A sunny start and a pleasant first half. The day before yesterday I was growing tired of the German section of the Europa-Radweg R1 – pointlessly indirect and without the regular pleasures of the 100 Schlösser Route. I realised – after yesterday’s fat, fluffy hens – that it lacked the opportunity for serendipity. Here in the Netherlands it’s a different story: today it was the herringbone setts that pleased me plus a great little café stop in a place with a lovely garden. Then Bronkhorst near the River Ijssel; it started to rain so there was no chance of stopping to take photos, but it looked very pretty. And touristy . . . but, really, there is no hope nowadays of keeping delightful places totally hidden. The section to Doesburg was a bit dull, but Doesburg itself – a Hansa town – is great. It is at the confluence of the Ijssel and Oude Ijssel – the latter fed by the Bocholter Aa.