Elst – Nijmegen

Geplaatst op 16 november 1995 door wallisman

Stage   no. 5
Date Thursday 16 November 1995
Distance stage   45,5 km
Distance acum. 154,0 km
Quality of signs Reasonable
Quality of the hike B (great): variety in landscapes, typical for the low lands

After a year-and-a-half I have the courage to continue my hike. In the meantime I have moved to the south of the Netherlands, which means that I am not walking away from home anymore, but towards it. I use public transportation to travel from home to Elst.

Today is a sad autumn day, with a lot of dark clouds. Walking through magnificant autumn forrests near Veenendaal I continue towards the city of Rhenen. At the Grebbeberg-hill (a junction of Long-Distance-Hiking-Trails) the signs and descriptions are not as clear as I would like them to be and I have to walk some extra kilometers and spend more time looking for the right way than I hoped for. The view from the top of Grebbeberg is very nice.


view from the Grebbeberg

 

I had never been here before, although it is a very wellknown area in the Netherlands, due to historical (war) events. Some minutes later I cross the first big river of today, at the ferry The Blue Chamber. I walk through fields (incidentally through some woods) and along wide rivers along the villages of Opheusden, Hemmen and Zetten. The view has a long reach, which is very much appreciated on a gloomy day like today. Just before sunset I cross the famous Waalbridge and arrive in the city of Nijmegen. This is my last finish in the Netherlands. The next time I will be walking into Germany.

With a feeling of content I go home again by train.

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Doorn – Elst

Geplaatst op 30 april 1994 door wallisman

Stage   no. 4
Date Saturday 30 April 1994
Distance stage   24,5 km
Distance acum. 108,5 km
Quality of signs Good
Quality of the hike C (good): average stage, spme nice sights along the way

I drive by car to the village of Doorn and continue to walk where I left it the last time.

It is a magnificant day, with a nice walking temperature (approx. 20°). The last stage ended at the southern boundary of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug Hills. Today’s stage will take me into the so called riverland, with meadows, dikes and one river. In Doorn there are lots of festivities for Queensday which is celebrated today. There is a big band playing, kids are joining the parade, and many people are dressed up in orange, our national color.

Doorn

From Doorn the Trail uses many straight paths and roads, which is typical for the land around the big rivers in the Netherlands. The roads that I am walking today are not boring, due the changes in scenery; nice lawns with florishing trees on both sides of the road, open roads with clear views, etc. During the first 15 kilometers I pass along a lot of (small) castles, most of them are privately owned. 

Sandenburg Castle

Through the few woods and mainly fields I continue my way eastbound. After 18,5 kilometers I reach a milestone in my E8: the Trail meets the river Rhine for the first time. The Trail will follow and meet the Rhine many times during the next 650 (!) kilometers. The view from here on the Rhine is not spectacular: between the dike and the river there is a wide area of meadows, called the river forelands / uiterwaarden. The last kilometers to the village of Amerongen are very typical for the landscape in this part of the Netherlands: a dike, on one side the water and on the other side the protected land. There are sheep & lambs in the meadows and many cyclists are enjoying a ride on the dike.

typically Dutch landscape

In the villages that I cross, like Langbroek, Darthuizen and Amerongen, it is very busy with people enjoying the sunny Queensday festivities. Back in the woods and fields there is hardly anybody around. After I have left Amerongen I feel an increasing pain in my left kneecap. The pain makes it more difficult to continue to wlak without problems. I had in mind to finish today in the city of Veenendaal, but due to the injury I decide to draw the finishline in the vilage of Elst already, some kilometers earlier. 

I have to wait in Elst a while for the bus that will take me back to Doorn, where my car is parked. There are also a lot of Queensday activities, including barbeques, kermisses and parades. I am not so interested, I was never injured before in any of my joints.

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Lage Vuursche – Doorn

Geplaatst op 26 maart 1994 door wallisman

Stage   no. 3
Date Saturday 26 March 1994
Distance stage 28,5 km
Distance acum. 84,0 km
Quality of signs Good
Quality of the hike C (good): average stage, crossing a lot of forrests

Using trains and busses I arrive at my starting point in the village of Lage Vuursche. Today is a nice and sunny day.

The Trail leads me through forrests and between trees, southeast bound. Due to all these trees I get a little bit of “indoor” feeling. After crossing the railtracks near the village of Soest I enter another remarkable landscape of the Netherlands: the Dunes of Soest.

White sands of the Soest'er Dunes

White sands of the Soest’er Dunes

The white sand is hard to cross as it is very weak. Fortunately the Trail uses comfortable cycling roads and hiking paths to cross this section.

trail sign

trail sign

I pass the village of Soesterberg with its American army barraks, and shortly afterwards the Trail leads close by the pyramid monument of Austerlitz (approx. 10 minutes from the Trail). After passing the village of Maarn, the area gets even less flat. In this part of the stage I meet with some other Long-Distance-Hikers, but they are not the friendly type. One can recognize them by the guide in their hand, the focussed look in their eyes and the stressed expression. After passing the A12-highway near the village of Maarn I start the final section of today: the forrest towards the village of Doorn. The highest point of this forrest is the Sint Helena Hill. It sounds impressive but, to reassure other hikers, it is only 40 meters above sealevel (remember: we are still in the Netherlands!). The view from the hill is nice, and the descent towards Doorn is easy and quick.

View from St. Helena hill

View from St. Helena hill

After arriving in the city of Doorn, I take the bus back home again.

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Nederhorst den Berg – Lage Vuursche

Geplaatst op 19 februari 1994 door wallisman

Stage   no. 2
Date Saturday 19 February 1994
Distance stage 29,0 km
Distance acum. 55,5 km
Quality of signs Good
Quality of the hike A (fantastic!): nice changes in scenery, crossing typical Dutch landscapes

Just like during the first stage, today is another gloomy wintersday. First I take trains and busses to go back to café The Beercabin.

I continue the Trail along the river Vecht for a short while. The Trail leaves the river and heads towards the lakes in the south, the Lakes of Ankeveen.

At the start of the crossing of the Ankeveen Lakes

At the start of the crossing of the Ankeveen Lakes

The Trail leads straight between the lakes, using a narrow dike for a few kilometers. It is very quiet and, thanks to the quiet atmosphere, very impressive.

Dammerweg between the Ankeveen Lakes

Dammerweg between the Ankeveen Lakes

After passing the tiny village of Ankeveen I continue my way heading for the Spanderswoud forrest and the city of Hilversum. In a big circle (north and east) the Trail surrounds Hilversum. I pass some haybushes that look familiar to me from the time I was soldier and serving my duty in this area, and so do the barraks of camp Crailo that is along the Trail. Close to the village of Baarn I pass the castle Groeneveld, where a lot of tourists are stroling around. Some minutes later, at the Hilversumse Hay, I am all by myself again. The weather is starting to brighten up, and with a chilly sun I arrive at my finish of today, the typical village of Lage Vuursche.

Pancake Paradise in Lage Vuursche

Pancake Paradise in Lage Vuursche

It is impossible to leave the village without eating a pancake in one of the many pancakerestaurants, so afterwards I take the bus and train back home again.

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Amsterdam – Nederhorst den Berg

Geplaatst op 22 januari 1994 door wallisman

Stage   no. 1
Date Saturday 22 January 1994
Distance stage 26,5 km
Distance acum. 26,5 km
Quality of signs Good
Quality of the hike E (bad): boring, many   long straight concrete roads

On this grey wintersday I start my hike across continental Europe. First I take the train to Amsterdam Central Railway Station (approx. 10 minutes from home).

From there I follow the directions in Gert Trego’s guide: “Leave the railway station and go left following the Prins Hendrikkade to the Kattenburgplein.” I continue my way to the Eastern part of town,  and consequently through the neighborhood Watergraafsmeer to the Amsterdam – Rijncanal. Along the canalside I see some people who are taking their dog out for a walk, and some joggers. These are about the only people who I see outdoors during the entire day. The Trail continous along the A1 highway (crossing the canal), passing a huge power plant to the village of Muiden. At the dam in the river Vecht it will be a lot more busy in the summertime than it is today. Passing the castle Muiderslot and the former Zuiderzee (Southern sea) the Trail goes southbound, until the village of Nederhorst den Berg.

From today’s finish (near café De Bierhut / The Beercabin) I use the public transportation to the city of Weesp and take consequently the train back to Amsterdam. This was the start of it all. I hope that it gets nicer and prettier during the next 1939,5 kilometer to Vienna. I’m sure it will.

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