A Saturday Out-n-About Joy Ride

After day-in and day-out of working, without any photo hunts in between, Astrid and I will sometimes decide to just go out-n-about on a Saturday, just for the halibut.  Especially if that's the Saturday we're planning to visit our favorite pannenkoeken restaurant out in the middle of nowhere!

So, a week ago Saturday, that's exactly what we did.  And what follows, in order, is exactly as it happened.  I should first mention that Astrid drove one of her Sunday bike routes to show me what she sees.

This is the Scheiwijkse Molen in Hoornaar from 1638, also someone's home out in the polder.

It's a hollowpost/wipmolen mill used to drain the polder of water...so the Netherlands doesn't drown!

We so happened to have parked our car next to a canal where this guy was fishing.

Did I ever tell you Astrid loves to fish?  Well, so do I.

We just haven't done it together yet!  One day....

No sooner did we get back in the car, we saw this ice-cream cone at the side of the road.

There's no better ice cream than what you can buy at a farm in the Netherlands.

Astrid says they are very highly regulated and inspected!

All ice creams we buy are €1 per "one-ball" cone.  How can you say NO!  (We didn't!)

Our eyes were peeled as we drove slowly so that Astrid could stop on a dime when we saw something,

like these neighbors who came visiting with their Shetland ponies...

and graciously allowed that strange woman with her long lens to take pictures.

This is what you do on Saturday, of course, here in the Netherlands out in the polder.
Do you visit your neighbors on Saturdays?

That's also when we saw these dogs on the boat and I exclaimed:

"This is the Life of Riley!"
(click any image/collage to enlarge)

Don't you just love roadside produce stands!
No, we didn't buy anything...but we should have.

I've shown you the Meerkerk water tower before from 1936,

but the sundial was new to me, as were the girls playing in the field!

That's when we stopped and ate lunch at Onder de Pannen in Leerbroek.

If ever you come visit us, we will take you there.  We promise!

Back in the car and on our way home...we HAD to stop on a dime.

This man and cow were coming towards us in the middle of the road.

Since we had to stop, we watched him take Bessie to the barn to do his/her thing...

while that strange woman with her long lens snapped away from the car window.

Then we waved, said dank je wel, and were on our way.

As we drove into our city, Gorinchem, and passed the Jewish cemetery (for the umpteenth time),

I said to Astrid (for the umpteenth time) how much I wished we could get in to see it up close.  

It is always locked at the front gate when I pass it to my bi-weekly grocery store.

And just like that, Astrid stopped on aother dime, we got out of the car and found a back gate open.

The cemetery was founded in 1814 and has 134 tombstones.  I sure wish I knew Hebrew!

Remember the military vehicles we went to see awhile back?

A guy who lives on the edge of the cemetery tinkers around with them.

Like with the fisherman earlier in the day, Astrid had a nice chat with him.

Don't you love it!  Saturday neighbors.

And of course, here's all the weathervanes from just one out-n-about.

I'm in love with them.  I call them the cherry on top of a great day!

All on a Saturday's joy ride through the countryside while out-n-about!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

On Wednesday Astrid and I fly to America, first to Michigan for nephew Peter's wedding on The Farm (remember his sister's wedding there 3 years ago?) and then to Atlanta for my kids, grandson and friends.  Back on Saturday, 8 September.  Astrid is so ready for a loooong vacation, and I with her!  

Travel mercies to one and all...and stay cool!

Roden, Netherlands

Before I start on Roden, it's my turn at Vision and Verb today with a post on euthanasia.
Astrid's former cousin-in-law here in The Netherlands was euthanised two weeks ago after a short bout with incurable cancer. She was only 54.

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A week ago Saturday, after my Norway images were finally processed and I was ready to move on, Astrid and I drove to Roden in Holland's Drenthe province (220 km/136 miles) for a photo hunt with other bloggers. Fokkio was the one who set up the excursion for the 10 of us involved, including his wife, Karin. It was the first time for us to meet each other.

What a day! The meet-up started at 1 p.m. at a café in town but since we were in the area, Astrid and I decided to leave early enough to take in some nearby sights: the water tower in Drachten (but of course!) and a nearby special windmill in Roderwolde.

As we entered Drachten in the Friesland province, we first saw their famous bicyclist's bridge.
How's that for mixing art with utility!


By now I'm getting used to such art everywhere we go in The Netherlands,
utiliarian or not.


Drachten's water tower was built in 1959 and is 42 meters high.


After the water tower we continued on towards the windmill in Roderwolde and, you know me, stopped for this quaint Kerkje (Little Church) in Noordwijk and the gas pole outstanding in its field.
I've mentioned before that The Netherlands has its own natural gas reserves. We saw 2 such poles on this trip, where the flame at the top burns off excess fumes so they won't explode or pollute the environment.


You didn't expect me to forget the weathervanes, did you?

Then on to the windmill in Roderwolde, nearby our destination for the day:

This Woldzigt oil and grain mill was built in 1852.
It's the first windmill I've seen like this, extended out so horizontally.

Then we entered Roden, our destination, and walked around the café a bit before everyone arrived.

On one side of the café is the Ot (boy) and Sien (girl) statue.
These are storybook characters that Astrid has heard about all her life.
On the other side of the café is a statue of Hendricus Scheepstra, their author.


Then it was time to meet everyone over a cup of coffee.
All 10 of us from different parts of The Netherlands, even as far away as Haarlem!
The first Winsinghhof café/restaurant gave us free drinks because Fokko, our leader, hosts an ad for them on his blog site. It's next door to the Roden or Catharinakerk reformed church.
Midway through our 4-hour walk, we stopped at another café out in the middle of nowhere.


Then we were off and running. Well, more like stop-n-go walking for 4 straight hours!
Once we rounded Catharinakerk...


...and inspected an interactive stone sculpture...


...and the stork's empty stand but occupied chimney nest...


...we headed into the nature reserve surrounding Roden, fields and forests alike,
all 10 of us doing our photographer's thing at every whip-stitch.


First, the Shetland ponies...and the horses...


...proud of spring's wobbly new birth.


Then the Highlanders, first in brown...


...later in white.


And in bewtween, Mother Nature everywhere to be seen on a sunny day!


Quirks of nature, too...


...and things we didn't expect, like a Mandarin duck, a baby llama, horseriders (well, ok)
and a 'normal' cow!


No excuse for ever losing your way.
The Netherlands is known for its user-friendly signposts for everyone.


See how delightful it was everywhere we went for approximately 12 km.


Astrid and I had a blast and now Fokko is suggesting another excursion for July or August.

We felt like 180-year-old women that night when we fell into bed.
By morning we felt like 80-year-olds.
Maybe by July or August we'll feel back to normal?! :)

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A reminder that today I'm on at Vision and Verb...while I work now on the images of our just-past weekend in Ghent, Belgium, celebrating my up-coming birthday early. But more on that next week....