This first holiday on our new tandem we want to test as many different situations as possible. Flat and hilly, hard (descending), a lot of braking, but unpaved just wouldn't work. That while the unpaved cycle paths in Germany last year, were the reason to start a new tandem. But in France every passable path is paved and in Belgium, where the quality of the pavement does not seem to play a role, there is no unpaved path to be found. So who sketches our surprise when we stop the pavement just across the Dutch border along the Wessem-Nederweert canal. For a moment we were happy. The tandem behaved well (and so did😉 we), but unpaved remains unpaved and becomes quite heavy over time. If only because the weather was also warm and oppressive. We stomp a lot. After about 6-7 km there is a very small piece of asphalt and then again not. That does something to the mind. Almost synchronously we say that we have to get out of the saddle for a while and then there is a swimming ladder! Exactly what we need. Just wait until the barge is over and quickly put on swimming clothes. The water is lovely, maybe a little green. We do not swim too long because the next boat is already in sight.
Nice and refreshed (and with an ice cream from the farm shop) we can handle the next 7 km on this gravel path again.
That evening Tessel does not get well. Drank too little? Sunstroke? When we cycle the next day along the Wilhelmina canal, which is connected to the canal in which we swam via the Wilhelmskanaal, and clearly see how much blue-green algae is in it, we think that it can also be that. Fortunately, the body is strong and Tessel recovered after a cup of mint tea on a terrace.
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