SKL's Walking Blog

Netherlands – 3

Hoek Van Holland ferry to Haringvlietplein Stellendam 26th July 2025

Warndering through the heartland of Rotterdam and gazing at the bones and blood of the empire that is trade makes me believe that the Green’s and their desire to move to ‘renewalable’ technologies by 2030 is a joke. 24/7 the ships arrive, huge things powered by diesel. Their attendant tugs and tenders, pilot boats and service boats, the same. Then cranes and square miles of containers and thousands of lorries, and vechiles of all sizes and shapes, not to speak of the trains and the myriad coaches.

The first truck stop. Well populated, as Clarkson might say, with drivers waiting to pick up their prostitutes for the day’s killing.
JCBs are building a huge sand castle in the background.
Tracks, bridges and pathways for bikes and walkers abound. Here is a path specifically for – and I mean you should have seen the f ‘ing looks I got – mountain bikes.
Back down to the sea at Oostvoorne and a swampy estuary with no good sand to walk on. I have to get around that distant point for two miles to the first chance of a stop.
Things have improved as I head out along the point.
Looking back at the old ‘dam but soft and slow underfoot.

Not much changing up ahead.
At last around the headland and some harder sand as well as a faint square tower near the finish in the haze.
A chance for a coffee approaches. The bridge for the final section in the distance.

Maybe two hours to go and I messed up on my distances when I swapped my schedule around to travel south and west instead of north and east.
Underfoot soft again as Iook back to the point, now so long passed.
Approaching the finish on the bridge on top of the flood defences. Which are massive.

Although today turned out to be a much longer trip than I was expecting it was one of contrasts. The infrastructure of Rotterdam was immense and the ship traffic constant. It’s not just big ones. Bridges everywhere have traffic lights on the water and a wee woman comes up in her yacht that won’t quite fit under the bridge. The traffic is stopped – creating miles of tailbacks – and the bridge is raised to allow her through – even massive two lane things. Love it.