3/21 ✈Cairo to Amsterdam to Garderen
18 Days in Holland


Snow flurries in Holland

The Donau Radweg (Danube Cycle Way) begins in Germany, but first, we go to Holland, where we have friends and family.
 
Our hotel had reserved a prepaid taxi for us and traffic was light as we drove to the airport in Cairo. The Cairo airport is modern but they still have helpers to assist you with your luggage for a little baksheesh. It's only a 4.5 hour flight from Cairo to Amsterdam. Egyptian Air did a nice job and our flight was uneventful. As we landed, we noticed unfamiliar white fluff streaking past the window… Snow flurries?. It was light enough not to accumulate on the ground but it was still snow….and the first day of Spring.

Schiphol Passport Control was the first time I used my Dutch passport and I didn't even get a stamp :( 

Even though we were greeted by record cold temperatures, for this time of year, light snow and mean wind, all went smooth as pie. Wim and Adrie were waiting for us. Wim had brought me two delicious herrings from special address. He insisted I stop and eat them right there before we even left the airport. I didn't need much prodding; I could taste the North Sea. I'm back in my country of birth. Dropjes (my favorite licorice) waited for me in the car, I didn't even feel the cold I was so excited. Yes, good eats does that to me.
 

 
Found Bicycles the First Day

Wim had spent many hours scoping out bikes for us in advance. We stopped at bike store where Wim had set aside "his and her" Koga-Miata’s, my dream bike, the Cadillac, of bikes and Dutch made. The Dutch know a thing or two about bikes. These were well taken care of, like new but 12 years old. Dave was not as impressed with his Koga but found what he liked as well, a mountain bike, more like what I had in the US. He bought fenders and back rack. For €600 total, after €117 discount we both have fantastic bikes.
 

Then, croquettes with fries for dinner from the local diner.  We're in a dream ;)

Crocuses and sneeuw klokjes (small white bulb flower) are out but it's too cold for little lambs to be in the fields so they are indoors. Everything is so clean, orderly and peaceful; no honking, no call to prayer.



March 22 to April 8 in Garderen

 

The Veluwe

Garderen is located in the province Gelderland and in the heart of the Veluwe , a nature area, which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful part of Holland, surrounded by thick forests, fields of heather and quaint villages, gorgeous straw-roofed farmhouses, hundreds of miles walking and cycling paths, and many cozy terraces and cafes along the way. At the first sign of spring the terraces will be full and the Dutch will spend a lot of their waking and free time outdoors, catching every ray of sunshine they can. Here in Garderen, the tourist information or VVV, is located in wonderful old windmill.

Today our dear friend Wim dropped us off at the bike shop so Dave and I could collect our bikes and ride them the 18km home (Wim’s home).

After a kilometer, I notice my shifter was sticking. I turned around and returned to the bike shop to have gears adjusted and lubed. Now both our bikes ride smooth. My Koga Miata is way more bike than I expected; nice lights, Nexus shifters, adjustable handle bar.

 
We hoped the weather would warm up a bit so we can ride on the many paths around Garderen. We need to get in shape. Next we needed to look for panniers and handlebar bags. Wim had an address in mind which had decent selection used cycle accessories. But a little luck plays part in it too.

Friends of Wim, whom we have met over the many years visited here, stopped by or we made the rounds past their homes. We didn't want to skip anybody. Garderen has wonderful community atmosphere. People help each other out when in need and stop by for a cup of coffee and a kind word.


 
New Tradition in Garderen

When someone passes away in Garderen, heavy church bells clang for 15 minutes. Our friend Wim is an active member of the community and last year suggested the church start ringing the bells for the happier occasion, when a new baby is born, using a smaller and happy sounding bell. The town's officials thought it was a great idea and they have adopted it. It took weeks before a local mother and baby were ready to cooperate And when they did, Wim and the town officials presented the lucky parents with a small silver bell and the local newspaper covered the event!

 
Bicycles for Junko and Hiro

After we managed to find all our cycling needs so quickly, we suggested to look for our Japanese friends Junko and Hiro who are doing the Donau trip with us, as well. Many bike shops in Holland keep a stock of lightly used returned or rebuilt bikes, in very good condition, on hand and tuned up. We didn't bother with private party sales. Our friend Wim, with whom we are staying, has been so accommodating, driving us from here to yonder to check out bike shops.
 
It proved to be a little more difficult to find used small touring bikes with 21 or more gears. We had used the official calculator to come up with frame size. They ended up needing 41cm which we couldn't find, with the gears, after visiting countless shops within 50 km radius. Technically they need XS but when we started using the top of saddle to ground measurement, we found that up to 50 cm, or small, would work for them. In the end, all four of us have super bikes for about €300 average for each.

Dave and I found decent second hand panniers at a bike shop. Junko and Hiro opted to order new Ortlieb classic roller type bags. We used Ortlieb for our California to Costa Rico cycle trip and were happy with them. Ours are stored in California

Wim is borrowing a large van from his neighbor, Henk, to take us, and the four bikes, to Dusseldorf where we'll meet Hiro and Junko on the April 9th.

    
Cousins and Nephews

In the mean time when we announced to my cousins that we were in Holland, and short on time, Vincent together with his better half, Brunhilde, arranged for the whole clan to come to their place on Easter Sunday. They celebrate two Easter days in Holland, on Sunday and Monday. Vin and Brun must have worked day and night on the wonderful food they had prepared.

...It was great to see everyone. We managed to sit down with everyone and catch up a little on the happenings. Machiel came through with kilo and half of the special type of licorice I need to make my favorite liquor. Yes I will be lugging it happily on my bike:). Not that it will last terribly long.

Favorite Licorice Liquor Recipe
In two 1 liter bottles, combine:
1 liter 100 proof Vodka
1 kilo heksenbenen (licorice) also called Russische Briquettes
Shake once a day until dissolved, about a week

  
 
Easter Tradition in Garderen

The second Easter day, we visited the large and lively Bronkhorst family. Everyone was helping in the kitchen when we arrived. It smelled heavenly. In the early afternoon, we all piled in the cars and drove to the forest at the edge of town for the annual village Easter egg hunt. Weather was sunny but crispy. In spite of the cold, there was a great turnout for the age segregated hunt. The Easter Bunny had hidden eggs in the carpet of dried leaves which had collected beneath the trees. The eggs were labeled with numbers so they could be traded for prizes like chocolate Easter bunnies.


Back at the house, the kids entertained themselves with their latest electronic toys. Most people in Holland do speak English and it always amazes us how at ease many teens are with speaking it. We ate and drank and had wonderful conversations. One neighbor’s wife was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis and their kids were dropped off with the Bronkhorst’s and were made to feel like home. People take care of each other in this tight community, we noticed. Wim's neighbor, Ria, has broken leg and is unable to get around. She regularly has people dropping by to help and take care of her and to cheer her up.

 
Dutch Pancakes at Bonte Koe Restaurant

We couldn't be in Garderen without stopping at the super cozy Bonte Koe Restaurant and Bar owned by our long time friends, Johan and Lydia. We stopped by for Dutch pancakes. Unlike typical breakfast pancakes in American, Holland pancakes are called pannenkoeken and are eaten at dinner time, served with meat and vegetable toppings typically seen on pizza menus; ham, mushrooms, sausage, tomatoes, pineapple, etc.

'Bonte Koe’ is Dutch for spotted cow and they do use some black and white motifs in their large, but cozy, lodge type restaurant. The Bonte Koe also has a few heads of wild boar mounted on the wall too.

In general no expense is spared to protect wildlife in Holland such as specially designed bridges over roads for deer and small tunnels under the road for frogs so their yearly migrations are not disturbed. But residents of Garderen often have problems with the wild boar that live in the local forest and cause more than a few traffic accidents. The wild boar are not among the most loved wildlife here. The roadside is fenced in many spots in an attempt to keep them off the highway. They sometime employ hunters to control the population. But I've never seen them up until now. I began to suspect it might have been some sort of elaborate fable. Finally one evening as we were driving home, I spotted one. I yelled. Wim made a U-turn so we could get a closer look. Wim said it was just a small one but this porker was a lot bigger than the pig that caused our motorcycle accident in India.

 
 
Maartje, my India Daughter

I sent a note to Maartje, our lovely neighbor at our Palolem Goa bungalow, when we had arrived in Holland. She wrote back, calling me her India mom, and said she wanted to come see us! She made time and came to visit us in Garderen. It was soo heartwarming to see her again. She is saving hard for her next trip. She is toying with the idea to visit us during our Donau cycling trip. We sure hope she can make the time. That would be great. 
 

Tante Ria and Capucijners

We visited my 89 year old aunt in Bussum. Tante Ria is a spry old lady with many interests. She is surrounded by books in her small apartment. She is an Esperantist, she takes painting classes and, up until recently, studied the Friesian language which is still spoken in North Eastern Province of Friesland in Holland. Needless to say, she is a very interesting woman. And no matter where we are in the world we Skype together. She is a communicator and didn't let the electronic age pass her by without making it work for her.

We brought one of my favorite Dutch meals to share with her: capucijners, a pea that looks like a brown chickpea or garbanzo. Capucijners are difficult to find outside of Holland. One internet source explains they are Blue Pod Peas developed between the 16th and 18th centuries and named for Capuchin Monks. In any case, we mix it with chopped German pickles, raw onions, ketchup, mustard and medium fried bacon. We all grubbed. Yes, even Dave loves this dish.

Tante Ria had a beautiful surprise. She had the wedding rings from my namesake great grandmother and great-great-grand mother joined by goldsmith and hung on lovely gold chain for me. I will cherish it forever.

 
Anneke in Zwolle

Anneke my cousin had chosen a lovely hotel restaurant for us to meet in Zwolle, halfway between Garderen and Emmen, where she lives. Wim drove us. When I entered the hotel to ask where we could park the car, I walked right by Anneke without realizing it. We had briefly met eight years ago after having lost contact for about 40 years. We had heard only little snippets through the family grapevine about each other’s lives so we had a lot to catch up on. Anneke enthusiastically follows our blog and drops in appreciated comments now and then. She even prints them out and saves them in binders. We spent 3 hours catching up. We covered a lot of ground, the stupid things we did, the wonderful things, and the lessons learned.

 
 
My Dutch Roots

My family and I immigrated to America in the 1960’s and I took to the American lifestyle like a duck to water. I have retained my mother tongue and returned frequently to reconnect with friends and family. I am an American but still feel Dutch too. I plan to return to visit.