Walking through the old towns and in the countryside is a favorite activity. There are so many sources for walking trips - I have a long row of books describing the best paths, all over the country. Sometimes, I just make my own path, from drawers full of maps at the 50,000 scale. The books are the best, because man of the paths are not all that obvious, and you never know when the way is suddenly dead-ended by a canal, or when the bike ferry indicated on the map is not running. The books have all the data for a successful walk, complete with history, culture, flora and fauna. Even so, you come across an interesting museum or an unexpected activity.

Last Saturday for example, I saw a group of local cyclists. That is very common, but some of the ladies were wearing their traditional dress. This is not for touists, they don't like for anyone to take their picture. There is a museum specialising in the local costumes, and sometimes a fashion show associated with a festival.

The artists are on the grounds of the Huis ter Linschoten - a country manor house still kept in beautiful condition.

Here are some scenes from 1) 20 Kilometer walk from IJsselstein to Woerden - passing intermediate towns of Montfort and Linschoten - all were historic cities belonging to the Utrecht city-state.  2) 16 Kilometer walk from Oudewater to Woerden. 3) 12 Kilometer walk from Harderwijk along the old Zuider Zee shoreline to Ermelo.

Oudewater was the hemp growing region which had a big industry for rope making. I toured the rope museum, which described the town's dilemma in 1576.  They had sided with William of Orange, and the Spanish army was approaching. They could flood the land, retreating into the city and lose the year's hemp harvest, or take a chance with the Spanish invaders. They chose the latter. The Spanish massacred the townspeople and set the town on fire. It took them 25 years to rebuild. In 1672, the French army came and occupied Oudewater, but the defensive flooding of the land to the west stopped their advance.

There are some grass paths along canals from Gouda - Oudewater - Montfort - IJsselstein called Tiendweg's. The word "tiend" is from old Dutch meaning towing or pulling. These were transportation highways of the day - the flat-bottom boats full of cargo being pulled by horses. The Tiendweg's were major building projects - hundreds of bridges, canal digging, and clearing the tow paths were required. Now, they are walking trails, some very overgrown, with many styles to climb over.

I have never gotten so close to a Kievit ( a kind of plover) to take a picture. They are beautiful birds with irradescent green flanks and a top-knot.  Their name is from the call they make.

Click on the pictures below for an enlargement.
 

1. Windmill in Montfort, along the Hollandse IJssel river
2. Swan in one of the old shipping canals
3. Cyclists on the river dike
4. View to the new polder land (Flevoland) reclaimed from the Zuider Zee
5. Soldier and his wife - from the re-enactment of the French invasion. I don't believe that Pizza was available at that time.
6. Wooden shoes and laundry hung out to dry