Day 15- Huizen to Nunspeet


Advertisement
Netherlands' flag
Europe » Netherlands » Gelderland » Nunspeet
July 13th 2010
Published: July 13th 2010
Edit Blog Post

The day started very similarly to the previous day; lying in on my air materess and only getting up when Dad comes in and says that we are going on a bike ride. I got dressed and made my way downstairs, and had breakfast, once again, museli. Then, Nana came in with Leidy and they had a map which they gave to us. It showed Huizen and Naarden so we wouldn't get lost. We took the same bikes, putting the hipbag into the bag on the side of Leidy's bike.

We rode out of the town on the streets we knew to the harbour. From there, our map showed a bike track, so we worked our way around the coast before we found it, passing a firefighting excersise which Dad rather liked. The track we were riding on was bitumised, but then we decided to take a side track and it wasn't but we didn't mind. Under the forest in the shade was cool, early in the morning, with a few walkers with dogs going the other way. We kept riding, not finding another track for a while, then we saw the cemetery where Leidy's husband Wim was burried, and we knew where we were. We found the restraunt that had been closed the previous day, so we followed the road for a bit before finding a new track to go on.

On the map, the new track lead to Naarden, so we followed it, Dad wanting to go to Naarden and back to Huizen, but there was one problem. We found this as the track left the forest and into the open, and it suddenly became very very sandy. It was nearly impossible to ride through, and because the bikes weren't mountain bikes, it was very very hard. We had some wheelspin in the sand and got a little bit bogged. The sand went for about a kilometre, and I rode as much as I could, opting to ride in the middle where there was a little bit of grass growth. We managed to find the bitumen path and rode around it before we came to a lake, which we rode around as well crossed a causeway and rode through a small gate in the side of the protection of Naarden.

We rode through Naarden for a bit, spiraling our way into the centre. In places like Naarden the way to find where you are is to go to the church in the middle and work your way from there. That is what we did, riding towards the big tower that we had been up two days previously. When we got there, we had a small drink, and decided to ride a little bit south of Naarden through a forest back to Huizen. So we rode on, on the side of the road, out of the protected city and through a more modern town and found the side road that crossed the highway. We found the next bit of forrest and, thinking we were following the map, rode into it, but there were so many tracks we just disregarded the map and rode where we felt like in the cool shade of the trees, in the direction we thought was Huizen. When we found the swimming pool, we knew where we were and continued through the streets of Huizen back to the main square.

It was in the main square that Dad got the idea to buy some flowers as a 'thank you' for Leidy, so we rode around for a while and found a botanist, where Dad bought some flowers and carried them and rode back to the house where we presented her with the flowers.

We went back upstairs and finished packing up our things, deflating the sleeping matress and packing up Nana's bed. We checked the room several times, looking and checking everywhere. Then we had a shower and put our bags in Leidy's car. Leidy was going to drive us to the next relative's house, but first we had to have lunch. Leidy especially wanted us to try poffertjes. So we drove through Huizen, parked the car, and walked through a market to get to the restraunt where we would have lunch. The market was a street market full of fresh produce and women's clothing. We didn't want to spend too long in there but Nana found several random people to talk to and that took a bit of time. At the end of the market was a portable restraunt, that was now permanent. It only sold poffertjes, with drinks, so we sat down, and they asked what size we wanted: single or double. Dad, Leidy and I ordered double and Nana had a single. Because poffertjes was all that they sold, we got our food very quickly, and it was a massive plate of small pancakes covered with heaps of melted butter and icing sugar. It tasted nice, but there was so much icing sugar it looked like it had been snowing.

It took a while to eat all of the poffertjes, and, feeling very full, made our way back to the car. Leidy drove us out and along the highway to Nunspeet, where Aunty Betsy and her husband Jan Willem live. We drove through the steets and found their house, and were greeted at the door by the two. We put our bags in our room and were shown around the house, especially into Jan Willem's room downstairs. There was where he made his wood carvings. Dad said that he had made the one that is in the open room, and from what we saw, they were pretty good. He had alot of African designs, and wood storage.

We were invited back upstairs and outside, where we sat and had a chat, catching up with them and talking about anything. Betsy kept bringing out drinks and food, until it was starting to get cold so we went inside. I connected to the internet there and posted a couple of blogs that I had waiting for a couple of days.

For tea, we drove to a restraunt for tea, which was in a dark forest. I had a chicken schnitzel, while Nana had a taco and Dad had some fish. When the menu was brought out, it had a list of 8 meals, and Dad tried to get Nana to translate it for me, but I had already made up my mind. 'Number one' I said. It was nice though, and quite tasty. From there, we took a detoured route home, first driving through the darkest woods in Holland. We stopped there and walked around for a while. I was throwing stones to see how far I could throw them, and Dad challenged me to hit a small post that was a little closer. He tried several times and failed, then I tried and hit it first time. We also walked into the heather, which was a completely different environment, because you could see over the plants for a long way whereas in the woods you could hardly see anywhere. The last stop on the way was by a lake, where several people were going swimming. Once again, Nana found some people to talk to, so Dad, Jan Willem and I went up to the bird observation house to have a look at the birds. It was badly graffitied, but the birds were still there.

We drove home, and relaxed for a while before heading off to bed.


Additional photos below
Photos: 23, Displayed: 23


Advertisement



13th July 2010

tour de nederland
Lots of morning bike-rides. Are those some kind of squirrels in the forest photos? Pity about the World Cup on Monday. Also Cadell had a really really bad ride up Col de Madeleine and now sits 8 minutes off the lead - too much. Think I'll now watch Andy Schleck. Tim's flight got cancelled yesterday and he was rebooked on an earlier flight. We left at 4.30am! and then I was too early for work so slept in the back of the car. He arrived in Devonport without luggage which still hadn't turned up by 6pm so I think he has to wear Nana Miller's undies today. I am sick - sore throat and thick sinuses - shouldn't be going to work today but no sick-leave arrangements so I'll go and sniffle over everybody. I saw on SBS news that the German trains on Monday were in trouble - no airconditioning on a very hot day, inside temps of 50 degrees - the footage had people being carted off in ambulances. How did you and Nana travel?

Tot: 0.061s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 31; dbt: 0.0337s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb