One morning in Holland, a band of eight adventurers set off on an expedition. Armed with self-reliance, fearless resolution, and a healthy dose of grit and determination, our intrepid travelers set their faces like flint and purposed in their hearts to never, ever stop short of their intended destination. Their journey took them over vast landforms and exposed them to perils at sea. Along the way, they found themselves buffeted by strong winds and pummeled upon by freezing rain. In the end, their insatiable desire for discovery led our brave pilgrims to faraway lands, pristine and unaffected, unscathed and untouched by the ubiquitous Dutch bicycle tire.
Our three kids, ready to go…
Well, not really. I mean, we did ride our bikes for forty-five minutes straight. Forty-five minutes! And there weren’t exactly any rough seas, either. But, we did have to cross a small canal. Thankfully, some thoughtful person had set up a little bike ferry for us (een pontje***) and all we had to do was wheel our bikes onto it. Actually, that’s not all we had to do, because my manly husband did have to crank the wheel of the ferry which was connected to a wench and a chain, and quick as you can say “Alstublieft!” we were transported to the other side.
Het Pontje
My Manly Husband
Just to keep things real, the wind was at our backs most of the way. And, it didn’t really rain. It threatened rain, though, and maybe a few stray drops sort of found their way earthward. Oh, and we never actually made it to those faraway lands. But, we did visit (and you can click on the link to see a picture) a beautiful little village, de Meije (pronounced ”duh-My-yuh”). And as long as I’m confessing, I might as well admit that although de Meije is quite charming and picturesque as a post-card, it has been pretty well touched by human hands and has definitely experienced the presence of many, many Dutch bicycle tires.
We were invited to de Meije by my sister-in-law, Jacqueline and her husband, Dirk. The purpose of our journey, well, if I’m being honest I should say our jaunt, was to rent several kayaks and canoes and row around the canals in the area. Of course, since rowing is so labor intensive (and I’m NOT kidding about that) we were compelled to load up on calories beforehand by enjoying some Dutch apple pie with whipped cream and a cup of coffee. Strictly business, of course.
Appelgebak met slagroom
I rode in a canoe with Jacqueline and Dirk. Dirk sat in the back of the boat as our oarsman/navigator, and I sat in the front as an oarsman, or oarswoman if you prefer. Jacqueline sat in the middle and did not row at all. She had the all important job of urging us along by yelling, “PULL! PULL! PULL!” Not really, but she did give us lots of encouragement, and she made me laugh until I thought I might wet my…uh, let’s just say I laughed so hard I could have easily lost control of my…um…I think you get the idea. Well, after running aground a total of approximately twenty-seven times, okay six times, we finally got the hang of all that rowing and navigating and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
One of the most interesting landmarks around de Meije is a water tower called “Het Potlood.” In Dutch, that means “The Pencil.” Can you guess why they call it that? Click here to see a photograph of Het Potlood. I read somewhere that during World War II, pilots used it as a landmark. It’s no wonder since the thing is so tall and distinctive. Sort of like me. Ok, I’m not tall, maybe just a little bit distinctive, but no, not tall at all.
Anyway, we had a wonderful time rowing amidst the reeds and amongst some very curious cows. We even lashed ourselves together (aren’t you impressed with my use of the nautical term “lashed”?) so that we could relax while still in our boats and eat the sandwiches Jacqueline had thoughtfully brought along for us.
Rolling on the River (Cow Alert on the Right)
Curious Cow
Now, the only drawback to our little outing was that in our excitement, we forgot that if we rowed two hours out that it would necessitate rowing two hours in. By the time we finally made it back to our starting point, my arms were rubber, my back was stiff, and my derriere was completely numb. But that’s okay. I chose to look on the bright side of my situation. We thoroughly enjoyed our maritime adventure in the seas of de Meije, well, actually not seas, more like canals, or polders, or rivers, I always get the names mixed up, but at least the fun did not end there. We still had a forty-five minute bicycle ride back home. Forty-five minutes!
Phew. Needless to say, that night I fell into bed and slept for a million years. Well, maybe not a million years, but I did sleep in a little the next day. Til seven. That counts. Right?
Right?
***If you have two minutes, you can click on this youtube link and not only see exactly how een pontje works, but also hear some rousing Dutch classical music.
Posted by teeveebee 
Posted by teeveebee 
