to Hitzacker

We left our campsite in Delft quite early, cycling to Rotterdam to catch the 10.05 train, connecting at Amersfoort on to another train to Hannover. The cycle ride was about 22km. A lovely day with quite strong wind against. So, with yesterday's ride, a suitable beginning to a cycling holiday. In Rotterdam, I managed to get both of us lost, but we recovered the way to the station. There, there are ticket gates like we have in London, but with the difference of no staff anywhere. Our German tickets would not activate them. How to get in? Well, one had to press button to notify an emergency call, and then the man who answered said he would open one of the gates remotely. So that is how to get into a Dutch railway station when you do not have a ticket that activates the gates, in case you wanted to know. Next was finding the platform. They do not have a big overall indicator of departures; you have to know what line you are traveling on to look it up. I had an idea of this.  Our platform was right on the other side. Up in the lift. There was the train, with the guard all ready to wave it off. Just got our bikes on, with us as well. Then settle down for a very comfortable journey.

At Amersfoort, got the bikes off. The next train had a proper bike compartment with numbered gibbets - sorry, hooks - for hanging bikes from. These are high up and I was not strong enough, so we left the bikes standing with luggage attached. Again, found our seats and had a very comfortable journey. At Hannover, we changed again on to a train to Luneburg. Here, the bike compartment was quite full, with several lean and muscular cyclists milling around, who were helpful in getting our laden bikes on. In all these changes, we found the trains had several steps from the platform; there are some things British trains do better, and not having so far up is one of them. Getting our bikes with all the bags for a month traveling on and off was hard work! Several times, generous and strong people, men and women, were very helpful.

From Luneburg, a very local train to Hitzacker. A modern train, with a low floor easy to get bikes on and off. Got there a bit after 18.30, having eaten a very varied snack-based diet along the way. . Our B&B had been selected by me using booking.com, and I had not fully appreciated how far it is from the station, nor how many hills there are in between. But we got there to a good welcome and a comfortable room and sleep came very easily.