We start our cycling tour in the woods of Gaasterland. The sun shines through the leaves, making them breathtakingly beautiful. The shades of yellow, red, brown and a little green light up the foliage. We sniff the scent of late summer. We don't have to go to America for the Indian Summer. For us, it starts at bicycle junction 20 in Southwest Friesland.

An arrow points towards Pluktuin De Bascule in the village of Hommerts. It is immediately clear here that September is the harvest month. The pasture is a true oasis of color. We walk into the garden with basket and scissors. We see different compartments filled with flowers, courgettes, cucumbers and many types of pumpkins with special names
such as the Hokkaido and Patisson.

The Patisson is white and related to the courgette. It looks like a flying saucer. Trinalda, the owner of Pluktuin De Bascule, explains that the Patisson can be processed in many ways, delicious for soup, in a pie or filled with a dip sauce, for example. "And the pumpkin seeds can also be used in delicious pesto!" Trinalda transforms our picked sunflowers, dahlias, cosmea, grasses and chrysanthemums into a beautiful field bouquet. Our only concern is, how do we get this on the bike?

Courgettes, pumpkins and flowers are bulging from the bicycle bag. Enough ingredients harvested and time to start the retreat. We cycle close to the water along the Slotermeer; our reflection looks like a harvest festival. That is also how it feels, like a harvest festival on a bicycle. While cycling through Balk, we look for the shelter of the Gaasterland forests, towards the Indian Summer. We return somewhat tired but certainly satisfied. It has literally and figuratively become a tough bike ride with the "Patissons", the picked herbs and the (ground) corn. And now quickly into the kitchen!