Day 284 29th April
37miles (Tilff to Maastricht) Average 10.5 mph Top speed 25 mph
Up at 9 and cooked omelette for brekkie, I was in no rush to get away as my phone was not charged and I was slow to get going as I didn’t get to sleep until 2am. At least nothing was frozen today, the first time in at least a week. I set off at 11.30 and found the tourist office, but their maps only covered to Maastricht, that was good enough as my phone was dead.
I followed the same route as last night to Liege and found the cycle path which follows the Albert canal all the way there. It was good but there was no way off it, so I could see all these shops and cafés but couldn’t get to them. Eventually I managed to find an Aldi which was full of Saturday shoppers so the checkouts were packed. As I came out I noticed two touring bikes next to mine and by the time I’d packed my panniers I had met a couple from France on a 4-day trip heading in my direction.We had a good chat and I left them to pack. We crossed each other’s paths a few times during the day and it was good to say hi. I stopped for lunch by a ferry near Visé. Where I realised I was in Holland just by the sheer number of fellow cyclists.
Cycle ferry
Arrived in Maastricht – now in Holland
Massbogels camping in a closed campsite for 10€ thanks to my Dutch friend Ronald for his negotiations.