Monday, May 13, 2024
And the journey begins. With our packs fully loaded, and weighing more than we anticipated, we took our first steps out the door… from Zuidlaren to Rolde. Officially our route is 17k, but we will be walking further to Anderen where we are staying.

1. 1. Zuidlaren is a small town, but we still take a few minutes to get our bearings with the map. Thankful for having data, so that we can check on where we are with the map.
   2. We walk from sidewalks to forest paths, through open meadows and farmers fields. It is a beautiful day, starting at 22 degrees.
   3. We enter the Drentsche Aa National Park. The water levels have been too high in the last few weeks, and so a drier detour is suggested. We don’t take it, and thankfully its dry, but you can see evidence that it was wet and muddy recently.
   4. We’re tired, and pray for a bench. We finally stop on a raised grassy ledge for a much needed coffee break. As we set off again, around the next corner is a bench. We just needed a little more faith.
   5. We reach the Pannenkoekenboerderij (Pancake Farm) in Gasteren which we heard so much about, eager for a pancake lunch. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Oh well, we sit to enjoy our Raisin Buns with Gouda cheese — lekker.
   6. We enter the Gasterse Duinen, an area known for its drifting dunes and picturesque fens. Fitting that we walked through what seemed like a desert under a hot 28 degree sun. This was not the weather we expected in the Netherlands. And walking on sand is hard.
   7. We found a nice bench by a hunebed (prehistoric burial vaults, sometimes consisting of boulders weighing more than 20 tons; also called dolmens). But the horses would not let us rest.
   8. We arrive at Rolde at 2pm, very tired. We decide to walk the 45 minutes to our hotel in Anderen to shower and rest. We then walk back to Rolde (without our packs) for dinner and groceries.
   9. A lot of walking today, 27k. Feeling it, but thankful for our first day success.

And we’re off

Coffee break… no bench!

The horses got there first

Tough walking

We made it!!!