When in doubt, just follow the crowd.

I finally got on my bike and set out for a day trip to Gouda.  My goal was to ride my bike to another city, as opposed to the shorter rides I've been taking to Rotterdam central, to campus and around the neighborhood.  Gouda is about 20 km (about 12 miles) from my house and it's pretty much a straight shot, going northeast.  It was a cloudy day but warm enough, so fairly comfortable for biking.

With my Fietsknoop (Bike Nodes) paper map in hand, my Fiestknoop App on my phone, I started out with a general idea of the route.  I soon learned that there are not so many actual 'fietsknoops' to be found on the road and in the end, it was Google Maps that guided my trip.  I started at the lake near my house and found a 'fietsknoop' sign (see an example below) and was on the lookout for the next one, but no luck.

Google worked very well and I found myself biking through some very upscale Rotterdam suburbs, as well as farms and a few small villages.  The bike paths are, for the most part, very easy to follow, with a few exceptions.  Crossing major highways and construction projects can make make things a bit challenging, but all it takes is a bit of "Follow the Leader".  There are usually a few cyclists going in your direction and, since it's safe to assume all of them are locals, I simply pulled off the path, took a look around and followed!  Simple!

I arrived in Gouda in time for a coffee and lunch at the Marktplein.  Unfortunately, COVID has shut down the cheese market so it was a bit quiet.  However, I found plenty to keep me interested, including:

Large posters on the side of building, depicting families in their living space.  It looked like an attempt to showcase the diversity of the local residents living in the neighborhood - 

And lots of thatched roof homes - some very modest and others not so much - 

And protest signs - AGAINST NEW BIKE ROADS - (my translation: "Bicycle Highway Right Through our Village? NEVER!  Safety Before Speed!")

Lessons learned?  Follow the locals, always look up to find something new and interesting and don't be afraid to strike out on your own!