This day was going to be a riding day only.  We picked Leiden as the halfway point to The Hague which gave us about 50km, the longest ride we’ve had so far.  We packed up in the rain, stuffing a very wet tent into its bag.  Getting out of Amsterdam’s concentric circles was surprisingly easy, and the bike path soon led us through very pretty suburbs with long canals that the houses sat right against.

Stopping only at a bakery for a quick bite we powered through the kms largely because we hadn’t organised where we were going to stay.  Googling campsites told us that they were closed till the 1st of April.  We decided to wing it and getting to Leiden while it was still light would help immensely.  57km later, totally exhausted and surrounded by tenement buildings it wasn’t looking good.  Cleave looked up the nearest campgrounds: Camping Stochemhoeve. Riding in it looked deserted. The proprietor stuck his head out the door and told us they was closed. Halfway through giving us directions to the nearest hotel he took pity on us and told us he could open up a log cabin instead.

It was the best news! We had our pick of four beds, central heating and hot water. But the day wasn’t over yet. We had to ride back out to the nearest grocery store for dinner and breakfast items. Coming back to hot soup, hot showers, cheese and chocolate and we were in heaven.

Mmmm Cheeeeese..

Daily costs:
Accommodation: €56
Groceries:€16.50
Total: €72.50/$101AU