Graafschapspad part 2

Second part of the Graafschapspad
Almen-Laren

Today we finished the second section of the Graafschapspad. I started it on my own weeks ago when it was freezing cold. After about 3 km I had to stop, because sudden icy rain and strong wind turned what should have been a pleasant walk into a polar expedition. The path along a little stream which leads out off Almen is not really interesting and so the weather even made a bigger impression.
I stopped at Hotel Ehzerwold a former TBC-sanatorium where I enjoyed the warmth and some coffee.
It is an amazing building , unusual for a hotel, but really interesting due to its’ history , which you can see in its’ architecture and interior design.
http://www.ehzerwold.nl/hotel/english/16/

 

Today I was finally able to finish the section. My husband and son were great company and chatted all way long. Although the weather broadcast was poor, we were lucky and had a nice walk. It was good that it was a shorter walk than usual, because my husband is recovering from a fractured leg. He enjoyed it a lot and will take part in the next section as well, which will be a bit longer.

 As usual my men always work up some appetite and enjoyed their lunch at Hotel ’Witkamp’ in Laren.

Graafschapspad part 1

First part of the Graafschapspad
Zutphen – Almen

Today my daughter Aisha and I walked the first section from Zutphen to Almen.
First we had to free our car from the ice before we could drive to the starting point in Zutphen.
The weather was cloudy, but the sun tried to break through a couple of times. It was a nice wintery day around 0° C, though the wind was really chilly. I was glad I brought my windbreaker.
At the beginning of the walk we passed the impressive castle ‘Huis de Voorst’. For the history of this monument please visit:
http://www.huisdevoorst.nl/uk.html

We passed fields which were full of life: Greyleg Geese who come here to escape the rough winters in Northern & Eastern Europe and Northern Lapwings. It was a peaceful walk, but we had to be careful, because there were long patches of ice along the way. We saw quite a few horseman and some mountain bikers.
The path came along some unimpressive farms, but had nice views of farmland and forests.
We finished at the ‘Hoofdige Boer’ a small country hotel in Almen where we indulged ourselves with an Eastern European walnut-honey cream cake and a cappuccino. There we met fellow walkers who told us that they had done the Graafschapspad before and loved it.
After our deserved break we took the bus back to Zutphen. I’m already looking forward to the next part of this path.

'Graafschapspad'

In two weeks I will start the Graafschapspad, a long distance path in the East of the Netherlands. Length 116,5 km/ 72.5 miles.
Unfortunately I am not off work, so I will continue the walk where I stopped the week before.
I think it is a great way to finish the winter period and get fit for spring. Every week I will place the day's logbook and some pictures. (10 feb '10)