Day Two

I left my campsite in Elberg about 10:30, and found the home of Erik and Saskia Wannee about 5 hours later. Much of the trip was along Kanalweg. Even with my atlas, I was frequently lost. I always managed to reach my destination however. Following Kanalweg towards Apeldoorn I saw this interesting paddleboat.

Erik and Saskia were not at home when I arrived, so I hung out in the park which adjoins and serves their community. It was a beautiful area with bikepaths, and bridges, places to run your dog, even a basketball court and skatebooard area out back. I met alot of people who were interested in the Versatile. People here speak English a whole lot better than I do Dutch. None the less, communication was often challenging. I met a group of kids in the park who had the patience to TRY to communicate for a while. I had brought Kazoos from the factory in my hometown of Eden, and passed them out to the kids. I was later rewarded with a boondoggle keychain that I still use for the Versatile keys. ( over there it is called skoebidoe- pronounced like the dog)

On my way out of Elberg that morning I was helped by four cyclists who were enjoying breakfast outside a cafee. The tallest of them all managed to cram himself into the Versatile, getting out was a little tougher. Later that afternoon in the park I met a couple nice ladies who spoke some English, but not enough to direct me to a store to get some cola, so they went home and brought me 2 ice cold cans, a1.5 litre bottle for later, and even some appelbotter cookies. The cookies didn't impress me much at first, but when you get hungry they really hit the spot, and before my trip was over I bought more of them.

I spent the afternoon and evening in the park, making regular trips back to Erik's house, but once it started getting cooler and darker, decided to seek lodging for the night. I found a Bed and Breakfast not far away at Deventerstraat33. It was Euro24 for the night with a marvelous breakfast in the morning. Fresh baked croissants with home made marmelaide, soft boiled egg, toast, cheese,tea, coffee, milk, even cereal available. Very good stuff. I ate with a dutch couple who were in the middle of a bike trip themselves. They don't even own a car. I parked my Versatile in the garden in back of the B&B where it would be safe for the night.

This is the front of the Bed and Breakfast. Beautiful biulding. After breakfast I headed back to the Wannee residence. I tried the bell a time or two, and was just slipping a note in the mailslot when the door opened. Erik's wife Saskia invited me in, and made me feel very much at home. She gave me a cell phone to use, a key to their home and some iced tea. Then she lead me into town to get minutes for the phone, some more maps, and some postcards. Then Saskia went to work with the pet ambulance company, and I went for a ride sans luggage. I passed a really cool amusement park with an animated dinosaurs, and at least one pedal powered ride.

That evening I finally got to meet Erik in person. He spent a long time setting me up with an itinerary for traveling the country, and arranged places for me to stay along the way with other velomobilists. We planned a ride that would take me over remote wooded bike routes, and across the two largest dykes with nothing but ocean on either side for miles and miles. Erik and Saskia have a back to back recumbent tandem that's really cool. He is planning out ideas for a velomobile with front and rear wheel steering which would maximize the effects of the wind to the rider's advantage. The Wannees are very smart, kind, and helpful people.