To the bulbs.

At the beginning of this year, Roel volunteered to lead members of the FMC during the MIOS-tour. While it was tremedously cold last year and the tulips were still covered in fleece, this year it is different...

Participants...
Since this is the third weekend in a row with lovely weather, there might be a chance that a lot of members want to join in today. When the group is turning out to be too large, we need to devide them. So at 8 AM we're on the bikes already, to receive the members, like a good host and hostess should. The number of participants is satisfying. When we leave Leeuwarden at 8.30, we are with 16 bikes. At the begining of the Afsluitdijk the last one joins in. Then we drive to Anna Palowna, to the clubhouse of the MC MIOS. There is a lot going on over there, lots of bikes are already parked. The MIOS-tour is always popular. It is always a nice tour with nice winding roads, but most of all the tour leads us along the fields filled with tulips in bloom. As we call them, the bulbs.

Today it's different...
The disadvantage to ride in a group is: that the leader makes the dicision when you have a break. In fact you are at the mercy of him or her. I did ride the Mios-tour a few times before and every year I regret, that I didn't get a chance to make a few pictures. This year I want to do it different. I have taken my rolling mechanism for the itnerary with me. So when I see something interesting during the tour, something I would like to make a picture of, I will stop to do so. Then I will go on with the tour, according to the itinerary and find the group again. Usually I always follow the leader, but not today. On a few places I choose to stop and make some pictures. The tulips are this time of year in full glory.

April acts as she pleases...
Near Quatrebras it was 10 degrees this morning at 8, but with the sun burning, the temperature is climbing rapidly. When we have our first break, I take off my cardigan. Still leave the small bodywarmer though. But at lunchtime that finds its way into my pannier as well. I have trouble removing my gloves. They are wet with swet at the inside. The sun is burning hot and it seduces to take off some more clothes, not sure if that's a good idea though. After lunchbreak I change my wintergloves for the summer-specimen. Glad I have them with me. This way we ride the tour to a good end. We announce our safe return, have a last cup of coffee and then we start the homeward journey.

The way back...
We are just on our way, or we hit a traffic jam. We drive slowly forward by the side of it. On an intersection the police point us to take a detour. When we can later follow the road again, at the next intersection it's the same story. There's been an accident. The trauma-helicopter stands in the pasture next to the road. There is an ambulance, a fire-truck and two recovery-trucks. We need to take another detour. We zig-zag to get by the spectators. Just passing by another traffic-jam and we can drive up the access to the Afsluitdijk. It's good to have a ride with 140 km/h on the counter and find some cooling. Near Quatrebras the thermometre tells us that it is 26 degrees. By 6.30 PM we're home again. Our youngest son is stirring the pan with soup. All that's left to do is bake the schnitzels and we can start having our dinner. A good closure to a wonderful day.

Betty Smit, Motormeisje.nl