Blogs from Giethoorn, Overijssel, Netherlands, Europe

http://www.heygo.com Giethoorn 6th May - I booked two trips today at this unique location and I am glad I did because there was something different to see both times. We started with our virtual guide Stephan on one of the natural lakes, Stephan had travelled to the village from Amsterdam approx 90 kilometres away and hired a small electric boat (know. as whisper boats). This is one of the most popular ways of seeing the village, although during these Covid times the waterways were a lot quieter than pre-covid when the waterways are filled with tourists both walking and on boats,but that made it even more special as it felt like we were there with just Stephan, the swans & the ducks. Giethoorn was established as a settlement of peat harvesters. Peat cutting created the ponds ... read more

Après l'Allemagne, voilà la frontière hollandaise... Nous comptions bien lors de ce voyage passer par Giethoorn car l'autre fois, impossible de se trouver un petit bâteau pour faire la promenade sur les canaux et impossible tout court de se trouver facilement un endroit de parking et même un camping... Aujourdh'ui c'est lundi ! tout baigne, la foule n'est plus au rendez-vous... Mais avant Giethoorn, passage obligé par Zoutkamp que nous portons dans nos coeurs... Zoutkamp est le village par excellence de la crevette... Heiploeg, que vous connaissez par les crevettes que vous achetez chez vous, est une énorme usine où sont pelées une partie des crevettes alors que d'autres crevettes sont envoyées au Maroc pour se faire éplucher... Nous avons osé passer la porte de la société pour demander si il serait possible de visiter mais ... read more

Today is predicted to be hotter than yesterday (although our daughter Leigh will never believe it can be hot in Holland after experiencing cold weather here at Christmas several years ago) and the way the day had dawned with another clear blue sky we will need to be prepared with sunhats and plenty of water to drink as we walk along the canal paths at Giethoorn. Wim, had wisely decided that riding bicycles for some sightseeing was not a good idea in temperatures that were set to rise to 35C and so had suggested that a short run in the car to the small rural village with a historical past and a combined cycle and walking path beside canals just wide enough for small electric motored boats to cruise along at a walking pace was the ... read more

It rained again off and on so we decided today would be the day that we visit the places where I was born and lived. I had previously contacted my old friend Jet (Henriette) and she agreed she would meet up with us. We drove to De Krim in Overijssel and tried to find my old school and the place where one of my uncles and aunts had lived, couldn't find either although some of the neighbourhoods were still familiar. In front of my old home Jet was already waiting....it was great to see her again after 45!!!! ..years, as we talked it felt as though the years fell away slowly and we both remarked on how great it was to have grown up here (photos), it was wonderful to see her again! Our old house ... read more