Years ago when I first traveled to Europe while on leave from my military duty in the Middle East I saw it through the eyes of an innocent young adult. Europe was nothing like imaged from all my prior reading in books on the continent.
Kinderdijk with my friend Kathy.
I flew into Germany, quickly purchased a dress, Birkenstocks, backpack and finally a train ticket. I stuffed my military uniform into a locker on the American Air Base and headed out on an adventure.
I had an experienced travel partner with me and we rode the overnight on a train to Italy to stay with his brother. I then jumped on a train alone, travelled on to see an Air Force friend in eastern Italy. Everything was new and exiting. The old buildings, the landscapes, the crazy mopeds driving on the busy streets.
At the local John Deere dealer here in The Netherlands.
I have retold tons of stories of that trip over the years to friends and relatives. The newness of Europe to me was full of adventure and I thought it would be my only opportunity ever to visit the continent. From where I sit today that newness and sharp edges are worn smooth with experience there are things I just don’t see of my adopted country of The Netherlands anymore.
The Hubby acting as tour guide at Kinderdijk but also he has been the chef, chauffeur and Dutch historian for my friends visit.
This week the Hubby and I are hosting one of my best friends from my home town in Minnesota. Yes, there is a threat of war on our continent and most of us have gotten little sleep as prices rise, refugees are now entering the country and the news is constantly repeating the play by play of the war in Ukraine like some sports show.
It is hard for me to see things as exciting and new. But, my friend is seeing and experiencing Europe with and through the eyes of an innocent child. Everything is new for her, the old Amsterdam buildings, the windmills, the Dutch countryside and the wonderful robust transport system we have in this country and it has lifted the shadows of the overhanging news of the war.
The Amsterdam canal boat tour.
We have nearly forgotten that a terrorist is holding us all hostage with his threat of nuclear button pushing or super sonic weapons. Life is going on even if it is more expensive each day.
Good advice on a sign in Amsterdam.
For Americans to explore the past locations that our ancestors came from since the birth of the USA. It will be harder, as this war lingers, to do such things without anxiety. My hope and wish is that there will be a quick and peaceful resolution, but from my professional background, old fears whisper “it will be a long and difficult road” before peace.
Walking tour of Gouda.
My advise to all my readers, come to Europe, live the experience, don’t let a terrorist win! Experience the continent and Carpe Diem!
Tulips in my back garden. Keukenhof Bulb Gardens opens here this Thursday 24 March 2022 for the first time in two years.
We all want tourist from other places to enjoy the European continent in freedom and to see it for the diversity it holds.
This route of the Floris V Pad in sections is getting harder for me to remain motivated. The path is getting further away from the house and the areas are a bit of a challenge to reach via public transport. But, I keep going and I am encouraged and even inspired by some of my blog readers who have commented how much they enjoy reading about these hikes, so thank you!
On this section of the Floris V Pad, I almost skipped since I have visited the Kinderdijk enough times over the years. Hiking my way through tons of tourist is just not my thing even in normal times. In the last year I have become even more paranoid about crowds. You can read about our other adventures pre COVID time at Kinderdijk here and here.
This time I decided since the Hubby was working night shift for four straight days, I would head out on my bike for my first solo adventure since the start of the 2020 pandemic. The last time I was alone on a vacation was January 2020 when I travelled to Georgia, read about that here.
Taking public transport has gotten to be more of a hassle since the pandemic. Not only must you wear a mask at all times while on public transport here in The Netherlands, this summer you must also register your bike on the exact train schedule you plan on taking. That cramps my style and flexibility so for me it was a hassle to be set into a time slot on the train.
My plan was to “camp” out for a few days at my in-laws empty apartment. I didn’t need a ton of gear but still I had to plan like I was camping. Load my bike with all the gear and head off to the train station.
Transport by train to Dordrecht.
Train to Dordrecht via Rotterdam → Water bus to Papenrecht.
I had a luxury empty apartment for “camping.” A wonderful view of the Dordrecht church tower and the three major river routes that pass close to the apartment. Plus, I didn’t have to contend with a tent, other campers, or a silent virus creeping up on me in the night.
Camping? Best camping conditions I have ever experienced!Cooking with a view of the Dordrecht church tower in the distance.
The next morning it was time to get serious about knocking out this section of the Floris V, but to get there, I first had to get to the public transport in Papendrecht. Can I add those kilometers to my total?
Green is my route via bike from Dordrecht train station, Orange is my route in the morning of my hike via a walk to the public transport in Papendrecht, Yellow is my hiking route through Kinderdijk and the Albasserwaard. The last orange arrowed line is the hike back to Oud Alblas and then the bus back to Papendrecht.
As I made my way through the towns of Papendrecht and then Alblasserdam, I looked at the cloud cover and wondered if I was going to be hiking in the rain today.
Once I stepped off the bus at the Kinderdijk entrance, I was surprised and a bit shocked to see I had the entire place to myself. Granted it was 08:00 in the morning, but still on a normal summer day it would be filled with foreign tourists. It felt strange to have the entire place to myself. The only other soul was a Dutch women who had camped in her camper in the parking lot overnight. She was busy sorting through her camping items and getting ready to move to her next location.
The water pumps at Kinderdijk moving water from Alblasserwaard to the Lek River
The first thing I noticed at the entrance was that there was a huge construction project. The pumping station that pumps water out of the polder and up into the Lek River is being upgraded. Another change is that the Kinderdijk visitor center and gift shop had been updated with a new building. The visitor center now has a huge observation deck on the roof. These are changes that have occurred in the last four years, the time of my last visit here.
One of the changes that I think most people welcome at this World UNESCO site. No Drones…
There were also changes in walking paths along the canal and I think it must help with the over crowing of this site during a normal tourist year. I enjoyed the quiet as hiked this familiar area with no tourists to interfere with my enjoyment.
The windmills on the right of the canal as I hikedThe windmills on the left side as I hiked through Kinderdijk.
The overcast skies still looked threatening but I knew I had keep moving. After a short break at a park bench for a quick snack, I started hiking on a real foot path through the polder along the Kinderdijk canal.
Over the fence and continue on the foot pathThis foot path feels isolated but is not far from the tourist area of Kinderdijk.
On my hike two sections ago, here, I talked about walking through the field of cow manure, now It was a footpath (sheep path) of sheep manure. I have to admit that the backdrop of the Alblas windmill was breathtaking.
Foot path or sheep path? Both!
I climbed over two more fences and crossed over a bridge. Across a road and then back to a foot path that made me feel like I was the only person who had been on this trail in a very long time. The trail was lined with willow trees with a small canal on either side giving it a very isolated feel as I hiked along.
This path now looks like this for several kilometers.
I came to a junction in the trail where I encountered a women with two rather large German Shepherd dogs. We had a short chat and then I sat for short rest. I was joined by a butterfly who stayed still enough for me to capture it with my camera.
The path between the canals ended in a farm field with almost no indication where the trail continued. A quick check of my map, I found I hadn’t lost my way. Soon I found a gate with a marker that eased my fears of being lost. But, the gate was locked! Now, I had to figure out how to get around the gate without falling into the canal. I tested the support beam to make sure it was stable and swung around the end of the gate. I get the feeling that the undefined trail and the gate lock was a friendly reminder to those hiking the trail that we are only visitors on this trail.
The locked gate. Climbing over this one didn’t seem like much of a option. Swinging around the edge worked.
The trail now became a very long dirt driveway heading to a blacktop road. The wind started to pick up and I started to think that the rain would come at any minute.
Once I got to the blacktop road, I was now hiking on a road I had biked several times in the year we camped at Oud Alblas, I noted the changes big and small to the houses as I hiked.
Then it was a turn to my left, back into the flat farmland, another small footpath. Now, I could see the Oud Alblas church tower in the distance and knew I was almost at the end of this hike for the day. Would I make it to the end before the rain? My feet moved a bit faster through the long grassy trail.
The point in the trail just outside Oud Alblas that first inspired me to hike this trail four years ago. Now, this point marks more than half way point to Bergan op Zoom where I will finish this hike.
Making it to the point outside Oud Alblas where I was first inspired to hike the Floris V Pad four years ago felt like a huge achievement. Now, more than half way to my end point in Bergan op Zoom I wanted to celebrate! Saddly, this spot is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I checked the bus schedule and saw that I had a bit of walk to get to the bus stop in Oud Alblas. Maybe I would have time for a coffee celebration at a local restaurant.
I made my way into town and saw that fours years had also brought changes to this small town. My favorite pastier was now gone (out of business I am sure due to COVID). I waited at the bus stop and the very small village bus, run by a volunteer, picked me up heading in the opposite way from Papendrecht. She invited me to ride the entire route with her but I had other ideas, a stop at one of my favorite restaurants for a coffee. She dropped me off at the restruant and told me she would be back on this route in an hour heading into Papendrecht. All I needed to do was flagged her with my arms and she would stop for me. Perfect!
The view from my outdoor seating at De Kom restaurant.
Feeling guilty of my coffee indulgence, I started walking back to Oud Alblas. The rain still threaten to fall but now the wind started to make the trees sing a warning. I stopped, got my rain jacket out of the backpack, and on just as the sky opened up, dumping buckets of water. When I made it to the bus stop in Oud Alblas, I was soaked.
The rain I had been lucky enough to dodge all morning finally caught me!
The bus appeared and the driver was happy to see me again although she noted that the weather had changed a little bit. When I got to Papendrecht I still had about 2 km walk to the apartment in my soaked gear. I think the universe knew I needed encouragement as I found two painted rocks along my route.
Happy to be back at the “camping” apartment, I ended the day with air drying all my gear.
Floris V Pad STATS:
This hike from Kinderdijk to Oud Alblas- 10 km
The prior hike from Streefkerk to Kinderdijk -10 km
I want to call the next two sections of this hike the great old windmill hike of the Floris V Pad. As the path goes from flat land of the Alblasserwaard to the dike of the Lek River through the World UNESCO site of old windmills of the Kinderdijk area. If there is only one section of the Floris V Pad you have time to hike I would highly recommend these two sections.
Hike route in yellow, public transport via water bus in orange.
First, I tackled the section from Streefkerk where I had stopped on my previous hike you can read about that here. Once again I was able to beg a ride to the drop off point from the Hubby as he was heading to clean out his parents sold apartment. With an early morning start (7:30), I had the trail all to myself as the sun reflected off dew in the pastures.
Looking towards the Lek River dike at Streefkerk from the trail.
The trail along this section is more of a dirt road for access to the farm fields. Besides an occasional dog walker I had the trail to myself. The flat landscape on either side of the canal lined trail was filled with milk cows and birds of all sorts.
The dirt road trail runs straight through this very flat countryside.
At one point I looked into the fields on my left and saw three men walking in between what looked like geese standing in the field. Each carried a rifle and then it was clear to me that the “geese” I saw were decoy to get the wild geese to land and become easy targets. It became even more clear as I saw one of the guys bend over and pick up several geese who were already heading to some dinner table (meaning they were dead!). I continued to walk on thinking how strange to see hunters here in the Dutch countryside, a very common thing to see where I grew up in Minnesota but here I rarely see hunters. I looked into the field again and saw a grey goose peeking its head above the grass. I silently told it that it had better get out of there or the hunters would get it. Minutes later, I heard a shot, the goose had not gotten my message and its life was now ended. I turned around and stood on the trail to see if maybe I had been wrong in my assumption of the faith of the goose. I sadly was not.
The hunter coming out of the field with a dead goose and a rifle in his hands.
It wasn’t much longer before another animal crossed paths with me. An invasive species that I grew up catching in the local river in Minnesota, a crayfish! These have become a huge issue here as they have no natural predators and have multiplied into the millions, eating all the small fish in the canals. This one surprised the heck out of me crossing in front of my path. As I reached down to pick it up it backed into the grass. I picked it up and placed back on the road so I could get a good picture.
An American crayfish (crawfish) an invasive species in The Netherlands.
Like I mentioned this section of the hike was full of windmills. From Streefkerk to Kinderdijk there are several and once you reach the Lek River dike there is the view of the World UNESCO site where you can view more than 25 windmills dating from the 1700’s. These windmills were mostly used to pump the flat marsh lands of the Alblasserwaard of water so that it could be farmed. Here are a few of those images from the hike.
Windmill outside of Streefkerk along the Floris V PadTwo windmills outside of Nieuw-Lekkerland just before Kinderdijk.Close up of one of the windmills outside of Nieuw-Lekkerland. It had this beautiful cottage garden.The view of the windmills of Kinderdijk from the Lek River dike.
This trail was not only windmills. As I stopped at a nice water point in Nieuw-Lekkerland I saw that the trail changed while going through the village. It was now lined with housing and cool back yard gardens. The gardens reflecting the individual tastes of the owners.
Water point at Nieuw Lekkerland.A garden packed full of color and variety of plants.This garden has a simple but eye catching design of lavender, hydrangeas, and ornamental grass.This backyard vegetable garden had onions drying.
The trail after Nieuw-Lekkerland now was not well marked and there was a sign that the road deadended. I decided to take my changes and continue to walk. The road kept getting smaller and smaller and did finally end with only a foot path that went towards the windmills.
PavedPaved wheel tracks…Gravel to footpath…Footpath.
This hike ended at the Kinderdijk entrance.
I made my way via water bus to where the Hubby was waiting for me. The vacation time always brings challenges in public transport as the public transport schedules change or are on very limited routes. This was also the truth with the water bus from Kinderdijk. I experienced a very long wait for a contracted ferry boat at Kinderdijk, a transfer to the very crowed water bus at Ridderkerk, then finally my stop in Papendrecht. I was happy to arrive and to be treated to a coffee overlooking the Noord River.
The weather was perfect, calm and clear blue sky. These are the type of days that make visitors think it is always sunny in the Netherlands with beautiful flowers and windmills.
The Cedar Journal 