Holland - Velo & Veluwe

Two nights in Harderwijk at the Dutch Redneck campground were enough. I hadn’t been sure as to what I was going to do next but sent a message, via Facebook, to a woman I had met in 2008 on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It just so happened that she and her husband live about 30 miles from Harderwijk. After a few exchanges of messages she said I was welcome to stay with them and that they could pick me up on Sunday around noon.

Joyce and Gert are an active retired couple around 60. Joyce worked as a therapist, manager, and life coach. Gert finished off his 34 year naval career as a captain. With their kids grown and seeking a simpler more adventurous life they sold off their larger assets, home, etc. and downsized. They the bought a VW Westfalia campervan for extended road trips and a small one bedroom pre fab home in a very nice caravan park for a home base. In America you might refer to it as a holiday trailer park. It’s situated in a very desirable forested area amidst nature preserves and national parks. Each site it surrounded a by a tall hedgerow for privacy and everything is kept neat and orderly.

For my stay they offered me the floor space in their small living room or the campervan in the driveway. I chose the campervan and it’s been very comfortable.

Since my arrival we have enjoyed lots of really good conversation. Much of it has been philosophical and introspective with plenty of substance. For Joyce, her walk on the Camino was the beginning of a new chapter as she and her husband have since taken up a life of travel and reflection while they spend their children’s inheritance. Although we may have different backgrounds with a bit of a generation gap there are commonalities that make us kindred spirits of sorts.

On Sunday afternoon we went for a really nice walk along trails within a nature preserve which is more or less in their backyard. The terrain is mostly flat and the soil is very sandy. Forests carpeted with relatively short grass, heather, and fern flourish over old stagnant sand dunes. While the trees provide a nice canopy they are spread out a bit. The open space above the ground, around, and beneath the trees provides an appealing landscape within the forest. Mixed hues of brown and green coupled with varied lighting creates a mythical contrast between shadows. Occasionally deer and wild brown haired goats can be seen. The trees surround an open area of exposed wind swept sand and short brush. What should be a field or meadow looks more like something you might find before reaching sand dunes along a beach. It’s all very beautiful and pleasant. Located in the middle of the Netherlands. The area is known as the Veluwe.

Monday turned out to be a rain day. We biked a short distance to a store that sells locally grown and produced foods. They also have a common area where you can enjoy coffee and bake goods. We spent the day conversing about all sorts of topics from politics, to religion, to things in general while toasting the good life and appreciating the freedoms we enjoy.

Today, Tuesday, started with heavy rain but cleared early. We got off to a good start and hopped on bikes for a few kilometers to De Hoge Veluwe National Park. The park is a nice size with a large network of hiking trails and bike only paths. What’s really wonderful is that free bikes are included with entry. There are a number of stations all over the park which make it easy to mix up hiking and biking. All you have to do is pick a bike, drop it at another station, hike to the next station, and ride back to where you started. It’s all very convenient.

The Dutch are a very bike oriented culture so you see every type of person riding along the scenic paths. Old, young, overweight, fit, and all the in between readily take up cycling. It’s the best way to see the park. Void are the grand parades of large cars and monster RV’s that plague the National Parks of the USA. I’m very impressed with the Dutch model and it appears to work very well for their culture. I’m not sure how it would work in America. The appealing ease of biking on mostly flat land of makes the Dutch system desirable in Holland.

De Hogue Veluwe National Park consists of more landscape and terrain like I’ve already described but bigger, broader, with facilities and paved bike paths. The weather held out all day as we enjoyed sunny skies with a cool breeze in the evening.

My time in the Netherlands is turning out to be quite nice and pleasant. I definitely want to visit Amsterdam and the Dutch coast at some point. I’ll see where tomorrow takes me.