We got quite an early start this morning, after enjoying breakfast presented by a friend of the B & B owner.  Actually heard the 8 am bells ringing as we pedaled away from Brielle.

We knew it was to be a longer day (57 km, about 36 miles) and we were worried about the wind as much of the ride was close to the coast of the North Sea.

The area is called the Delta Works, causeways built between 1954 and 1997, after a disastrous flooding in 1953.  One of those we biked across was a large sluice system with moveable barriers on both sides. The fresh lake water inside is higher than the North Sea salt water on the outside. When the German rivers melt and send large amounts of water to Holland, they actually release water out of the lake into the North Sea.  And the barriers prevent the storming North Sea to penetrate the lake and flood everything inside.  The second one we biked across had large dunes, likely with concrete supports below, and there were numerous recreation areas along the North Sea side with wind surfers.

We stopped for lunch in one of the harbor towns before arriving in Zierikzee by 2 pm.  Our hotel is called De Wilde Man, seemed appropriate with our biking charges into the wind today.  Later in the afternoon we walked around town, noticing the City Hall and the harbor with mussel boats.  Enjoyed a delicious pot of mussels in wine for dinner – each larger than a quarter in size.