Day 2 - Ouddorp to Middelburg (Leiden -> Venlo trip)

Bicycle: 16 km

Bus: 42 km

Riding time: 1:20 h
Total ascent: 50 m
Avg speed: 13.0 km/h
Route: Ouddorp - Port Zelande - Middelburg
Weather: Very windy and then rain (ZW6), 16 C

The cycling photo of today is this one:

I have spent more time today sitting in my warm and cozy B&B in Middelburg watching 2017 Tour de France rides than actually on my own bicycle. But there is a (good) reason for this. 

After the strong wind yesterday, for today the wind forecast was just a slightly bit less fierce, but it also had some rain forecast to start around 13:00. Well, rain did start earlier, around 10:00 (about 40 minutes into the ride) and the wind was still extremely strong and - unfortunately - blowing in the "wrong" direction. 

My original plan was to follow the LF route along the coast, which for sure is very scenic, but I had given up on that plan already yesterday evening and instead went for the shortest route between Ouddorp and Middelburg, which would have been anyway 53 km, but after about 10 km, while struggling against the wind on top of yet an other dam, rain started. The wind was so fierce that it was even hard to get the rain gear on, the helmet toppled away and I managed to catch it only with a good sprint. 

This picture I took about halfway into the dam. It started raining right when I was at the height of that square building that one can just see on the horizon. And that was a lucky coincidence. Not because that building actually allowed for some cover, but because it is part of Port Zelande, a holiday park, which has a bus stop! 

Actually shortly after I had managed to get my rain gear on and found the bus stop (which looked like a good place to hide... until I saw that it actually didn't have any side walls (who builds such a stupidity?) the rain had stopped again, and even the sun came out peaking.

But at that moment I was cold, wet and well, the wind was still there and further treats of rain. So I waited for the bus, got on ... 

... and road all the way to Middleburg. An apparently nice old, fortified city... which I didn't give any chance to shine... as I only wanted to have a quick, hot lunch, and get out of the cold and wet weather as quickly as possible to my B&B. 

Truth be told, it didn't rain again on me while riding from Middelburg to the B&B (nor while I was in the bus). But it did rain, when I was already safely here, and in a much better form of water: