Day 29: Emmen to Elburg | 98km
27 June 2026
Another scorching day, but it seems the heatwave gripping northwestern Europe is finally starting to loosen its hold, though not until tomorrow. Irene and I left Emmen at 8 am, hoping to cover most of today’s ride before the peak sun hours. The strategy was sound, but even so, we battled a relentless sun beating down on us for hours. We both felt sluggish, and although I didn’t notice it at first, the fatigue from riding on the hottest June day on record in the Netherlands had caught up with me. I wasn’t sore, but it felt like my pedal strokes lacked their usual power. Instead of propelling me forward, they just dragged me along.
The network of bike paths across the Netherlands so far has been incredible. Many of the villages we passed seemed better adapted for bikes than cars. Even the roundabouts had dedicated bicycle lanes, and the Dutch take cycling customs and rules seriously. I was trying to ride next to Irene, barely crossing the middle line separating the two lanes when a Dutch man biking past scolded me. Even though I suppose he was right, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed by how upset he was over my minor misstep.
We did our best to keep spirits high and heads down to reach Zwolle, where we had spotted a nice looking restaurant for lunch that could also serve as a hiding spot from the sun for the afternoon. The way there was flat, thankfully, and took us through villages, farmlands, and nature reserves. Wherever we looked, there seemed to be an unmistakable abundance of ponies and miniature horses. I’ve never seen so many ponies as I have since biking across this country, so I looked it up online (as I often do to satisfy my little observations along the way). Turns out it’s because the Netherlands is so flat, with ideal grassy landscapes. Equestrian culture is deeply rooted here, and many people keep hardy ponies for land management or as companion animals. If I ever have a house with a big garden, I could see myself getting a miniature horse, though I’d probably treat it like a big dog.
Another funny animal sighting from the day wasn’t a particular animal I haven’t seen much of before, but a unique combination I didn’t expect to see together. While riding through a big park, standing right next to each other, were an ostrich, a donkey, and a deer. I won’t lie, it kind of made my day.
I’d never heard of Zwolle before planning this trip through the Netherlands, so I had no expectations. But we rolled into a truly beautiful and vibrant city with a great atmosphere. As it was one of the hottest days in history, many people were out with small boats or paddleboarding in the canals surrounding and meandering through the streets of the city center. One of the biggest downsides of being on a schedule, no matter how loose, is that I don’t feel I have time to linger too long in places I wish I could explore more. Zwolle was definitely a town I would have liked to hang around in for the rest of the day to explore the canals, perhaps paddleboard myself, and see what else it has to offer. However, when the heat started to ease slightly around 5:30 pm, it was time to move on.
A little over 20 km later, we set up camp at a beautiful spot in a nature reserve (with a camping section) close to Elburg. We had been warned by several people that sleep might be hard to come by tonight due to a festival called Defqon 1 nearby. I can already hear the music blasting in the distance, though I’m not sure if it’s from the festival. I guess we’ll see.