Forest, Dunes and Water...

On May 7, Terri drove us north so we could do a nearly 21-kilometer (13-mile) walk through Zuid Kennemerland National Park, where dogs aren’t welcome. It was a lovely walk through forests, with wild garlic as ground covering...

...by lakes, the above one we have hiked and hashed around before...

…and dunes, this one along the North Sea. 

We were following a tract that Terri had found on a hiking app, but part of the path was unpassable due to flooding. 

Since the path looked drier ahead, I led us cross country, like any good hasher would. 

However, we encountered a surprise once we made it back to the main path...

…two swans swimming on the path ahead. Since we were unsure we would actually be able to get around them, we opted to turn back to meet up with the trail at a different point. 

Later we spotted more swans swimming...

…and flying.

We also spotted some deer, West Highland cows...

…and fluffy caterpillars...

…that were quite devastating to the hedges. 

 

Flower Parade...

After a two-year absence due to COVID-19, the Bloemencorso was back! It was actually our first Flower Parade in four years. The opening float of a baleen whale was my favorite!

There were lots of other cute animals, including toucans...

…swans...

…tigers...

…butterflies...

…bees...

…fish...

…and this mysterious creature.

There were also flower floats, made of flowers, of course.

 

Easter Tulip Bash...

The following weekend we managed to squeeze our bikes on the train to Hillegom for another FILTH Bash through the bulb fields. Give It a Blow and Start Me Up led us on another fascinating trail with lots of fields and even some deer. 

 

The Afsluitdijk...

We were all sad to have to leave our waterfront chalet. 

Check-out was supposed to be 10 a.m., but the owner allowed us another hour so we could take a nice walk in the forest just outside of the vacation park. 

Rather than driving the most direct route home, we took a detour to drive across an engineering marvel: the Afsluitdijk. This 20-mile (32-kilometer) long and 300-foot (90-meter) wide dam was completed in 1932, damming off the Zuiderzee, a saltwater inlet of the North Sea, and converting it into the freshwater lake of the IJsselmeer. 

We stopped at the first viewpoint for a walk down to see the Wadden Sea, an intertidal zone of the North Sea.

It’s hard to tell, but this section was actually not flat, with the top of the grass at 23.8 feet (7.25 meters) above sea level. 

Off the coast was a huge wind farm. The largest inland wind farm in the world is being constructed on the opposite side.

Further along, we pulled over to see this visitor area with lots of information boards and a statue honoring the construction crew. 

In an effort to make the dam stronger and higher, 75,000 concrete blocks each weighing a massive 14,350 pounds (6,500 kilos) are currently being added. 

The current renovation also includes adding two additional discharge sluices and pumps to expand the ability to discharge water from the IJsselmeer into the Wadden Sea.

Here’s s screenshot from Google Maps to show our journey across the dam. We all agreed that the detour was definitely worth the extra driving time. That evening Veronica and Brett opted not to join us for a FILTH hash in Hillegom. We were the only two runners and did get pretty lost, but managed to eventually find trail. 
 

Walking Along the Dutch Water Line...

The Dutch Water Line, now an UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a series of water-based defenses conceived in the 17th century. During World War II, Dutch soldiers were stationed at Fort Honswijk, built in 1848; it was taken by the German Army in May 1940 without a fight. 

Next to the fort ran a canal with a variety of different slats...

…slanted boards...

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…and unusual steps up to the edge.

Especially interesting was the wooden boardwalk through the Verdronken Bos (Drowned Forest). 

Hard to believe that this was once a regular forest in Schalkwijk with poor drainage that left standing water after heavy showers. Around a dozen years ago it was repurposed to be a water storage facility. The trees were literally drowned.

Our 17K walk ended in Houten Castellum, where we caught the train home. It was great to walk further afield and see such a unique area.