The Lonely Cyclist in the Pyrenees Cycling from Holland to Spain with a big tour through the Spanish and French Pyrenees Day 1: Bunnik - Utrecht - Ameide - Kinderdijk - Dordrecht - Heerjansdam 86 km Since people started to go on holidays, millions are coming to France for tasting Bordeaux wines, for shopping in Paris or for sunbathing on the Mediterranean beaches, for skiing in the Alps, for experiencing the Burgundy kitchen or for exploring the villages of the Provence.
Every year, millions of people are visiting the villages and towns, the mountains and beaches in France. Yet there are still large parts of France that hardly see any visitors. What is the story of the villages and towns of these regions? The coming weeks Willem Hoffmans and I will explore these regions of the "unknown France" by cycling to Spain through these regions.
Then we will cross the Spanish border for a grand tour through the Spanish and the French Pyrenees. A stiff westerly wind is blowing across the polder. Large cumulus clouds are rolling over with breakneck speed from horizon to horizon.
After just a few miles we have to find shelter under a bridge in the uninspiring suburbs of Nieuwegein. When the downpour has finished, we resume the ride. Marit, Edith, Inge and Marijn are accompanying us during the first hours of our trip.
We are riding westward over the winter dike on the north bank of the River Rhine. We are facing strong headwinds but at least it is dry. We find ourselves in a classic Dich setting with a large river, a dike, half cloudes skies, strong winds and cyclists facing those winds.
