Saturday, May 25, 2024
We bid farewell to the van Baardewijk’s in Zelhem, and begin our next stage on the Pieterpad, the doable 17k walk from Zelhem to Braamt. In the back of our mind is the big walk from Braamt to Millington aan de Rijn, which is a 25k walk – the longest of them all. But that is for another day.

1. The scenery is still pretty much the same – beautiful and peaceful. We go for long stages in silence to just feel the blessing of it all. Though today we meet more Pieterpaders, some very talkative. There are so many interesting people in the world.
2. Gelderland has many big homes (castles) and we have walked past many of them. This is also a more Roman Catholic area, as evidenced by crucifixes hidden in the trees.
3. Today we encountered many rest stops. The first one was set up by two young girls, with a cooler filled with drinks and snacks for a Euro. We are thankful to the opportunity to sit comfortably, and we do not mind supporting these young entrepreneurs. We also came upon a restaurant at noon, a perfect moment for a cappuccino and appelgebak.
4. We arrive in Braamt around 2:30, but I had the wrong address written down, and we ended up walking a few extra kilometers out, then back. We are staying at a Vrienden op de Fiets home, but it is a BnB on a farm. The host couple are empty nesters who love to welcome hikers and bikers. We enjoyed a meal together with 7 other hikers: 4 ladies who are from different parts of the Netherlands and who formed a walking group. They have walked trails all over Europe (one lady over 2600kms), including the Camino; and a widower with his two daughters. We also were eating in the former milk house, and were joined by the cows in the background. The meal was excellent, and the experience gezhellig!
5. We walked 19k today, and today I am feeling the blisters more.

Saying good bye

Following other Pieterpaders

Castles in Gelderland

Crucifixes hidden in the tree

The water is high

Rest stops on the way

Arriving in Braamt

Dinner in Braamt