I started the year with one goal in mind, complete the Floris V Pad hiking trail to Bergen op Zoom in 2023! Look at the total route or different route sections here.
So when the Hubby asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, I first asked to visit a castle with my spinning wheel and spin wool.
That suggestion was vetoed immediately.
Instead he was happy to hear about my second choice of continuing my hike on the Floris V Pad. Well…maybe he wasn’t completely happy but he agreed to be my driver.
We arrived at our wonderful B&B De Schuur Inn on 1 February. An isolated place in the flat country. I would highly recommend this B&B for anyone hiking the Floris V Pad as the owner is also a hiker and has completed several Dutch hiking routes. Plus, the breakfast each morning was perfect for tanking up prior to the hiking.
The first night I did a short three kilometer hike to a local memorial site. Follow my route (here).
Appropriate since it was the 70th remembrance of the 1953 flood. The flood that caused such a large lost of lives, animals, and property destruction that it pushed the Dutch government to create the Delta Works, a series of locks, dams, and flood gates that finally cut off the ocean from the flat landscape. A system that can regulate the water flow at high tides and damaging storms. One of the worlds best engineered solutions for water control.
The next morning I headed out to where I had stopped last August (here), the village of Strijensas. Can follow my route on AllTrails link (here)
This route along the Hollandsch Diep River is flat, very flat except for the dikes that run along the river. It also is a gathering site for all sorts of water fowl.
Then there are the sheep. Everywhere along this trail.
That was day one…sheep, turkeys, farm equipment, and a few chickens.
I walked right to the B&B front door from the trail. Perfect day one!
Day two…
Started from the B&B with the plan of meeting the Hubby at my end point on the other side of Numansdorp. You can follow my route on AllTrails (here)
Day two started with Brussel sprouts!
No, I didn’t eat them but I saw fields and fields of the winter veggies just waiting to be harvested.
The universe started throwing new signs at me.
Not much else to see along this hike until Numansdorp. Although, I did see a low flying military helicopter.
Numansdorp, is an old harbor village. The route has plenty of newer buildings on the outskirts leading into town.
Now outside of the village I was about to experience the full force of the wind.
When I made it to my last few hundred feet I passed a harbor dry dock. The boat names I always find interesting.
I accomplished another 18km of the Floris V Pad hiking trail. I am so happy that flat land with wind and sheep are done! Now across the river and the last 61 kilometers to Bergen op Zoom!
A very special THANK YOU HUBBY, for being my supporting transport to and from this section of the Floris V Pad. Through the road construction, bad gps directions, round and round the countryside full of concrete barriers you were there for me at the end of the trail. ❤️❤️
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