Sabbatical Day 15 – Schoonloo to Sleen (23k)

Wednesday, May 15, 2024
On the road at 8:30am. Today is a longer walk (23k, the longest will be 24k). We are nervous. Our packs are heavy, our muscles stiff, and the blisters on our feet remind us that they are there. It will be another beautiful, and exceptionally warm, day. There is nothing along the way but forest and fields. The adventure continues…

Near the beginning we come upon a ‘gratis’ rest place, with coffee, tea, cookies and a washroom. So nice, but unfortunately it was at the beginning, not the middle or end. We’ve just started, we can’t stop yet.
Forest paths and farmers fields, and tractors… and the fresh smell of the ‘honey wagon’ (manure spreader). It is so quiet, so peaceful, so lonely. There are 17.8 million people in the Netherlands, but we hardly see any this day.
We do meet other hikers. Everyone is curious about Canadians on the Pieterpad, and I know enough Dutch to communicate. They wonder if we know their relatives in Vancouver. The challenge with other hikers is that they seem to get to the benches before we do. Benches are a luxury, and there are not enough, especially when you need them most. The next time we are going to be ‘rude’ and ask them to make room… we need to sit. We end up finding any fallen log or stump just to rest.
One of the best parts of our day is that first coffee and speculaas!
We do meet angels on the way. A Christian couple yesterday said they had started their day praying for two people along the way, and decided it was us. They have a daughter doing missions in Italy too, and he is part of the Alpha Netherlands team, eager to develop followers of Jesus. Another Christian couple today encouraged us, and shared about their own pastor son-in-law and family, and what a gift this sabbatical was. Our hosts at the BnB today grew up in the church in Sleen where my father’s uncle was the minister!
By the end of the day we are on autopilot, one foot in front of the other. We are grumpy, short with each other, and it is best just to say nothing.
We stopped in at the Reformed Church in Sleen because it was open and we could sit and rest. It was nice to feel the history, and see the ornate lofty pulpit. As I climbed up into the pulpit to take a picture of the view, I noticed they gave it a name – Verboden – I wonder what that means.
When we finally arrive, a shower and a nap and some foot care makes all the difference. All in we walked 28k.