Unexpected Downpour
Netherlands (Friesland): Stage 07 Dokkum to Baflo 59 Km (Tue 18 July 2023)
Weather: 14⁰C min – 23⁰C max, mostly clear, then sudden downpour
“Too often I would hear riders boast of the miles they covered that day, rarely of what they had seen” ~ Louis L’Amour
One of the nice things about solo bike touring is the people you meet. At breakfast I shared a table with an interesting gentleman from Zwolle who was staying in Dockum for a couple of days for work. His job involves auditing supermarkets to ensure they meet food standards, including sustainability. I hope they have somebody performing a similar role in Australia, because I have often wondered about what toxic substances might be in the food we eat, particularly preservatives, colouring and flavouring.
Riding was again good and the countryside was pleasant, although it tends to get a bit boring after a while … one can only take so much of cows and sheep grazing on lush green pasture. I passed through a couple of sleepy little towns, but even they were drab … all constructed with the same dark brown brick. The only town of any significance was Zoutcamp, where I seized the opportunity to get my caffeine fix.
A bit further on I passed through the charming little village of Evinge. With pretty hollyhocks adorning the quaint houses it could never be described as drab.
This morning as I was faithfully following the line on my Garmin GPS I was thinking how good it was to never have to worry about getting lost. Navigation is never an issue, not like the old days when we used old-fashioned paper maps. Remember those? Then it happened! My Garmin took me across country for about a km where a track used to be but which is now covered with metre high grass. I was relieved when I eventually came to a concrete fietspad (bike path) but my legs are spotted in blood from the thistles.
But I shouldn’t complain. Except for the cross-country adventure the route was very good, mainly following LF14.
When I set off today I couldn’t help thinking how lucky I have been with the weather. Most days IBM’s “Weather Channel” app showed 60% or higher chance of rain, but it never happened. Today it showed 5% chance … and it happened! Just 4 km short of my destination I got caught in a heavy downpour and had to shelter in the town of Winsum. Never tempt fate!
Baflo is a small village located in the province of Groningen in the northern part of the Netherlands. It is situated about 20 kilometres northwest of the city of Groningen. Baflo has a population of around 1,800 people and is known for its rural character and beautiful countryside The village has few shops, being primarily a residential area.
But I will remember the town as the place where I got drenched and where I ate a very ordinary evening meal. It appears that the only eating place in town is Grandcafé de Hoek next to the B&B where I am staying, but it happens to be closed on Monday and Tuesday nights. Not my day is it! With limited cooking facilities here the only meal I could think of was gnocchi and a jar of Tuscan sauce from the Co-op. At least it was the cheapest meal I have had!
Oh dear – not your best day, between the leg-thistling, the downpour, and the restaurant-free zone! Still some very nice photos – gorgeous wildflowers. Did you feed back to Garmin about the untrodden path? Hoping for smoother days ahead!
I can’t blame my Garmin because I didn’t properly check the route I created. I probably forgot to tick the “paved only” box in cycle.travel. Baflo is not a town I am planning to revisit any time soon.