Flevoland – Take a walk!

When I drove to Flevoland the first time, late October 2018, I was under the impression it would be a one time thing only, accompany a Peaker on one of the legs of her challenge. Little did I know it would be the first of many early morning drives to join a group of Dutch Peakers for a walk.

It was still dark when I left home at 6:30 am on that Sundaymorning and after a 2 hour drive, and picking up another Peaker halfway, we arrived at the starting point near Elburg, a parkinglot near a Beachclub. It was a chilly morning and we were craving for coffee and in need of a restroom and neither was available, since the Beachclub was closed. Until the owner appeared and we decided to give it a go and asked if we could please please have a cup of coffee. Shortly after he returned with coffee and even let us use the restroom, showing that hospitality and kindness still exist.

I have no idea what I expected from this walk. Of course I looked forward to this meetup and activity with other Peakers. And the 20 km walk would be a next milestone in distance, since, until then, a 16 km walk during a one-day visit to Istanbul and a 16 km downhill hike through the Samariagorge on Crete were the longest. I can only say that when I drove home I knew this was the first but definitely not the last part of the dykes I had walked! A long story short: in the end I drove 6 consecutive times to Flevoland for a walk over the dykes, a total of about 120 km for me. And I was not the only one. There was always a group of Dutch Peakers, varying from 2 – 10 to accompany our friend on her challenge. The total distance was 190 km, devided in 9 walks, of about 20 km each.

After the chilly start we were blessed with a gorgeous sunny day during our first walk. And even November let us mostly walk in sunny circumstances, chilly but sunny. It was as if the elements thought we needed to be tempted to come more often, which was completely unnecessary. We walked, regardless of the weatherforecast. Sun, rain, wind or cold, it didn’t matter. In fact, to me, sometimes the weathercircumstances added something extra to a walk. Afterwards it felt as if I had conquered an extra element. And I always drove home with a feeling of immense content, physically tired, but mentally revived and energised.

The surroundings were absolutely amazing. I never thought there would be so much variety in landscape while walking on or alongside a dyke. The southeastside and southside of Flevoland are slightly wooded and across the water the other shore is visible. Here we passed a lot of campsites on the shore and small and bigger towns on the other side. Flevoland is a flat province with wide open space and the more westward we walked the more the large energy generating windmills dominated the dykes. It’s a sight that is not to everyones liking but somehow they fit in this landscape, although I can understand that people living in close proximity don’t agree with me. They cast a giant shadow and are very noisy!

Along the westside and northwest side of Flevoland one side is dominated by the IJsselmeer, with sometimes a glimpse of Amsterdam across the water. Although the weather still treated us with sunshine, the winds were stronger and extra warm clothes became a necessity. Eventually November showed its true face. Our walk on the westside, through the Oostvaardersplassen, was a real challenge in itself. It was a grey and sometimes misty day, with temperatures just above 0°C that felt freezing due to the cold wind from the north blowing in our face, and stops were as short as possible to prevent from getting too cold. A deep sigh was heard when we finally reached the other side of the dyke where we found at least some shelter from the cold wind. On our walk along the northwest side rainprotection was needed, but on our last part, that ended where our Peakerfriend’s journey began, we were again blessed with a cold but sunny day.

Like I said before I never expected so much variety in landscape along these dykes. Whether it’s a landscape with forest, campsites and harbours or meadows, distant towns, or the vast open space of the IJsselmeer and the Oostvaardersplassen, each has their own charm. Combined with the uplifting company of friends it was a unique experience in every way. Challenges were accomplished, limits were pushed, elements were conquered and friendships were formed. But most of all, it was pure joy to be in the presence of a group of likeminded people, who were (sometimes) strangers at first but became friends along the way.

After all these Sundaywalks together we realised that we would miss these walks very much once the challenge was accomplished, and started thinking of continuing walking with groups of Dutch Peakers in 2019. Before the end of 2018 we had a scheme with 22 walks all over the Netherlands in 2019. Walks where one Peaker would/will show us a part of the province she lives in, her own ‘backyard’ or another part she’d like to show us. As I write this we just completed walk number 9 (blog: https://wp.me/paWbrQ-7C ) and I was lucky to participate in almost all of them so far. It already brought me to beautiful places and there is more to come from Dutch Peakers walking the Netherlands.

I am still grateful for the fact that one Dutch Peaker challenged herself to walk the dykes of Flevoland and allowed us to join her and that I took the step to do so. Going through the photoalbum I made and seeing the joyful photos makes me smile every time.

Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take the step!

I live in the Netherlands in the province Noord-Brabant. Besides its beautiful nature reserves Brabant is also the province where The Efteling, the largest themepark in the Netherlands, is situated. The Efteling has a history of 68 years and started as a place to relax and where fairytales were brought to life. Nowadays it’s a World of Wonders where fairytales, adventure and rollercoasters guarantee a day filled with fun and joy.

When I was little my parents often took me the Efteling. Especially on very warm days it was a welcome relief to be in the cool environment of the fairytales in the forest. In those days there was also a swimmingpool. When our own children were young hubby and I went there with them too, often when there was a fair in our hometown. The boys then had a free Monday and Tuesday from school while there was no nationwide holiday and often the only people in the park were from our hometown.

Dutch Peakers in the Efteling (2018)
Photo: Amfion

In October 2018 I visited the Efteling myself with a large group of Dutch Peakers of various age for a fun day out. And a fun day it was! No matter your age, the Efteling always brings your inner child out and makes you feel like a teenager again for a day, strolling through the fairytale forest, and taking rides in the rollercoasters and other attractions. And we talk. A lot!

Talking with other members of my chosen family are always the best part of these gatherings. They vary from chitchat to serious talks about the issues we encounter in life. And so, in the course of this wonderful day, one of our members, who lives in the province Flevoland, told about the challenge she had given herself: walking the dykes that surround Flevoland before the end of the year. To understand what that means I need to tell a bit about Flevoland.

Flevoland is the youngest and smallest province of the Netherlands, and above all, it’s a ‘man made’ province, a polder! The land was once covered with water, but by building dykes and using mills to pump away the water it became dry land where people could live. (This is a very short and simple way to explain, in fact it takes many many years before a polder is ready). The Netherlands know many of these areas that once were water, but now are dry land. Polders were created for various reasons, but mainly as protection against the water that surrounds our country and to create more space to live.

The Dutch Peaker who planned to walk the dykes that surround Flevoland wanted to do this as a way of embracing the province she is living in for 50 years now and we were welcome to join her on her walks which she had planned on the following Sundays. Two weeks later I joined her on her second walk.

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It wasn’t my first visit to Flevoland. Fifteen years before, in November 2003, I went there too, with my whole family, to plant trees for my father in ‘Het Wilhelminabos’ in Dronten. From 2000 until 2015 trees could be planted there (in November) in memory of loved ones who had lost their battle against cancer. The forest created this way, symbolises life. It grows, protects, dies and passes life on. It’s also a peaceful place, for memories, sadness and joy. The names of loved ones (many thousands) are engraved in glass panels at the site of the forest. My father had lost his battle in March 2003 and his grandchildren planted 2 trees in his memory. A few years later we visited the site again, to see for ourself how much the trees had grown.

And so last years visit to the themepark I once went to with my parents caused my return to the province where my children planted trees in memory of one of them ….

Tag: Flevoland

Walking the dykes of Flevoland

An unexpected connection between past and present