Thursday, 1st October,1981 sunny
and cool
Woke to another nice day.
As the area was closing for winter everyone had to be out by 12 noon, so
the camp was a bustle from early morning.
We met a busload of Aussies on a Sundowner tour. Today we head for the main dike.
We took the wrong road which caused a tremor through the
van, but then we were on our way.
Stopped at Volendam, a pretty fishing village in Maketemeer Bay
where the people still dressed in their national dress - men lazed in the sun
whilst the fishing boats came in and out of the bay. One boat had discharged tubs and tubs of
eels. John had his video going to record
this way of life unknown to us. The
streets were narrow, as were the houses but clean - the windows sparkle in the
whole of Holland.
After wandering around
we headed for Edam
where we pulled up at a canal behind an Australian couple.
Had lunch and as we couldn't go through cheese factory we headed north again.
The land is so flat and green we had to stop and take a
photo. Windmills aren't as prevalent
now. At the beginning of the dike we
were held up whilst a sailing boat went through the sluice. A remarkable piece of engineering the
dike - begun in 1918 and finished in 1932.
It changed the way of life from less fishing to farming. What was once Zuider Zee
is now completely fresh water fed from the Rhine - 3 million L bottles per minute
is fed into the Ijesselmeer. We stood on
the barrier dam with the North Sea to the left
and the bay to the right hand. Kilometres of the dike either side for as far is
you can see. Legend has it Hans Brinker
put his finger in the dike to keep Holland
from being inundated with the sea.
Holland
reminds me of my schooldays - fancy dress balls and clogs - happy days. Not long after leaving the dike we decided to
find a park and rest for the night.
Found a closed caravan park at Workum, a park right on the bay. Walked around the waters edge- it was like
glass. Can't believe we're actually
beside the Zuider Zee. Amazes me the cycle lanes everywhere city and
country.
Friday, 2nd October, 1981
Awoke at Workum Warkum by the old Zuider
Zee to a bleak and overcast day.
Breakfast and then off on the highway again. There wasn't anyone on duty when we arrived
the night before but on going out we were caught at the gate. Didn't mind as the showers were hot and the spiders
were tame. We passed through Lemmer a
town situated on the Meer. Had morning
tea just outside the town as boats were plowing up and down the canals. The countryside is lush so green, windmills
dating from1700s on the side of road and out in the never never - a huge lock
with lots of activity.
Passing windmills built in 1706-1849 brought great
pleasure. Then down south through
Emmaford, Kampen where we had morning tea by the canal. On to Zwolle,
a large town with the biggest Centrum pedestrian area we have seen. Filled our larder with lots of goodies from a
department store at Nymegen, which reminded me of David Jones with all
continental counters.
We parked along the highway for lunch. Roads and cycle lanes ran side-by-side. A small town on the canals had many thatched
cottages - made me homesick for Britain. All along the highway a cow manure smell
pervaded the van, they cover the heaps with plastic and tyres along the
roadside.
The country has changed and now as we approach the German
border, hills gently rise on the horizon, the forests thicken as we passed
through Arnhem
on to Nymegen a large town where we had difficulty finding the caravan
park. Here we found the supermarket, but
took longer with a park. After dusk we
pulled in, showered and were preparing tea when the attendant arrived. Park closed but we could stay overnight so we
had a cheap night's accommodation -two guilders for showers. It was raining so we were comfortable in the
van. Played 500 then on to bed. Cars are at a minimum here- every one - old and
young- used pushbikes
Saturday, 3rd October, 1981 raining
but fine later
Left Nymegen after breakfast, said goodbye to the river Waal and hello to River Maas. Today we are just cruising down the highway
towards Venlo. The countryside is changing, more bush and
drier fields. The Rivers run alongside
the highway. Holland is such a clean country, all houses
sparkle, driveways, gardens and roads are devoid of leaves. Haven't found a grotty house or village.
Crops have appeared again, the canals have been replaced by
the River Maas. Outside of Venlo we found a huge
hypermarket. We had already filled the
larder but we walk through admiring which stimulated taste buds, all the
goodies. John couldn't resist - brought
Dutch biscuits. We brought bread and had
lunch in the car park. As it is near the
German border there were lots of Germans.
English (from NATO forces) in the hypermarket.
We drove on along the river Roer to Roemond a large town on
the river once again the scenery changing.
Beside corn, acres of tulips are almost ready to burst into bloom. The people are not as friendly here. We went through a small village and it was
perfect, not a leaf on the ground gardens pruned perfectly. This we found everywhere in Holland.
Big cities are spotless. Through
a spotless village
of Echt to the camping
area. Very friendly people in
charge. We washed all our clothes, hot
showered, washed hairs played a game of 500 and to bed. Perfect night for sleeping but awoke to rain.
Sunday, 4th October, 1981 rain
that cleared
We are on our way to Germany today. Leisurely breakfast, warmer clothes with the
nip in the air. Off towards the border
through Oosbech, Heerlem where we spotted 2 huge stone elephants outside a
stone village. As we neared the border
we pooled coins and John called into a service station for three guilders of
petrol. On to the autobahn and to the
German border - creeping in the car towards checkpoint. Through at last - no trouble, we change some
money my guilders into deutsche marks $.40= one deutsche mark. Then on into Aachen, where we found a park near the
market.
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| Aachen, Germany |
In the main market is the Dom - the Cathedral that Charlemagne
had built in AD800 on similar lines to Romans.
A 2-storey ambulatory circles the octagon at whose Centre hangs a
magnificent bronze chandelier lit by candles.
A statue of Virgin Mary stands near one of the pillars, it is said to be
miraculous. The pulpit is made from
bronze decorated with precious stones. Charlemagne's marble throne stands
undamaged. Charles the Great as he was
known brought together tribes into the Holy Roman Empire. In the Domschatzkammer - the Cathedral
Treasury is one of Germany's
richest treasures from the year 990.
Gold busts, silver and precious stone encrusted crucifix pure gold
treasures from the Carolingian era.
We had our first German espresso, very strong, in a dear
little Hotel “the red house". Then
on through Duren, Euskichen towards Bonn, a very windy day.
The houses are Bavarian - small white with high gables. We noticed some Bavarian dress amongst the
people.
In Bonn
looking for camp. Bonn is a large city with mostly modern
buildings, tram cars run through streets.
The river Rhine divides Bonn. Barges plough up and down the river till late
at night.
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| Amsterdam, Netherlands to Bonn, Germany |
