Around the Pond: 5000 km on the North Sea Cycle Route

After packing up everything I ride into Husum to get some provisions and a better sun block. A few kilometers behind Husum I suddenly see two other recumbent bikes. We all stop and talk for a few minutes. They are Jan and Mies, a Dutch couple from Rotterdam. They have been following the NSCR, but they are going to turn around at the danish border, and take a different route back home.

We go different ways after a few minutes. Jan and Mies are taking a shortcut and leave out a loop down a peninsular. They want to reach the border today.

The weather is rather windy today, with the wind coming from the north-west. This means a strong head wind most of the day. The route leads over endless kilometers along the dike: sheep to the left and the right of the way, sheep shit on the way, and every few hundred meters a gate that was not build to be navigated with a recumbent bike.

Late in the afternoon I arrive in Niebüll. I'm tired and hungry, but there is no camping site here. The next one is in Rudbøl, just behind the danish border. I continue for another 20 kilometers.

The border crossing is unspectacular. A few long deserted customs buildings, and I'm in Denmark.

At the camping site the reception is closed. I look around for a while, until finally an older woman comes out of a house to help me. She doesn't speak german or english, so she leaves again to send out someone else. Eventually an older man who speaks english opens the reception and books me in. He shows me the showers and restroom, and where I can pitch my tent. Here I meet Jan and Mies again, who are going to take a rest day tomorrow, before they head back home.

I pitch my tent, take a shower, and eat the remains of my provisions. At 10 p.m. I'm asleep.


Day 7 - June 9th: Husum to Rudbøl

Route

Husum - Süderhafen - Norden - Niebüll - Rudbøl (DK)

Statistics

Distance: 100.73 km
Cycle time: 6:19 h
Average speed: 15.90 kmh
Total distance: 600 km
© Thomas Stets ts.semper.d@googlemail.com
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