Tuesday, April 26

With the rain changing our plans, today was a return to the trip I envisioned! After Noah had a very nice breakfast with Juliette and her mom at the hotel, we decided to take the bus from Leiden to Keukenhof due to a sunny-but-cold morning, and we again made the right decision.

Arriving at Keukenhof – a vast park of tulip exhibitions of countless varieties produced by area farmers – by bus soon after it opened allowed us to relax completely during our two hours of wandering around the hundreds of tulip displays. All three of us took a deep interest in the variety and quality of the tulips, and we all found favorite tulip types and tulip bed arrangements – not to mention a serious craving to redo our front landscaping when it’s bulb-planting season.

After luckily finding the gloves Tammy had left on the bus (same bus, same sweet old driver), we went back to the hotel, where Noah found Juliette again for more ping pong and trampoline time. I prepped the bikes while Tammy and Juliette’s mom connected. Then it was happy goodbyes and hugs before the three of us (finally!) embarked on a real bikepacking tour.

The 27 miles we biked from Leiden to Rotterdam were unforgettable – helped along by a tailwind that made the ride pretty effortless. Much of the ride was along canals, and we passed through a few cute towns (lunch outside at an Italian restaurant at one of the towns, overlooking a narrow little drawbridge that raised a few times) and had breathtaking views of canals lined with homes boats, farms, livestock, horses, forests, and countless bikers (usually passing us!). It was all I had imagined for years and more – and Noah and Tammy were amazing throughout.

The major stop of the day was Delft, where we explored the town as it prepared for Kings Day tomorrow. Delft has picture-perfect canals, pedestrian streets and bike racks all coexisting naturally – it’s a wonder that Dutch cities like Delft evolved for centuries to accommodate different lifestyles and transportation. 

The ride from Delft to Rotterdam got increasingly harrowing and busy as we got closer, but we safely arrived at our Stayokay Hostel for the big surprise for Noah of the trip: reservations at the hostel, which occupies part of the famous “cube houses” in the center of Rotterdam. Even though I found out laundry was a no-go, Noah and I bought some simple groceries, and the three of us hung out in the hostel’s common area for hours, relaxing and enjoying the college traveler vibe. Noah’s bed is a bunk bed that faces angled windows (all walls in the hostel are on angles), and it’s safe to say this is as unique of a hotel as we’ve ever stayed in. Definitely a hostel though! Tomorrow is King’s Day, and Rotterdam’s main festival will be literally right outside our room’s window.