Again we ended up biking in 30+ degree weather but today it was closer to 35!

We drove into the Netherlands to Hoge Veluwe National Park near Arnhem. The park is about 1300 acres and includes forest, grassland and sand dunes. At the park, they have hundreds of white bikes that you can use for free to explore the park. Despite the heat, we rode through much of the park. The best part was the sand dunes which looked like we'd travelled to another land. We called it the Dutch Death Valley. Did I mention it was hot?!

Because today was our second wedding anniversary, Olaf and Sabine gave us a lock to lock on the bridge in Gescher. We had seen the many locks symbolizing ever-lasting love on our ride the day before and thought it would be a romantic way to celebrate. On our way to dinner, we stopped by the bridge, locked our lock, and threw the keys into the river. There's no escape now!

Afterwards, we drove to a neighbouring town for dinner. The owner of the restaurant is a friend of Olaf and Sabine and we were treated like royalty! The seafood dinner, with six or seven different types of fish, was absolutely amazing. Who knew we would travel from the west coast of Canada to Germany to experience such a meal! After dinner, the owner even gave me a bottle of grappa to take home. It was a very memorable evening.

Now we are back in our room and it is probably 28 degrees. Thankfully, Olaf and Sabine have lent us a fan so we can get some sleep as we have another busy day planned tomorrow. This travelling is hard work!