Yesterday I had all evening diner with my landlady. The one with the big bunch of black hair and four children, of whom the oldest one is 40. She might have been 55, probably older. Her hobby is singing. From all regions groups of singers come and stay with her, to express in the church, but also in other places, together maybe sweet, may be harsh voice sounds. I got two aperitifs, homemade berry gins, two glasses of white and 2 glasses of red wine. After 1.5 hours I asked if I was dismissed from the table. I wanted to go to bed early but still had to do all daily obligations and it was 10 p.m. Firstly I had to agree with Willem v. H, a.s. on the hotel during the visit of the gym club delegation. So the ones coming are, inter alia, the president, the Questor, the ex-chairman of the former shadow government of our club, an abactis (notulant) we don’t have. However, we have several troublemakers. In order to get an abactis a volunteer is being indicated at the annual meeting. Usually during the somewhat chaotic annual meeting, the amount of boozs causes the report to be incomprehensible to the outsiders. I believe I was one of the few ones who delivered a readable report of the annual meeting, when appointed abactis for that evening ( any possible reactions to this statement will not be published!). It is an illustrious group, these sportsmen. To mention just one, let’s call him Joriaan, who knows how to handle his athletic, feline 60+ – body, still capering like a goat stoned by marijuana.
Anyway, dinner was so fine. With my rain pants on I showered, so the mud could rinse off. I should just be careful again, not to wet half the room with my leaking drying raincoat. I often shower like that, so I know from experience that the next day my pants will be nice and dry again.
Today was a bit foggy, water cold, gloomy weather, the way it should be in the Ardennes. My mother used to say though: in the Ardennes it’s always raining. Well, it’s an exception that today it didn’t rain. But it gave me a grieved feeling. For Rudy I’ve captured it on film. Furthermore, again we passed some pretty villages. I think it looks a little poor/ shabby here. However beautiful churches and houses and farms, but many in disrepair. Sometimes the squares are not paved and the sidewalks often are gravel. Seems Eastern Europe. Probably during worldwar II much of this region has been destroyed.
Yesterday I heard a horn blaring somewhere in the middle of a field. I thought, this is a local tradition to announce the beginning of Carnival? Stupid. Just a hunting horn. Carnival is hardly celebrated here. At the most, a little bit for the children.
During walking I’m counting how much I will or will not walk with my companions in the coming weeks. If I continue like this, I’ll be home on Wednesday Feb. 25. I love these next two weeks of having holiday home and there I will prepare the rest of my trip to Cape North in Norway. As said before, I consider leaving horse Leon in Denmark, thereby creating the possibility to enhance social live during the 2nd half of my trip. In Denmark we already will have crossed the entire continent of Western Europe, I feel . Near Hamburg, northern Germany I’m only halfway! Maarten and Rob are considering to pick up Leon in Denmark. I would welcome that very much, but we’ll see.
By now I’m getting fed up, telling many times a day on the phone my standard story: Je suis Néerlandais. Je veux traverser toute l’Europe à pied, avec mon chien et mon cheval, dès l’extrème sud d’Espagne jusqu’à le plus nord d’Europe, Cape North en Norvège. Etc. Etc. If I hear the words “je veux” (Yes, I will) then the rest pops out automatically. But I do not have to get married soon.
Meanwhile, I had diner together again, here in Rimogne with the couple, renters of Le Logis des Verdous.
Though pleasant, there is nothing I think is worth reporting. Leon in his garden, Tosca in the garage. Tomorrow in Haybes. Maybe I won’t have time for my blog because I want to give my sports club the attention it deserves. Tomorrow’s trek will be 30 km. To Oignies-en-Thierache, where I (actually my collegue Marietje did) found a shelter for the horse. I’ll sleep in Haybes. End of story.
south of the Dutch major rivers hangs a horseshoe with the opening downwards , like shown here
not very clear route mark
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