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trailrunnerbiker

Some pics of our trip..

trailrunner
9 years ago

We are now in the Netherlands since July 16th. We are staying in B and B's that I selected from B and B NL. It is an AMAZING website and you won't find better. We have been more than pleased with the 2 places we have stayed so far..3 nights at each. We have one more night here in Friesland and then we move on to Gelderland. So here are some pics of the areas so far. I haven't had a chance to load any pics from the 45 days along the rivers we rode from Vienna, Austria to Nantes France but hopefully will get to it at some point . We are having too much fun riding many kilometers every day here and meeting folks and resting.

seen today near Makkum:

a beautiful old church rescued many times over the last 600 years and now used as an art exhibit area...in Makkum.

DH covered up from the hot sun...it has been 90's every day ! Holland is having a heat wave..will end tonight after the rains hopefully.

One of 3 ways that the bike paths are marked..this is the least useful/oldest/most difficult to see-find...they are called
paddestoel...like a toadstool LOL !

the back garden where we are staying now in Friesland...huge yard and chickens and raised beds FULL of everything you can imagine !

there are 5 girls and we get fresh eggs every AM :)

our breakfast area :

view across the fields at the back toward the "kerk"

another taken tonight on our walk:

view from our bedroom suite...out over the fields..they are Velux skylight windows that pull down and open wide...have screens too and shades...very very nice...no bugs !

our room...double beds..everything in the rooms and adjoining kitchen are European Ikea...very nice quality...

oops...had to stop our ride from Leeuwarden to Kudaard for the cows !

our first B and B in Noord Holland...on the Vecht River...the oldest river in Holland dates from the 12th century and is a branch of the Rhine..which we rode the full length of in Germany and Switzerland ! This is where we ate breakfast each morning and then we moved closer to the water and the back garden area to watch the boats in the evening.

our other table area...at sunset this was the best place...so romantic...

our little bench with rose campion growing up through the slats..

one of many views along a canal in Noord Holland.

Ok now that I have worn you out ! I will post more when I get time. Thanks for looking and let me know if you want more info...I feel like a pro now that I have been back for 5 days..it has been since 1989 that we lived here and we are having a ball re-learning our Dutch and getting back into step with the country. c

Comments (45)

  • martinca_gw sunset zone 24
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am green with envy ! Wonderful on so many levels .
    Marti

  • maddielee
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for sharing....beautiful!

    ML

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! What a fabulous time!

  • ellendi
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful pictures. It looks like an amazing trip. Thanks for "bringing us along."

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for posting! Your trips are so luxurious. Not necessarily in the silly commercial sense, but in the sense of having the luxury of time and the chance to develop a bond with fellow cyclists, and the luxury exploring and discovering for yourself and not from a guidebook. Brava!

  • funnygirl
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful! I just love the Netherlands. We lived there, too, and these pix make me consider returning and touring on bikes. How fun...I need to discuss with DH:)! Thanks for sharing.

  • yayagal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Those pictures are fantastic, I felt like I could just sit in one of the chairs and enjoy the views. Thank you
    for sharing.

  • eandhl
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful, thank you for sharing.

  • tinam61
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Glad you are having a good time! Thanks for the pix.

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So beautiful, and thank you for sharing your views and experiences of this wonderful trip!

  • cat_mom
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great pics! So glad you and R are enjoying and taking it all in! :)

  • jterrilynn
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for sharing Trail! I'm very much interested in seeing more of the countryside.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all !

    Marti...yes there are a lot of different emotions going on at present...due to some other things in our lives. I think my camera is choosing pics due to that...I appreciate that you see it.

    ML...thank you !

    Annie...yes it is ! Thank you .

    ellen..I sincerely wish you all were with us..it is an amazing place and the people are just wonderful.

    mnt...you picked up on many of the reasons we make this sort of trip...not the money saving...although there is definitely that factor ,but the reality of living in the moment close to others and getting closer to ourselves. There is also being outside one's comfort zone...a definite factor if one is to grow. Thank you !

    funnygirl..would love to talk to you at leisure about your time here and touring here. We have had the most wonderful time and there isn't anything easier than the Netherlands for touring.

    yaya...thank you I will post more pics :) Sit back and enjoy !

    Holly , thank you !

    tina..you are most welcome and I will post more . Thankyou !

    outside...thank you for looking ! We are having a great time !

    cat...we have certainly had our share of adventures...I need to make way more notes than I have before I forget it all :) Hope you and J are doing great this Summer . thank you !!

    jt...I will post more...glad you are enjoying ! Thank you !

    We rode today in the rain most of the day. We went to a neighboring village called Sneek to get our train tickets. The Dutch train system is currently offering 17 euro tickets that you buy at Albert Heijn grocery stores. You get a paper that you take home and print out and with this paper you can travel anywhere on any mode of transportation in Holland for one day ! Quite the bargain. Uh..we have no " home " LOL ! So we have to be creative. We have had our hosts at the B and B tonight print our tickets for tomorrow and the last tickets we had 4 days ago the VVV printed them . The VVV is the national Dutch tourist bureau. Anything..and I do mean anything that you need they can help. Look for their sign in every single town and get assistance with all needs.

    We also stopped and looked at lots of things in the town..it is quite the tourist town in Friesland and there were SO many folks out enjoying the day in spite of the rain. This Summer is very atypical of Holland in that it has been very very dry and hot. We welcomed the rain and wind as it felt more like how we remembered Holland. Tonight is our last night here in Friesland. Tomorrow we go to Gelderland for 3 nights..we will be staying adjacent to the Veluwe...a large forest that I visited 25 yrs ago. It covers 5400 hectares . We then go on to Limburg..the very hilliest and farthest South region of Holland. HILLS !! and caves...I will keep you posted with pics of what we see and do at each of the new locations. At each we are staying in B and B's from the site I mentioned.

    Here are a few more pics...

    for cyclists and hikers...a tea house by the road...run on the honor system ! Only in Friesland have we seen these so far. A GREAT idea ! There is also a toilet :) And a play area for children...sorry the second photo is blurry..the bike slipped and it was pouring rain LOL !

    here is the type of cycling lane in almost every single town in Holland...your own painted lane with your own traffic signal..note the small green bicycle traffic signal on the right side. You have a yellow button you push and almost immediately the light changes for the bikes ! It is great !

    What do you do on a rainy day in Holland...stop and have a coffee ! A lovely bar in Sneek...

    this tower is over the river and dates from 1600's...beautiful. We watched the boats and kayakers and cyclists as the bridge went up/down to let them pass. Great fun !

    a pretty canal in Sneek

    ooops..this is the last 2 warm apple tarts...they are made with a puff pastry and filled with apples and raisins...oh they are SO good..like a croissant..sort of...and before this we ate the 2 ham and cheese ones..then we had the last 2 apple ones ! I don't think we rode far enough to work it off :)

    at the train station...and this is a TINY one...you can't even imagine in Amsterdam how many bikes are parked there by commuters. Most folks do not take them on the train. Only those folks who are touring. Otherwise they leave it at the station. It costs 6 euros to take a bike on the train. One way .

    how we carried the apple and ham/cheese pastries...empty avocado boxes ! You get boxes at the grocery store as well as empty shopping bags. You bag your own groceries as the stores do not have help for that and they recycle all boxes for carrying your stuff home. We bungeed it to the bike as we forgot our panniers.

    a stormy day in the country

    a beautiful typical country house..the barn is attached at the back ..easier to get to the cows !

    this was in their yard..not your usual cow !

    the old and the new...you see these Vesta windmills everywhere...there are a couple 1000 of them in the country on windmill farms, and private farms and 2 large "farms" out at sea. They are on a system where the country used to subsidize them at a much higher rate but they have stopped. There is a lot of controversy and you see signs in farmer's fields about it. Fires in the engines and mechanics have died. I don't know all about it and haven't asked at present.

    the kitchen where we are staying...she is a professional photographer/food stylist as is her DH. She remodeled her kitchen 2 yrs ago. All is Ikea for the most part. As is most of the house. The range is an Italian Fratelli Onofri..it is fantastic...they are not easily found here and there are mixed reviews but she loves hers and I watched her use it and it is great !

    cabs ans sink and fridge..) the large black cabinet has a fridge on the left door and on the right door when you open it the bottom half is a freezer and the top half is for storing pots ! Way less than we are used to in the states .

    gorgeous space and love the eating area.

    stairs to the upper level where we are...STEEP and painted bright yellow..hard to get the color in the pic but it is WONDERFUL !

    the same yellow on the doorways and the rafters...love the hot pink sofas...and just everything. She has SO much style ! And great color sense.

    R found the piano..they loved it and he played a LONG time, She has two antique HUGE looms in the room and weaves and sells her weavings.

    this art glass piece was made by the lady across the road...it is about 10 ft tall ! Exquisite

    see how deep the window sills are ??? The house dates from mid 1800's.

    our breakfast area this AM as it was too chilly and rainy to eat outside. Love the inlay in the table and the red floor throughout most of the downstairs. they stained/painted the old wood.

    another view of the LR

    deep windows

    that's it...hope you enjoyed. I am having a nice time looking back at the pics and "seeing" them again..you miss a lot if you take too many so I don't do as many as lots of folks..also I am using R's phone..no camera at all ! Bear with me...c

  • mitchdesj
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just so beautiful, you captured it so well !! thanks for posting these !! continue having a good time !!

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I want to go!!

    Thanks for all the pics. And for recognizing that we'd love seeing the interior shots, too! Love the yellow rafters :)

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mitch..I am glad you enjoyed the pics..we are in Gelderland. and rode all through the Veluwe this afternoon. Not sure what we will do tomorrow ! Always something new. We are definitely having a great time.

    Sue...I just knew you would love the colors and the decorating ! I hope others check back...I didn't want to start a new thread each 3 days. We are in Gelderland and it is so beautiful this evening. The place we are staying isn't as special as I had thought...oh well..one fail in a couple months of + :) Will post pics when I get a chance. We LOVED Friesland and their home and decorating were amazing !

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trailrunner, what an amazing life you lead. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

  • kswl2
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    These pictures are wonderful, C! I love the sheer scale your determination to step outside your comfort zone....for me that is usually a much more mundane, practically microscopic step in comparison to you and your D H.!

    Holland is beautiful country, and you are seeing the best, most individual bits of it. I graduated from secondary school in Amsterdam many years ago and and never tire of,going back!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    justgota...what a nice thing to say . I am sure it isn't for everyone but DH and I love it !

    kswl ,thanks for looking ! We stay out of the big cities as much as possible. With DH's sight what it is and with being on bicycles full time we find the traffic and noise to be too much. We love a town of about 10,000 and mostly way smaller than that. The town we were in in Friesland was 260 LOL..just perfect for us :)

    As far as comfort zone it is certainly a mental and physical challenge to travel this way and be on your "game" all the time. It is either aging us or keeping us very young and alert !

    We are now in Gelderland. A VERY different place altogether from the 2 other areas we have been in. Here one is surrounded by forests and sand dunes and fields of heather . A most amazing and hilly place. Temps are in the 70's-80's and breezy, We have one more day here , Our B and B is on the border of the Veluwe so we can cycle to our hearts content on the paved and unpaved areas. Today we spent the whole day at the Openluchtmuseum. A wonderful collection of old bldgs to recreate the history of the Netherlands. Here are a few pics ;

    kitchen at the museum in a wonderful farmhouse

    and another in a very wealthy landowner's home...should have jotted down the date...amazing though it is very old ! All the homes and bldgs were moved to Arnhem for the outdoor displays.

    the opening on the left is a bed chamber..built into the wall with sliding door...it is so one will be warm....very small and charming

    thatched roof

    cycle path through the woods to Arnhem

    I seem to have messed up my photobucket album so will post more pics when I get it fixed. Hope you enjoy ! c

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm sure my hubby would love to bike all over like you two do, but I'm afraid I could no longer keep up with him. We used to bike all the time when the kids were little. We had seats on the back of bikes and they came right along with us.

  • eandhl
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Everything is just absolutely beautiful. Wish I could be in a side car.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Trail! Those pictures are wonderful. It looks like the perfect vacation for you and DH. BTW, I am extremely impressed with all the kms you are completing!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    oh just...you need to get an ebike !! Everyone here has them and they rent them EVERYWHERE !! The go 150 km on a single charge. Many folks here in Holland , young and old use them. They are heavy but you see folks putting them on the train too. So don't give up ! You can do this too.

    Holly wish you were too ! Thank you !

    Hey cyn...we are doing a lot of riding. DH is so used to it now and he worries how we will find interesting places in the US in our area to cycle to so we can keep it up :) I need to do a total for the trip. I know the first part was about 2500 km and we have done 40-60 every day since but one. It is just so much fun.

    Here are some pics of the Veluwe. It is so barren in places wirh the wind swept dunes..which aren't near ANY water at all and then the deep forests.



    a gorgeous example of a remodel of a very old home and they kept the fantastic thatched roof. This is one of the most beautiful I have seen.

    a "little" friend in the Veluwe on the cycle path LOL !! "wildroosters" is the term for local fauna. There are cattle guards to prevent them from getting out of the 5200 hectare area of the Veluwe. They are very gentle but have some impressive horns. We also see many deer. They are just getting new antlers now that are so soft looking.

    view from our bedroom window...not sure about this tree...need to ask...it looks dead but it is a fave with the birds and certainly is beautiful in the late evening.


    another pic of the back of the yard from our room...the Veluwe is right there...so amazing !


    r and I were next ! Boy was this a fun way to get across the water ! This is at the openluchtmuseum

    one of many molen


    and this...so amazing...how one moved all one's belongings on a bike long ago ! Even the Oriental rug !

    More in the coming days...glad you are enjoying. c

    This post was edited by trailrunner on Thu, Jul 31, 14 at 11:57

  • jterrilynn
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trail, these are great! I so wish I could get my husband’s family onboard with a biking vacation. You just “see” more when walking or biking. My husband has his 60th birthday coming up and has been eyeing the Cannondale Adventure II. He keeps procrastinating as he feels it’s not a good time with the remodels to buy something for himself. Hopefully it’s still in the store because I want to surprise him. He’s such a giver he deserves it. Who knows, maybe I’ll have some biking vacation pictures down the road. Thank you for sharing!

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    'Enjoying' your photographs is a huge understatement. I think 'living vicariously' is more appropriate! Enjoy your trip. I have especially enjoyed the photographs of the biking trails/roads and your descriptions of how cycle friendly the locations have been and the photos of the inside spaces of your lodging (including the garden spaces). How lovely and serene it must be at the end of a long tiring day.

  • texanjana
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, amazing trip and pics. Thank you for allowing me to live vicariously through you!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ya'll are so sweet. I am glad you are enjoying the pics. I could take more but it is our cell phone and we use the GPS and DH carries it so I take it and do a pic or two and give it back when we are riding....also I get carried away looking and forget to take pics. We have some amazing things coming up in the next days so I will have to be better about pics !! Here is some of what we did today. We went a different route in the Veluwe and did 42 km today. Ate a picnic..

    when you can't get a COLD soft drink...you get a Grolsch! We make our lunch every morning from the bounty that is our breakfast. Neither of us can eat as much as we are served so the hostess always encourages us to make our lunch. So yum ! We bought 2 beers in the village Dieren and a bag of Crocky brand chips that we love !

    This is a typical breakfast..now you know why we ride so much !! Hard boiled egg..always from their own chickens, fruit, yogurt, breads and cheeses and ham or other meat, lots of jams sometimes homemade.Pitcher of fresh squeezed OJ. Sometimes homemade breads also.The meat and cheese is in a separate covered box. Coffee...lots of cream and butter. So yum:)

    our bathroom at this B and B. I LOVE the black tile and zero grout lines. It is TINY but SO efficient. Hard to photo. It has a sliding door and I love the mechanics of that also. A tiny sink and a heated towel warmer and skylight.

    the shower...drain in center and flat with the rest of the room. There is a long handled tool to push the water into the drain but it is very little that gets out.

    "art" on the wall..pony wall on right and shower on left

    commode, sink and heated towel rack on wall above commode

    Mother nursing her baby on the cycle path !

    sloppy eater...spilled milk !

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! I am so enjoying your vacation Trailrunner! I had to laugh at the spilled milk. Even furry kids are messy.

    I will most certainly look into an ebike! My FIL had one years ago, but I never really gave it a thought back then because I could ride a regular bike. I know hubby would love to go biking again. Can you use them without the motor on straight away or when you have enough energy to go without the motor?

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    YES!!! As you peddle you "add" to the store of energy. The Swiss ones are the BEST according to what we hear but you need to look in to a lot of different ones made in different places. The ones here in Europe are intended for long distance touring as we see them all over the place. I will get more info now that I know you are interested. What a joy to be able to cycle together as we are doing..I will look forward to sharing the info. Stay tuned :) c

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you so much! I'm very excited as I really need to get back in shape and the extra help from an ebike could really help that happen, as without it, I would never think to buy a bike again. I do have a stationary bike, but that's not near as fun!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    just...I will gather as much info as I can with brand names etc The ones in Europe , I can already tell you are WAY better than the ones in the USA and also WAY cheaper. You can't believe the number of folks that " pass" us each day and they are riding them ! In the grocery store bike racks almost 1/2 are ebikes. So I will get some more info and let you know. You could come here to Europe...buy the bike and then take it back. Even with taxes etc it would be way cheaper I think. Let me get more info first. Hugs to you for wanting to do this...I am so excited for you ! c

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You make me laugh. I think the cost of the flight, there and back, just might make the cost of the ebike a bit higher than I could find here. LOL

  • MagdalenaLee
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Caroline, I was so happy to see entries for your latest adventure. You really know how to make pictures come alive!

    -Mag (formerly kellyeng ;-))

  • mitchdesj
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Once again thank you, the pics are amazing and take us right with you ! that food tray was so charming too.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    haha...just you DO have a good point. Our local cycling club has at least one person who uses an ebike. I do know from my previous research that the ones in the USA donot have as long a battery life as the ones here in Europe. I have heard that the Swiss ones are the very best. So you might look into seeing who is importing the bikes if anyone.

    Thank you Mag !

    Thank you mitch...we have the most amazing breakfasts every day at each B and B...I am always amazed at the variety and culinary skills of the owners..but the decorations on the trays and tables are simply stunning.

    To all..I am sorry that some pics disappeared ! I had them in the "wrong" album and when I moved them it broke the link. I will be sure and not make that mistake again :( c

    We are in Limburg now and leave tomorrow to backtrack and go to Drenthe in the north. It is only a few miles from where we lived in 1989 so we will be revisiting the town of Groningen and see the changes.

    Yesterday we cycled to Dreilandenpunt. It is the highest point in the Netherlands at 355 meters. We cycled UP and UP and then I climbed the 184 steps to get views of Belgium/Holland/Germany. So beautiful ! Yes...I walked out onto the clear platform....ugh...was SO dizzy !

    lunch after the ride up to the top :) XXL burgers with patat frites and mayo !!

    our breakfast room here in Heerlen/Limburg. The woman's DH is an engineer and he made every single thing...all the metal work and stone work and built the rooms and did ALL the woodwork. He has a machine to extrude the aluminum and made the framework of this "winter garden room" !! He is amazing !

    you can see the metal work on the doors.

    they created ALL the gardens over 25 yrs. She is a florist. No surprise. They have 6000 meters sq of gardens ! Then they have a meadow/park they bought with their brother and mother adjacent to the houses here on the deadend street. Truly stunning. We love to walk there and eat out there too.

    he built all the ponds too...sigh...

    our outdoor eating area

    Miss Moneypenny and Woolfie ! Such loves !!

    the big park..first is the entrance

    he built all of these steps..filled concrete that is salvaged

    a BBQ pit area in the big park..he also has a wonderful outdoor kitchen adjacent to the umbrella table above..gas grill and wok burner and fridge ..

    hope you enjoyed ! Tomorrow Drenthe for 4 days this time.c

  • graywings123
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trail, I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your vacation!

    Weird question to ask, but the yellow staircase up to the bedrooms has gray half-rounds on each step. Is that carpeting? Or something else?

  • justgotabme
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You are so much braver than I an Trail! But look at all I'm missing.
    Buying an ebike would be a great excuse for heading to Europe, but I think we'll look into seeing what we can get here. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't need to drive 90 some miles before I am ready for recharging, so I'm thinking I could do with a bike that doesn't go as far without recharging either. Ha ha ha!
    Love the view from that tower, but not sure I could even handle the mesh stairs let along the clear platform! It wouldn't be clear very long though if I walked on it. :^P What an amazing view though!
    Loving the ponds and the doggies along with all the rest of what you just shared. I we'd have kept up biking. I'd be in much better shape than I am now, that's for sure. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I'm truly enjoying it.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    gray...it was a low pile carpet to provide traction. As is typical in the Netherlands the stairs are very steep ! These were created by the current owners of the home. They had been there 25 years. The previous owner had remodeled and messed it up a lot. They then worked on it several times and the final iteration is what you see. The kitchen was done 2 years ago and the upstairs where we stayed was 4 years before ,I think. They waited till their boys moved out and then opened a B and B. They have amazing reviews. I can understand it. If you get a chance check out the link below...they have links to other countries B and B's also. It is wonderful.

    just ...you are very kind but believe me I am not brave. I wouldn't walk out on that clear place and a sweet East Indian man held out his arm and said " I will help you ..." ,....wow...I declined and stood there and then I did it...he gave me the biggest smile ! His wife said she wasn't able to do it either and never did. Their little son ran back and forth over and over...what does THAT tell you about us as adults :(
    I think if you get the ebike and then set your sites on riding with the assist you will see how strong you get and it will be like a child with training wheels..next thing you know you will be everywhere on your own ! I will post on my biking forum locally and see what they have to say about the brand/s that they are using. I will post back .

    Thank you all for enjoying the pics and commentary...

    the remains of Valkohf Park chapel...WW II took a heavy toll on Nijmegen. We stopped off on our train ride to Heerlen and spent a few hours going to the Fiets Museum ( cycling) and walked around in the park. This chapel is amazing and so beautiful. They would like to finish the re-build but that would be a huge endeavor.

    the Waal river in Nijmegen..a coal barge from Poland. No more coal mining in Limburg but the river is a very busy place and coal is still mined elsewhere.

    one of HUNDREDS of cycles in the museum..click to see the link to the whole album I made.

    Here is a link that might be useful: B and B netherlands

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are in Drenthe now for 4 days. This is a very forested area and then open veld lands. There are boards placed in different areas showing the flora and fauna that lives there. I took pics of two small lakes..one has a beach and lots of people go there to swim, the other was just a beautiful natural lake. Drenthe is known for the hundebed here. These are boulders that were pushed here by the Ice Age upheaval. The people of that time were able to stack them and make burial grounds with these huge boulders. I don't have a good pick of any as there were too many people around this AM...sigh...kids climbing on them which I personally do not like...also adults. I remember when we saw them 25 yrs ago it was frowned upon to climb on them as it was disrespectful...times change I guess. They are scattered everywhere in this country and others of Europe.

    Our B and B is a 100 yr old thatch roofed farmhouse in an apple orchard. It is amazing. The redo inside is incredible but we are in our own little apt. so I have no pics of her home. She has an Ikea kitchen too ! Every single home we have been to has had one. They love Ikea here. All bed linens and towels even the napkins come from there.

    Here are some pics of the B and B and from our bike ride this AM. We went 35 km to Borger and back here to Anderen.

    Oh also in one small village there was a man having part of his roof re-thatched. What a lost art and amazing work. I took some photos. The part you see that is done toward the right of the picture took 2 days...he said it would be a week to get the whole rear done. You see more thatched roofs here in Drenthe than you do anywhere else in Holland. It is VERY expensive to have it done . You can see in the next pics what new thatch and old look like. It fairly glows in the sun. I just love it.

    our garden seating area...we have several !

    breakfast and dinner are here under the walnut tree

    another lovely breakfast..love the egg cozy!

    garden

    horse farm next door

    gardens views

    one of the many apple trees..they don't pick or use them anymore...both folks have had this B and B for 25 yrs and quite elderly now.

    there house...note the low huge windows..they are near the ground but are perfect for looking out from inside...a way of keeping the style of the house intact and yet making soaring ceilings inside..wish I could show you pics..I will perhaps ask if I can take some .

    another garden " room" ...all the Dutch garden in small rooms..I love love love it..so intimate

    small beachy lake

    wild natural one..you can guess which I like best !

    nature board

    at the largest hundebed in the Netherlands

    thatching process

    bunches first

    up on the roof where he uses wire to tie it all together

    note the ladders used to ascend the roof

    a new one nearby see how light

    and an old one

    unusual detail I spotted on the way out of town...

    more on other days...thanks for looking and hope you enjoy.

  • sochi
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trail, wow, I'm just catching up on your trip now. Beautiful pictures, wonderful stories, thanks so much for sharing. What a wonderful way to get to know Holland again. Your pictures of the thatched roofs are fascinating, love it. Sounds like quite the odyssey you're on, I'm so envious. You started in Vienna? How long are you on the road?

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Glad you enjoyed the pics and stories sochi. We left home on May26th and started pedaling in Vienna on May30th. We arrived in Nantes France July 14th and in Amsterdam on July 16th. We go home on Aug. 5th. A long trip ! We are moving around the country every 3 days but this stay is 4. We will be at our nephews home on Friday and then leave on the 5th so nearing the end. WIll post more as I have time. Thanks for looking ! c

  • mitchdesj
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just looked at the new entries, more and more eye candy, enjoy your last week !!!

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I could look all day, Caroline. Love the thatched roof cottages. Don't think I have ever seen one under construction. And of course the gardens! Enjoy the remainder of your trip.

  • anele_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I appreciate this so much. The images and stories that accompany stay fresh in my mind. The other day I was able to pull of the images up mentally and just used it to relax.

    I love seeing how others live, getting a new perspective, remembering how many choices there are (for some) in life. Seems like Europe understands more than we do in the US how important beauty is.

    Thank you for taking us along on your journey!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thank you mitch...I went back and added the pics that had gotten removed when I broke the links in the album. Glad you are enjoying !

    outside...I had never seen it before either. It has to be redone every 20 years..and is very very expensive. Most people have the roof done in parts..the sun facing side deteriorates more quickly. Once you know what to look for it is very interesting to note the ones that need re-doing :) If I took a pic of every wonderful garden I would never get home !!

    anele..what a wonderful thing to share with me..I am so glad that this brings you pleasure. We all have such different lives..I marvel at the variety of the choices we all have to make on a day to day basis. I am so glad I can share this trip.
    There is definitely a different standard of appreciation for beauty and relaxation and family here than in the USA. It is very eye opening.

    Today was hundebeden day ! We went to Numbers 11,12,13,14,17 and 18. This is #18...it is the most photographed hundebed in all of the Netherlands and appears on more postcards. You will see why..it is simply stunning and very moving to think of them burying their loved ones here 5000 yrs ago.

    and adjacent to the hundebed....how perfect...I had chills...

    another view of the church

    this tree has metal rods holding it together..it is the MOST amazing tree and is adjacent to #17 hundebed which is near #18...so different...beautiful in a very different way.

    the top of the tree...

    #17

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    another view of #18

    this part of Drenthe is known for their wonderful horses ! Love the mares and foals

    a most rare hundebed ,,,still buried..

    another..perspective..DH's height...

    on another note..there are pig barns everywhere in Holland..you never ever see the pigs...but you DO smell them :) Here is what you see on the pavement everywhere now...the pigs you don't see but they are well !

    " kunst" by the road..art...

    ouldemolen...wonderful. They can be turned..when they were still in use. In the second pic you see the mechanism for turning and then anchoring to the stones. They used a strong horse to turn it to catch the prevailing wind.

    heather...

    just imagine this in full bloom ! we will miss it by about a week :(

    enough ! I hope you enjoy...it is late. and we move on tomorrow. Had wine and talk with our hosts for 2 hrs in the garden so we are late getting dinner and bed. thank you for all the kind comments. c