Walking from Marken to Volendam...

After lunch at a waterfront restaurant in Marken, it was time to set off on our long walk back to Volendam. While we enjoyed walking through Marken, it wasn’t much fun walking on the bike path on the long causeway attaching Marken to the mainland.

We eventually came to the adorable town of Monnickendam. It was the perfect place to stop for a beer, which inspired Jimmy to decide that he’d like to start the long trail there if the weather conditions are right for doing some extra sailing.

Unfortunately, the leg between Monnickendam and Volendam was also a bit boring, but there were a few interesting things to see along the way including a vending machine for fresh apple juice...

...and these sweet lambs.

After walking 11.5 miles (18.4K), we made it back to Volendam in time for an early dinner. Rather than heading back into the harbor area, we found a great seafood restaurant at the marina.

Scouting Trail in Volendam...

Since Jimmy is the head hare for this year’s Dutch Nash Hash, we decided that a long walk to help plan the trails for Saturday was a good idea. Kent drove to Volendam where we spotted this lovely boat; hopefully the sailboats chartered for the hash are in better shape.

Our first task was to take a ferry across to Marken, where Jimmy was considering to start the Ballbreaker trail, which is typically about the length of a half marathon.

It was a lovely day to take the 30-minute journey. Both of these photos show Volendam, a quaint fishing village where the big party for the hash weekend will take place.

Walking to Rotterdam...

It was a very hot day when we set off in early June to walk to Rotterdam. Our first stop was for cold drinks at Snow World in Zoetermeer. 

Loved this pedestrian bridge across the freeway in Zoetermeer.

Might even use one of the many photos I took for a future Going Dutch cover. 

Sadly, much of the route that Jimmy chose wasn’t very scenic. While I always enjoy seeing cows, we spent more time walking through industrial parks than next to fields. We did manage to find some grass in the shade for our picnic lunch.  

We were all relieved once we made it into Rotterdam, where it’s not unusual to spot the unexpected...

...and the unusual. As we were quite hungry, in desperation we stopped in a snack bar for ice cream, but were pleasantly surprised with their unique and delicious orange and mint (made with the actual herb rather than just flavoring).

After a sushi dinner and despite having already walked 19.5 miles (31.3K), we climbed the 180 stairs to check out the views from the rooftop before catching a train home.

End of the First Year at UEA...

Although Veronica was done with classes by the end of May, she stayed in Norwich for a few extra weeks to have some fun after her exams were over. Jimmy and I were so proud when we got the good news in July that she received a 1st overall, which is the highest grade awarded in England. These photos were taken when she and her friend headed into the forest to take some portraits. As you can see, they turned out beautiful.

Daily Training from Voorschoten...

During the week, Carlin and I mostly walked alone. It was great that Gillian and Sally (who we picked up along the way) joined us for a walk to Terri’s for book club.

I brought my camera along on the all the walks so I’d be fully used to my new strap; I love my Blackrapid Sport, but it does make handing someone else my camera a pain. I took quite a few photos in Voorschoten since so many of our walks started there. So, here’s some horses...

 ...some curious cows...

 ...our cute doggy on a doggy bench...

...a very strange chicken statue...

...and some beautiful wildflowers.

More Dunes...

Two days later, Carlin and I went back to Wassenaar Beach to walk to Katwijk. On the way back to the car, we took a different route through the dunes and came across this Scottish Highland cow feeding her baby.

While on one hand we were quite excited to witness this special moment, we were also afraid that she’d see us as threats and come after us with those scary long horns.

Rather than attempting to go past her on the trail, we bushwhacked our way up and over the dune. Luckily she didn’t chase us down and we lived to tell the tale.

Off to the Dunes...

The final big push for Coast-2-Coast training was for me and Carlin to walk daily for two weeks solid with a combination of long and short walks. We started on May 29 when Kent drove us to Wassenaar Beach so we could walk 14 miles (22.7K) through the dunes to Scheveningen Beach, where we enjoyed lunch on the pier, and back.

After Jimmy started dragging a large fishing net down the beach, he was relieved to be able to flag down a lifeguard to take the trash.