Well we decide to avoid going to Amsterdam- we didn’t fancy a Big Touristy city (yes, we know, we are tourists!) and instead head off southwards towards Utrecht. We find a small farm campsite a few miles outside of Utrecht from where we can cycle to the city and take a good look around. Camping Vliert was very difficult to find and we nearly gave up, however it was well worth persevering with that damned sat-nav.
Once there, we have an agonising wait for Mr Farmer to come to reception, then a further wait for Mrs Farmer, who does speak English, to confirm that we have a reservation..phew! Camping Vliert is really neat; with good pitches and excellent facilities, including undercover bike storage, and it offers fresh farm produce for sale at the gate. We duly indulge ourselves with fresh plums and eggs, but bought cherries elsewhere. The nearest Lidl, at Houten, is only 1.3 miles away and sells 4 croissants for €1.16 so its a quick dash on the bike each morning for breakfast. Houten also has a branch of Boots, but Fiona resisted the temptation to try to use her staff discount card.
Oh dear. The skies are grey when we emerge on Tuesday morning so we take waterproofs with us when we cycle to the city. And we need them. Mid afternoon the skies open and its wet for a time, but all clears up by the time we are finished and we enjoy a cycle back to camp in the dry.
Utrecht is a maze of narrow interlinked streets, dominated by its 367ft tall Dom Tower and its Sint Martin’s cathedral; it was also very crowded and has the near mandatory canals. Maybe our experience of Utrecht was spoilt by the rain.