Day 2 was as wet and windy as Day 1 but today I almost had a tailwind for the last 15 miles .... how strange - that never happens,
My Hotel was the Lang Jan and it was inside the Centre which had a huge church tower and lots of bars - I took a few pictures after my meal. This morning i cyled along the canal which formed the inner city and it looked lovely in the autumn colours with trdaitional flemish brick built houses, From town I followed the canal on a lovely wooded track for 8 miles, not even the rain could spoil my spirits and it was a shame when I had to trun off the canal to head east, The first town I hit was Renswoude and there was a beautiful park with a wide canal in full autumn colours - it looked picture postcard beautiful. The canal leads to the castle which I didn;t have time to explore. Next I bypassed Ede on a good cycle path but afterwards it deterirated,the surface remained good but it was only a footpath wide and it traversed a forest - it was covered in dirt and debris and with the rain, me and the bike got covered, I cycled straight through Arnhem even though the cafes were tempting I couldnt break my number 1 rule (no lunch until your past half way !) I cycled through Westervoort and then over a grey arched bridge ,, surely this wasn't the infamous Bridge at Arnhem. Next a really bland stretch of very good cyclepath running aprallel with the trainline for 5 miles - I stopped at a cafe in Zevenaar and the rain stopped while I had a coffe and a croquette in a bun. Needless to say the rian started again 5 minutes after I set off, Wet and on cycle paths shadowing roads leading to Germany, the next 8 miles to the border were pretty standard - just before the border in Voorst I passed a foot golf field where you kick the ball and there are obstacles and football sized holes, The road ran parallel with the German border without crossing it for 5 miles then I turned right onto the Bocholt Aa which is the river that runs through Bocholt and I would follow it into town - it was also at this satge I got that infamous tailwind,
400 yards down the path the Dutch and German borders collided and the path for the next mile was pretty much the border until i reached a riverside bar next to a road were the Dutch border retreated to my left and I was now following the Aa all the way into town where I arrived a bit dirty and bedraggled but the hotel room has pipng hot radiators so i;ll soon ahve everything clean and dry !