Thursday, May 8, 2003,
Today we leave Ommen to go home again. The weather forecast for the afternoon and
the evening was rain and thunderstorms so I leave early to be home before it starts.
At first I drive to Ommen to fill my tank at the Shell gasstation in Ommen. Then I get
on the N347 through Nijverdal to Rijssen.
Thatchers working on the thatched
roof of a restaurant on the N347.
Near Holten I see a thatched roof that is made on a restaurant near the N347. A thatched
roof is a roof constructed of waterreed on a mostly wooden frame. It looks very good, has
good insulation but is a little more dangerous with fire.
From Rijssen I take the N752 to Markelo, a very nice road and beautifull views. From
markelo I get on the N754 and then the N346 to Lochem. Just before I enter Lochem, I take
a left turn onto a narrow road (no trucks allowed) past Ruurlo to Zelhem.
Between Ruurlo and Zelhem
On the outskirts of Zelhem, I call my friends who are living there but they don't answer the
phone so I guess they are not at home.
From Zelhem I drive through Doetinchem to the N316 to 's Heerenberg. 's Heerenberg is on
the border to Germany. Over the German border I drive past Emmerich to Kleve but before I
continue to Kleve, I stop at the riverbank near Emmerich, right over the bridge.
Near Emmerich in Germany
While I'm drinking my RedBull, two Germans arive on bike's (I think one was a Suzuki bandit
and the other a Yamaha Diversion). We had a chat and talk about the route and the map and
then I get on the bike again.
From Emmerich I drive to Kleve. In Kleve I see a nice big tower on a hill. It is a part of
the old city.
Nice building in Kleve in Germany
In Kleve it is difficult to find the right way but finaly I find a road in the direction of
Kranenburg. I follow this road to the junction with road 504 to Van-Zelderheide back in the
Netherlands and to Gennep. It is realy beautifull here, a lot of forrest, a few hills a
small river beside the road so now and then and beautifull houses, farms and small villages.
From Gennep I use the N264 through Haps, st.Hubert and Uden. Around Uden there are o lot of signs
that moving of birds is prohibited because of the birdpest that's going on in this area.
Bird transportation restrictions because of the birdpest
Past Volkel Airbase I drive past Mariaheide to Veghel and from Veghel to st Oedenrode. They are
building a freeway here so I have to avoid this stretch of road next time :-(
From st Oedenrode I take the N619 to Best and Oirschot. In Best it was hard to find the road to
Oirschot because of a closed road but after a improvised detour through a modern residential area
(I would call it a maze but that's the modern way of building) I found the road to Oirschot.
In Oirschot I fill my tank again at a Shell station (11.27 liter for 212 kilometer) and with my
tank filled I drive through Oosterbeers to Middelbeers. It is almost two PM now so I'm getting
hungry. Time for lunch so I stop at a nice terace in Middelbeers for a sate-sandwich and a
coffee and I enjoy the peacefull atmosphere in this little village, the nice weather and the
beautifull Gold Wing in front of the terace.
Lunch at a nice terace in Middelbeers
After a good lunch I ask the waitress for directions and get on the bike again. Via Westerbeers
and Netersel I arrive in Bladel. Past Bladel I cross the border with Belgium on the N284 to
Turnhout. You are supposed to drive the circulair road around Turnhout but I don't like that
so I drive through the old center of Turnhout. When I'm past the center I see the signs to
Merksplas already and via Merksplas I drive through Rijkevorsel (the N131) to st.Lenaarts.
Because I don't like the traffic jams in Brecht, I take the longer road via Loenhout to
Wuustwezel. Just before I arrive in Wuustwezel, I park the Wing on the side of the road to
drink a soda and stretch my legs and then I get on the road past Kalmthout and Putte to my
home.
I arrived home at four PM and I drove 318 kilometer today. I have been driving for seven hours
and my timing was perfect. As soon as I parked the bike in the garage, the rain started but I
didn't had a drop of rain!
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