirts
1 long sleeve Under Armour shirt
1 Patagonia R-1 shirt
1 100 weight North Face jacket (doubles as a pillow when stuffed)
1 nylon running shorts
1 Mountain Hardware zip-off pants
1 lightweight zip-off pants
3 pair socks
1 SPD cycling shoes
1 pair of CROCS
4 Bandanas

Cold Weather Gear

Cannondale LE Max balaclava

Patagonia tossle cap

Cool Weather Gear

Pearl Izumi leg warmers

Performance neon wind jacket

Sugoi skull cap

Liner gloves

Cannondale gloves

Rain Gear

Showers Pass rain jacket

Showers Pass rain pants

OR Seattle Sombrero

KITCHEN:

Spork

OR waterproof food stuff sack

2 2-litre Platypus water bags

Kitchen Cupboard

salt

pepper

basil

red pepper

curry

Multi-Vitamin

Vitamin C

Eye Support

BATHROOM:

Miracle 2 soap

Miracle 2 gel (used as sunscreen)

Miracle 2 skin lotion

Toothbrush in holder

Dental floss

Razor and spare blades

Nail clippers

Toilet paper

Wet Ones

Q-tips

Beeswax Lip Balm

Vaseline (small tub)

Small Towel

Medicine Cabinet

Oil of Oregano P-73

Neosporin

Tinactin

10 Sport Band-aids

Second Skin

Peroxide

OFFICE:

Canon PowerShot A560 Digital Camers w/ user guide, padded case, cords

Journal

Autograph Notebook

Pen

Address info

Maps

Money Belt

Passport

ATM Cards (2)

Airline Ticket info

Copies of Passport, Airline Ticket Info, Drivers License

Rick Steve's French - Italian - German Phrase Book

Lonely Planet Eastern Europe Phrase Book

Picture of my 4 children

JUNK DRAWER:

Sleeping pad repair kit

Spare Batteries AAA & AA for Lights, AA Lithium for Camera

Rubber bands

Duct Tape (small roll)

Swiss Army Knife w/ scissors, tweezers, eyeglass screwdriver, safety pin

Foam Ear Plugs

50 feet Nylon Cord

Spare glasses & sunglasses in hard case

Trash Compactor Bags

Zip Lock Bags

Safety Whistle ????????????????????

TOOL CHEST:

Patch kit

Emergency Tire Boot

Spare Tubes (3)

Specialized Armadillo Borough Spare Foldable Tire

3 Tire Levers

Quick Stick Tire Tool

Shard Remover

Spoke Wrench

Chain Rivet Extractor

Spare Brake Cable

Spare Derailleur Cable

Dry Teflon Lube

Electrical Tape

Zip Ties

6" Crescent Wrench

10mm Wrench

8mm Wrench

Allen Wrenches 3mm, 4mm, 2 - 5mm, 2 - 8mm

Spare Seatpost Bolt

Spare Frame Bolts

WD-40

Toothbrush in holder for cleaning

Rag

ADVENTURE MEDICAL KIT:

First Aid Manual / Instruments / Medication

EZ Care Instructions

Guide to Travel Medicine

Splinter Picker/Tick Remover Forceps

Safety Pins (3)

Ibuprofen (200 mg - 6)

Aspirin (325 mg - 4)

Antihistamine (diphenhydramine 25mg - 2)

After Bite Sting & Itch Relief (2)

Bleeding

EZ Care Instructions

5 x 9 Trauma Pad

Nitrile Examination gloves (2)

Wound Care / Sprain / Blister

EZ Care Instructions

Butterfly Closure Strips (3)

Tincture of Benzoin

Antibiotic Ointment (2)

After Cuts & Scrapes Antiseptic Towelettes (4)

Sterile Gauze Dressings 3" x 3" & 2" x 2" (8)

Non-Adherent Sterile Dressings (2)

Conforming Gauze Bandage 2"

Strip Adhesive Fabric Bandages (4)

Knuckle Adhesive Abric Bandages (2)

Cotton Tipped Swabs (4)

Adhesive Tape 1/2" by 10 yards

Moleskin 7" x 4"