Sometimes we stay in fancy accommodation and most of the time budget places…our hotel at Arcen was not fancy, but they did everything right. The room was spacious and comfortable, everything in the bathroom worked the way it is meant to function .and the large windows gave us a view of the countryside…plus the price was right.
Bed and Breakfast Knooppunt 70 includes breakfast in the rate and they have been doing it long enough to be concerned about waste. They have come up with a system whereby you fill out a form the night before itemizing how much they should serve you ….eg. 4 slices of cheese, 6 slices of asst. meat, yogurt…etc. It seems to work well and everybody is happy. We even got to make our lunch sandwiches to go.
The hotel has had visitors from around the world, but only one Canadian couple. We rectified that…they have now had their second booking of a Canadians couple. Yeah, two pins are now in the map for Canada!
This Bed and Breakfast had welcoming outdoor spaces with gardens and beautiful spaces , seating, a pool and best of all, a horse who seemed to appreciate our visits. Knooppunt 70 is a good name as it identifies the exact location of the hotel. . The Dutch (and Belgians) use a number system for cycling and walking routes. The number system means you don’t need a map…just the list of numbers
Hertog Jan is a very popular Dutch beer and its brewery was in the next block from the hotel. We decided against the tour as there were large crowds and the tour is only in Dutch.
We enjoyed their showroom and gift shop. We learned that Hertog Jan Brewery played a major role in the revival of a beer culture in the. Netherlands in the 1980’s. The beer’s name Hertog Jan is named after the John 1 the Duke of Brabant. The logo has always included his likeness.
There are so many reasons we love to cycle in Holland. The small ferries are integrated into the cycling routes and exist mostly for walkers, cyclists and the odd car. Plus you get to meet other cyclists and their animal friends. The crossing over the river takes a few minutes and usually costs about 1€40
So many storks along the river route. It is always a thrill to watch them in their nests and to have the opportunity to watch them from a close distance.
We love these soft ice cream stands at the dairy farms in the area. It is made with milk from the farm and it is so creamy and delicious. We get a kick out of watching the machine do it all in a series of steps. All that the customer does is to put a cone in the holder and the mach8ne does the rest.
We actually made a detour to visit this stand. The farmer had wisely put up a sign on the route as his stand is a bit off the route. Cyclists didn’t hesitate to add a bit of mileage for a fresh ice cream cone, locally sourced.
We love seeing these historic windmills in Holland. They are often from the early 1700’s. Their restoration and popularity with visitors and locals alike, is due to the dedicated volunteers who share a passion for these windmills.
We happened upon these guys who were practicing for the Global Tournament for radio operated helicopters with lithium ion batteries. Apparently, this sport is a big deal here and these fellows had come from Britain to compete.
We enjoyed watching the complicated manouevre and stunts the operator could perform. A large bank of lithium ion batteries lasted for a total of 8 minutes. As you can imagine, they travel with a portable generator.
At this point, we are up to about 3 or 4 ferries today. What a loss it would be if bridges were built and replaced this experience. It is a fun social moment in one’s day
We have made it to our stop for the night in Vierlingbeek. The bathroom is interesting in our hotel room…the bench/couch makes us feel that we are in a waiting room.
