Klompenpad for Kids.

We were spoiled in February as we had beautiful spring weather with temperatures of around 20 ºC (68 ºF). Lucky for the kids who were out of school that week. Our 5 year old grandson Danté stayed with us 2 days. He is an outdoor child and loves to walk and ride his bike. Perfect for us as we love to walk. We chose a walking route especially for kids in our area, "Slagmaatpad", near Bunnik. Our 3 1/2  year old granddaughter Jhené joined us. She is not used to walk a long distance but she did great after all.

We started at Fort Vechten. It was part of the Netherlands waterline defense system. Entrance to the fort is over a bridge which also cuts through the fort wall.

At the end of the bridge, on top of the wall stands this tall man made from willow by visual artist Hester Pilz.

The fort surrounded by a moat.

Standing guard

 There is also the Waterline Museum inside of Fort Vechten but we keep that for a next visit as the weather was too nice to be inside. They found some fun things to do. 

Pulling Jhené up and down.

  

  This is a replica of the Roman Tower. Too bad we couldn't step inside. It is closed to the public.

 Then it was time to move on and walk away from the fort to stroll through meadows. During spring and summer we would have walked with the cows but they are still inside during winter time.

There are special steps to climb over the fence into the meadow.

Before we left this morning the first thing Jhené asked: are we going to picnic? Yes it's picnic time now!

Always fun to collect branches.

We didn't finish the route  because of time limitation. We had to take Jhené back home at 5 pm. and I had promised them a pancake at the end of the walk. We walked back to the fort. 

Now this is fun, trying to pick up Grandpa's hat with a stick.

Kids are curious and not afraid to enter this dark bunker, crawl through and.....

come out on the other side.

 It was a fun afternoon and the kids loved it. Time to eat a pancake at Theehuis Rhijnauwen...

and top it off with the playground outside.

I forgot to mention, they had homework. they had to collect and pick up things what they saw around them and put it in their little bag. Just forgot to make a picture of it but they found twigs, rocks, snailhouse, acorns, leaves , crocus, daisy, snowdrops etc.

Space-A trip to USA, Spring 2017, Part 3

It took almost 1 1/2 year before I finished part 3 but here it is finally.

After we arrived in Ramstein, Germany, we reserved two nights at the base lodging facility. There was a volksmarch on Saturday in Ramstein Miessenbach, organized by the Ramstein Roadrunners Volkssport Club.

We walked the 16 km route. 

In spring you see these flowering rapeseed fields everywhere. It's a spectacular sight across the country.

We walked through small villages.

Lots of fruit trees where blooming

Apple blossom.

We walked the dark green route

The next  day we drove home and got stuck for an hour in a traffic jam due to an accident.

Happy to arrive home safe afterwards.

Another great trip to USA. Although you don't always catch the flight you want, flying Space-A is the way !!!

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Our Weekend Away

Happy New Year 2016!!!

It has been almost a year that I've posted something on my blog.  One of my new year´s resolution: to give it a new start again......

For our birthdays we got a gift card for "A Weekend Away" from our daughter Naomi and son Leon and their families. The last weekend of October was going to be a nice sunny weekend so we decided to leave on Thursday and stay 3 nights. I had checked earlier on  WeekendAway's website where we could use the gift card. I was born and raised in the province of Drenthe (northern part of the Netherlands), so we choose for a mystery hotel in Drenthe. Where and which hotel , we would find out  after making the reservation. I love surprises!
It turned out to be the "Abdij de Westerburcht" in Westerbork, a town centrally located in Drenthe.

We left on Thursday. It´s a 175 km (108 miles) drive. Instead of heading straight to the hotel, we stopped in Beilen, a town near Westerbork, parked the car and walked to the town of Brunsting, just outside of Beilen. My maiden name is Brunsting and my father and his ancestors were all born in Brunsting. Instead of a town you can say hamlet as there were just some farms. Nowadays there are 30 households living in Brunsting.
*PS  photos are best seen when clicked on, this is for every photo on my blog* 

 The history of Brunsting.

 My aunt told me that this  used to be the families farm but it has been renovated over the years.

Later in the afternoon we arrived in Westerbork at our hotel.

Abdij de Westerburcht.

Small room but we'll be gone all day anyway. 

Across from the hotel was the Museum van Papierknipkunst (Paper cuts).

It's a small non-profit museum.

I took some pictures.....

......but was caught in action: PHOTOGRAPHS NOT ALLOWED.....

Next day was going to  be a nice, sunny day again. We walked to Orvelte, a museum village, 5 km up the road.

Here we are entering Orvelte. There is a saw mill, a blacksmith and a wooden shoe maker, all open to the public. A number of events are held throughout the year featuring traditional Dutch activities but it was the end of October, not the summer (tourist) season, so no activities were going on.

The old toll house

Here you see typical Drents monumental farmhouses​

Interlacem​ent of straw

Traditional​l interlacem​ent of straw were used for these old barns. This decoration was born out of shortage. Farmers often had no plank wood left to finish building the barn. Wood is relatively expensive. To finish the wall ,straw was used which was easier and cheaper to get. Just under the eave, where the rainwater almost can't get, straw was braided together with crossed straw bindings. It looked very nice and it provides good ventilation. Nowadays reed is mostly used which is stronger.

Peat turf brick shed house

Schaapskoo​i (sheep pen)
The sheep were just released to graze on the heathland

We looked for the sheep herd and found them away from the village

On the way back towards the hotel, we took another road...

...and look at all those fall leaves on the side walk. 

In the afternoon we drove to Emmen... 

...My cousin Helge has a ladies fashion shop in that town and we had never been there, I'm not a shopper but this time I can tell you that I shopped with the help of Helge and she gave me 20% discount...

Saturday, again beautiful fall weather. Good for a 10 km (6 miles) walk around Anloo.

 
The oldest church of the province of Drenthe in Anloo

 

 Everywhere beautiful fall colors.

Then walking through the forest we saw this pinetum. It's an arboretum specializing in growing conifers. This came to a surprise for us as we didn't know this area too well.

Again the fall colors were awesome.

And what about this pretty fungus. We call it a "Vliegenzwam" (Amanita muscaria)

A beautiful majestic Atlas ceder, cedrus Atlantica (Cedrus Libani Glauca)

Droplets of dew

And further we walked.....

...until we saw this hunebed (Neolithic tomb)

 

Then we passed a grafheuvel ( burial mound)

 Fomitopsis pinicola,  Red-belted Bracket

No idea what type of fungus these are.

Passing through heathland

A rest moment

Then it's departure day. The weather had changed completely and it was very foggy that morning. We drove to Dwingelerveld, a National Park, for a short walk. The world here is covered in a mysterious fog.

Blankets of fog add a layer of mystery and beauty to any scene 
 
Drentse heideschapen

More fungus 

This map gives you an idea where Drenthe is located.

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