Into the heart of Fryslan

This was a full and interesting day: started with breakfast at Niko and Esther's house and stopping at the train station in Groningen to find tickets to come back to Denmark on the 1st. The station is a beautiful old building and has the biggest bicycle parking we have seen so far as documented in the picture. The computers were down and had to wait a long time, and we did not get the direct overnight reservation because there was no room for the bikes... instead we got a reservation where we go in 6 different trains and have 5 transfers... I am sure it will be a relaxing time to read (while on the train) mixed with being frantic during transfer times. By the time we got our tickets it was noon, and started on this interesting system of bike paths through fields, dikes, forests and canals they have in Fryslan, it was like a game...a scavenger hunt to find the next number. Niko had prepared a route for us that would be fun and interesting. We started getting soaked with a short but moderately intense rain shower. The bike path system is really amazing, we only had to back track 3 times, Lots of bicycles along the way, people going to work, families with kids, many older couples (60s,70s) going for a ride or having a picnic along the way, one tandem, as Steve said before, this is bicycle wonderland!
The goal was to get to Sneek (pronounced snake), or for the Fryslanders: Snits. In order to get there we had to cross an area full of canals and lakes with few roads so we had to catch 3 short ferries and since we started late it was the end of the hours they functioned, got a rush making it to all 3 and saved 10 extra miles around the park. We got to Sneek around 7 PM with the sun slowly setting. The hotel we found is in the main street on top of a restaurant and pub. The street was closed with barriers and the entire town was on the side walk waiting for something to happen ... when we came down to eat after showering we discovered that is was the local sport: couples go around in little carriages dressed like the old times, the man manages the horse while the woman tries to get a ring from a post with a big wooden stick!
We have many more stories for today.. we are saving them for the slide show. Next to north Holland to see the beach, tulips and cheese.