Day 7

Day 7
Houwerzijl -Rolde 44.31 miles
Very nice B&B, probably best so far.

We were very fortunate with the N.W. wind, as it was very cold today. Occasionally the sun came out. The countryside has been stunning and this part of the Netherlands is really tops. Beautiful thatched farmhouses with a huge and tall barn attached at the back of the house. This is the way their farmhouses are. On the way to the city of Groningen, we had missed a turning and asked a local man for a bit of help, which he did. We noticed he was collecting something in a handkerchief. We didn't say anything but he saw us looking intrigued and then told us that his neighbour farmer killed all the flowers on his land with a spray. This infuriated the man and so he collected all the seeds he could find each day alongside the road, especially dandelions and would release them when his neighbour wasn't looking! Now who is the neighbour from hell?
Having left the province of Groningen we are now in the province of Drenthe. The route took us past Paterswolder meer, through Noordlaardersbos (woods) mostly with Oak and Birch trees. The village of Haren we cycled through was discovered by the well-off folk from Groningen in the 19th century and who settled there. It hasn't changed, everything about it is still awesome. In Oudemolen we took a picture of a mill and when we reached the village of Taarlo we spotted on the village green a purpose built Stork House.
It has been a cold but lovely cycling day.


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