Nettetal – Waffle in Kaldenkirchen (Wednesday 15 August 2012)

After a morning walk with the dog into Lobberich so I could visit an Apotheke and buy some mosquito bite cream (which they had) and some Brötchen for lunch from the supermarket, I had my lunch and did a bit more work and then it was time to take the trike out for a ride.

It was really hot today – I think it’s about 31 degrees – and last night’s rainstorm hadn’t made much difference to the humidity.

The route is yet another that I had downloaded from GPSies.com. It goes further south west than the other routes I’ve done, including visiting Kaldenkirchen which I have been through on the train several times but have never actually stopped at.

I headed off on some roads that I took yesterday on the group ride with the Lobberich people, including crossing the motorway on a bridge and then going under what seemed like a rather scary railway bridge. When we went under it yesterday there was a huge freight train going over and it was scary that you could see the underside of the carriages – it seems a very basic design!

I arrived in

Which is apparently twinned with that previously-unknown UK town Fenland.

As I went through Kindt I saw several fields of asparagus that had been left to grow (as you have to at the end of the season)

On the way to the village of Born I saw a couple of horse-and-carts together, with a Jack Russell terrier looking like he was having a fab time on the second cart!

As I went through Bruggen I saw this fantastic bit of drainpipe

And a restaurant with a handy train engine outside

And more asparagus in rows…

After Genholt the route went a bit more into the countryside and the tarmac surface changed to forest track.

Because it had rained yesterday there were some puddles and I got a bit muddy from time to time as I went through them (I don’t have the front mudguards on the trike at the moment).

Some of this route was parallel with the Dutch border, about a quarter of a mile from it, and I noticed some Dutch voices passing on bikes.

It was almost six miles of woodland cycling which was cooler (good) but muckier and harder work (less good!)

Eventually I arrived in Kaldenkirchen with spots of mud up my arms (I was wearing a vest top) so I looked a bit like a dalmatian. The route took me into the centre of the town (where the church was wrapped up for restoration) and deposited me conveniently at an Eiscafé (Ice Cream Cafe).

I parked Alfie beside the opticians opposite

And then ordered myself a waffle with strawberries and kiwi fruit. Get a load of this work of art!!!

It was absolutely delicious! Unfortunately I didn’t have a cup of tea with it due to a lack of foresight in not replenishing the teabags in my cycling bag. I didn’t want to risk German tea so had an orange juice instead. I was pretty thirsty after riding 19 miles on a hot day, some of which was on sandy paths (hard work!)

As I was finishing my waffle the heavens opened but I was sitting under a parasol so remained dry. I watched the rain and then it stopped just in time for me to head off again back home.

From Kaldenkirchen it was just a short journey to cross under the motorway and then I found myself back at the series of fields with random topiary – I liked these corkscrew trees, rather reminiscent of the drainpipe in Schaag

And as I was crossing the road in Leuth I noticed this rather surprising sign

Dunno if this has the same meaning in Germany. It didn’t seem to be doing much trade and I hastily pedalled on.

The roads around Sassenfeld seemed quite wet so they must have had a bit more rain than I did on my ride. It was a nice trip out anyway; I think my last ride tomorrow may head over to Holland so I can do some more riding there. Maybe I will be able to find some Poffertjes!

Total distance: 26.63 miles
Moving time: 2 hours 34 minutes
Average speed: 10.3 mph
Average heart rate: 118
Maximum heart rate: 166
Calories burned: 892

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