Meitoertocht Nieuwleusen.
By Motormeisje on May 7, 2006 at 21:14

Place of gathering.
The steady place of gathering for the FMC is behind the Frisian Expo Centre in Leeuwarden. There are not many bikes present, when we arrive minutes before 08.30 on the sundaymorning. Ritske and Aly are leading today. We leave with 11 bikes into the direction of Nieuwleusen, where I will meet up with my husband again, as he's picking up a friend of ours as a pillion. He's driving via Groningen and will meet us there. It would be ridiculous to drive to Leeuwarden first, so he drives there in one go. And so it happens. There are 4 women that are all riding their own bike. The rest are men, with only one pillion.

The tour.
After registration and a cup of coffee, we start the tour. Along very nice curly roads the tour leads us to Weerselo, where we have lunch. It is nice and cosy on the terrace. Because most members know each other, the jokes and fun keep going on. There is a lot of laughter. Most of the riders today, are steady riders, we meet them with almost every tour. Halfway we have had already a nicotine-break. Halfway the afternoon we stop by the side of the road, where there is some shade from the trees (see picture). By four o'clock we are back at the finish, drinking coffee. A wonderful tour, this one was. We sit and talk for a while and then it is time to move homeward again. Together with my husband and his pillion I drive into the direction of Groningen, while the others drive towards Leeuwarden.

Nature.
I have never known, that there were so many dandelions growing in the Netherlands. I have to admit, that nature has recovered very quickly in the past week. During the tour I've even seen a lilac in bloom. Here in the eastern part of the country (Salland) nature is much further than with us up North. I really enjoy it. There is a strong wind, but the sun is shining and it is 26 degrees. With side-wind it is a bit tricky to drive, especially when suddenly the wind falls. We mostly choose the left track, because the “slipstream” of cars causes a tremendous disturbing turbulence. You are thrown left and right. But we are home again, safe and sound. What a nice tour with bikefanatics.

Betty Smit.
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