Distance walked: 11 miles/18.5km

This was a short day so I had a leisurely breakfast. The hotel is an old Carmelite nunnery. The rooms are modern but breakfast was served in what I took to be the old refectory. The cloisters are still there but the open square has been enclosed to make a conference room. Once again, a good breakfast, I doubt the nuns ate as well.

I wandered leisurely down the Grote Markt to an old gate of the city. There was no reason to rush, I was staying in a youth hostel tonight and it didn’t open until 5pm. I passed a cycle shop. Outside was a tool station and a pump available for anyone to use. What good customer service. I walked down to the Bocholt-Herentals canal. This was an important link to Antwerp in the 19th and early 20th century. It must have been! There was a very impressive lock keepers cottage.

I followed the canal for a kilometre or so. There were quite a few people fishing. Angela is of the opinion that the main reason they do it is to get some peace and quiet and to avoid the DIY. Maybe I should take it up. I could always buy some battered cod from the chippie on the way home, she would never suspect…

It was a short distance through a wood and between houses to the Albert canal. This was a much more impressive waterway. It was completed in the 1930s, presumably to take the bigger boats. The Herentals canal is now only used for leisure. There were three locks in parallel and I watched a barge go through one of them.

After a short distance on road I took a path that wound through fields to Buulmolen. Apparently there has been a mill here since 1362. It burnt down and was restored in 1744. Once a month the miller demonstrates the mill to the public I haven’t included a Belgian mill so here it is.

I then arrived at the small town of Olen. In the centre of Olen there is a fountain consisting of three beer tankards. One has one handle, one has two and the third has three. This is in honour of a legend about Emperor Charles V who visited the town and tried to buy beer from a barmaid. The story is too long to recount here in detail but essentially he visited the tavern three times and each time the barmaid wouldn’t let go of the tankard. The first time she was holding the glass by its handle so Charles told her to use a glass with two handles. The next time the tankard had two handles but was heavier so the barmaid held it by both handles. The third time it had three handles but the third handle was pressed against her chest. If you Google the “Solitarywanderer three beer tankards of Olen” she will explain all.

Once out of Olen there was some superb woodland walking through the Domein Tenenberg and Sterschotsbos. A more boring, but not too long, section of road walking brought me to Tongerlo Abbey. This is run by Premonstratensian canons (not monks) and it was founded in 1130. My understanding is that canons live together in the abbey but have more contact with the outside world than monks. If I have got this wrong I apologise.

There was a really nice Tea garden across the road from the Abbey and I might have sampled the abbey beer. (How about a GR trail round all the Belgian abbeys that brew beer?) A canon was talking to a group at the next table so they are less reclusive than monks. Incidentaly, the Premonstratensian canons wear white habits.

I was staying at a youth hostel in the woods outside Westerlo so I nipped down the road into Westerlo to get lunch for tomorrow and a bite to eat. On the way I passed the rather fine Gemeentehuis (town hall) and there was a nice fountain in the Markt

Distance walked: 17 miles/ 27km

My first task today was to walk a few kilometres down the road to meet up with GR5 at the entrance to a forest. On the way I picked up another sandwich that was large enough to feed me all day. There was much less tarmac today. I entered the forest on a wide unmetalled road but GR5 soon branched off on to a proper footpath. It was great. The trees were a mixture of pines and broad leaf trees and they were widely spaced so there was plenty of undergrowth. The GR waymarks were annotated “Nordzee-Nice” or “Nordzee-Riviera” giving me not so subtle repeated messages that I have to come back to complete the walk. It was sunny so there were dappled shadows on the path from the branches and leaves, all very nice.

I came into a clearing where there was an old cottage. The Guide describes it as a Boshuisje which translates as forest cottage. When I googled this it appears that these are available to rent. The only other thing I could find out about this particular cottage is that Henrik Conscience, a pioneering Dutch language novelist, wrote De Loteling, one of his books, here. At the time most novels were written in French and he was one of the first to write in his native Dutch language.

The path continued through the forest. It emerged to pass an equestrian stables. Horses were a major feature on today’s walk. Stables were present in most of the open areas that I walked through. The path joined a road which crossed a motorway and then ended at a busy dual carriageway. I thought it prudent to take a short detour and cross at traffic lights. There was then a short path through a wood that joined a road that went past houses and then several stables.

This was followed by another welcome long segment of forest walking. As well as being easy on the eye it was cool, this was another hot day. At one point I stopped for a drink and two lads (well I am getting old because later they told me they were about 30) came past. One of them greeted me in Dutch. “I’m English” I said. “So are we!” He exclaimed. It transpired that he is English but is living and working in Rotterdam with his partner. His companion was at university with him and they are walking GR5 in segments.

The path continued through the wood and joined a forest road by the Kapel van Lovenhoek

The forest track emerged from the wood, passed between fields then entered another wood and finally joined a road. I walked past some houses. I then passed on old watermill at Grobbendonk. A mill has been here since the 12th century, the current mill is about 300 years old and still functions.

A little further on I crossed the mill stream to arrive at the ruins of Neerhof castle where I met up with the other backpackers and had a (soft) drink. They are camping. I have passed very few campsites and they told me that when they want to stop they just knock on a door and ask to camp in the garden. It usually works.

I returned to the road. After a few kilometres it crossed the Kleine Nete river. I joined a very pleasant riverside path which I followed for about 4km to Herentals.

I arrived in the impressive Grote Markt in Herentals. This is dominated by the 16th century Lakenhall, or cloth hall. In the Middle Ages trade in wool and cloth was a major industry in Belgium. I am not far from Antwerp which was an important textile centre. Thomas Cromwell was employed by English wool merchants in Antwerp before he entered the court of Henry VIII.

Distance walked:9.5 miles/15.5km

Too short a day today but the next place with accommodation is Herentals which is another 20km. Wild campers could find pitches in the forests but water supply would be a problem. Also I am not carrying a tent.

I had a leisurely start wandering along the Main Street of Brecht and through a park. There was then a long segment of road walking through a residential area and then farmland to get to the Dessel-Turnhout-Schoten canal. Here I joined the cycle path and followed the canal for about 2.5km to a bridge. Along the way I passed a show jumping yard. There was a girl exercising her horse and I waited for her to do some jumping but they were just trotting between the fences.

As I approached the swing bridge there was a notice painted on the ground informing those who passed that access was for every form of transport.

I stopped for a cold drink at a cafe by the bridge and then followed the road. After about 400 metres I turned on to a farm track that took me between fields for several kilometres. On the right I could see the tower of the Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey, run by nuns.

Like Westmalle, which I will pass later in the day, this is a Trappist Abbey. Trappists are a Cistercian order and have strict rules regarding prayer and silence. They are inspired by the Strict teaching of the monastery of La Trappe in France that dates back to the 1664. Any product produced with a Trappist label has to be produced in or near the abbey and monks or nuns have to be involved with the production.

The path continued between fields, mostly arable. In one field an area had been set aside for model aeroplane enthusiasts. There were tables from which to launch the aircraft and a windsock. Someone was doing acrobatics with his model while I passed, it was quite impressive but I am not tempted by this alternative hobby.

The track entered woodland and passed a shrine. I had settled in to my thoughts and nearly missed a turn. Fortunately I noticed a red and white cross on a tree which indicates the GR trail has turned off. I retraced my steps and soon came to the walls of Westmalle Abbey. I followed these round to a road.

The abbey is closed to the public. The monks brew Trappist ale and there is a cafe opposite. How fortunate this was a short day!

I saw a house made with liquor bottles in Nevada and now an arch made from beer crates. And a fine beer it was too. I settled for the 7.5% ale as I still had some walking to do.

In fact, I didn’t have far to go. I struggled a little for accommodation but found a hotel in Sint-Antonius which was a few kilometres down the main road.

A good day for a rest day as some of the days have been long and it has been very hot. I had a wander round the centre of the city then a coffee in the Markt to watch the people go by. I went back to my room with a large slice of watermelon for some rest and to do some washing. I was surprised how quiet the city centre was. A lot of the restaurants, bars and shops were shut but so were the tourist attractions.

Distance walked: 15.5 miles/25km

Most of the days now are about 15 miles long. This was decided mainly by the availability of accommodation but also by what I thought was a good distance to test out my leg. The hotel was excellent, breakfast was at least as good as the previous ones and so plentiful that I had to sit down for 20 minutes before I could hit the road,

The hotel was on the main road by the nature reserve so I had a short but pleasant walk through woodland and then a small residential estate to get to the town of Kalmthout. I stopped at a baker and got an enormous baguette stuffed with cheese, egg, salad and mayonnaise for 4.90€ that was delicious. Much nicer than the food from some of the chains in the UK. Support your independent outlets!

An alley next to the bakers led to a cycle path that headed east across farmland. The countryside was absolutely flat. There were no dykes to break up the fields, the view eventually being limited by lines of trees. Although I prefer the mountains, walking through this sort of countryside made a very relaxing change. It reminded me of the Lincolnshire fens where my brother-in-law farms.

Today there was an “event” going on. There were a lot of young children wearing neckerchiefs like scouts wear. There were play areas in the barns and adjacent fields. Trailers went up and down the track, being drawn by horses or tractors. It looked like a good time was being had by all. There were also a lot of cyclists but they looked that they were going shopping or to work rather than a leisure ride.

At the end of the track I went through a small village called Achterbroek.

The tarmac track continued through more farmland. Eventually I crossed a main road and turned in a dirt track though the wood of Pastoorsbos. I don’t mind the flat countryside but I wish there was less tarmac. Unfortunately I was soon back on a road that skirted the village of Sterbos

There was then another section on paths through woodland and farmland before I returned to tarmac to walk through the town of Wuustwezel. My mind idly thought whether this was some form of sausage made from a species of Mustelid.

As an aside, and more sensibly, I could not tell much difference between written Dutch and written Flemish. The few words I do know seemed to be the same. The Netherlands and Belgium were part of the same country until Belgian independence was recognised at the Treaty of London in 1839. (Germany were co-signatories to this treaty but conveniently ignored it when they invaded in 1914). I suspected Dutch and Flemish were closely related and according to Brittanica.com they are the same language.

I digress. Wuustwezel was a modern town with a busy road running through the middle of it. There was a bakers that did nice cake though (an essential feature of any town, city or village IMHO).

I took a cycle lane that led past the church into open farmland and turned on to a lane next to an open air bar they were just setting up (bother, 24 hours too early). This led to a path that went through woodland and open farmland all the way to the railway station just outside Brecht. Co-incidentally, I was staying in the converted old station in the middle of Brecht. I needed somewhere to eat and the owner recommended the Brasserie De Schandpaal which was good. If you are here in May or June you must sample the asparagus dishes which are excellent. The Belgian farmers keep the asparagus covered with soil so it stays white. And very tasty.

Distance walked: 19.8 miles/ 32km

Fully refreshed from yesterday’s rest I set off for the Belgian border. It was another hot, sunny day.

I crossed the railway line and set off through the residential area of east Bergen op Zoom. I turned into a park and walked alongside some ponds. It has been very dry here and so much water has evaporated from the ponds that they reminded me of the river Ankh from Discworld, the surface would probably have taken my weight.

The path went through a hospital car park and then into an underpass under the ring road. I was out of the city! I turned into a wood and after a few hundred metres I arrived at confluence of GR trails outside a youth hostel.

I took great care to select the correct red and white striped waymark and set off deeper into the wood. I soon turned off the tarmac surface to follow a sandy path shared with horse riders. This wound through the trees before emerging at a wider trail. Some of the forest is private and some is a nature reserve so as well as the GR signs to keep me on the correct path most of the side branches had no entry signs on them.

The broad track continued for a couple of kilometres. I then emerged into farmland and finally on to a road that took me to the small border village of Vleet. I left the village on a farm track and crossed the Dutch/Belgian border, marked by a stone post placed in 1843.

Apart from the post the only border marker was a row of flagstones in the road. If that had been the case in “The Great Escape” Steve McQueen would have got away.

The track zigzagged its way between Belgian fields. I took a slight detour to the village of Essen Hoek. I was now in Flanders, but well away from the area that saw the deaths of over a million soldiers in the First World War.

I left Essen Hoek on the road. After a few hundred metres I turned on to a farm track that took a zigzag route between fields. Most contained crops but in a few small herds of cows were grazing. After a kilometre or so there was a path diversion. The Cicerone guide had warned me there might be a diversion as in 2017 the farmer had grown maize across the path. In fact the new route was 3-4 kilometres longer. The new path turned west and re-crossed the border back into the Netherlands at post 248. It then skirted the edge of the town of Huijbergen on roads before turning south east and crossing back into Belgium. I turned on to a farm track that seemed to go on forever but eventually I reached a path that was the original GR5 route.

I now entered the nature reserve of Kalmthoutse Heide for the best walking of the day, through forest, across heathland, passing ponds with water birds or full of frogs. There was over 7km of fine walking with not an inch of tarmac in sight. Even better, when I got to the road at the end there was my hotel with a restaurant next door.

Distance walked: 15 miles/24.5km

I was sad to leave De Marehoeve but I set off on my last day’s walk entirely in the Netherlands. Today was longer than it says in the book, partly because I stayed off route last night and partly because I took a detour later on to look at an old fort.

I walked back to the canal and crossed it on a road bridge. I then skirted the edge of Nieuwe Vossameer, with a good view back to its church, to follow another road back to the canal by an old windmill and to rejoin GR5. It was already very hot.

There was no shade on the canal but it was a pleasant walk, although I was again walking on tarmac at the foot of a dyke.

This time the breeze was blowing along the dyke helping me to keep relatively cool. After a few kilometres the path crossed the dyke and joined a road. I followed this to the next dyke where I joined a path that ran next to some trees giving me some shade.

The shade did not last long. At the next dyke junction I turned away from the trees into full sunshine until I reached a quiet road. I turned on to the road and a short while later I arrived in Halsteren which is really a suburb of Bergen op Zoom. I was now hot and thirsty. There was a garage on the main road so I bought some water and then set off through a residential area. I am all for birthday celebrations but I hope this one doesn’t catch on in the UK:

I can think of no redeeming feature. I saw two more of these in Bergen. At the end of the development I entered a wood. I was pleased to be back on a footpath and in the shade. Here I took a detour through the trees to the ruins of the Fortress De Roovere. There are only mounds remaining of the extensive fortifications here, and these do not photograph well (at least in my hands with an I-phone; there was a high tower that you could climb to get a better view but by now I was hot and tired). There were a lot of information panels, in English as well as Dutch telling me about the history.

From the 16th century, a series of extensive defensive Waterlines were built to protect the southern Netherlands from invasions from, successively, the Spanish, French and Belgians. The latest were built just prior to the Second World War. Once cannon had been developed, the medieval masonry castles were less effective as a defensive structure. At this time the Delta region was very marshy. Earthen banks, which were more resistant to cannon fire, were constructed joining bastions where cannon could be mounted to repel the invaders. In times of war, the area between the defences could be flooded, the bastions being built on land that would remain above the water. There was an artist’s impression of men pole vaulting across channels from dry land to dry land and it was easy to see how this would impede the progress of an invading army.

The entrance to Fortress De Roovere was across a “Moses Bridge” that crossed the moat below the waterline and could presumably be easily flooded if under attack. This has been restored.

This was well worth the detour. I now followed paths and a road through the forest to the outer ring road around Bergen op Zoom. One of my dislikes is having to walk though a lot of residential developments to get to the centre of a city. Today I was pleasantly surprised. I crossed the road and, after a short walk through a housing estate, I entered an area of parkland and woodland that took me to within a kilometre of the city centre. I then joined a cycle path that passed alongside another restored fort, part of the old waterline. From there it was just a short distance to my hotel.

Distance walked: 15.25 miles/24.5km

Herkingen lies on the Grevelingenmeer which is a lake formed from the two dam systems across the Rijn and Maas rivers; separating the lake from the sea to the west and the inflow from the rivers to the east. These were built as part of the delta works. This caused havoc to the ecosystem of the estuary as the water trapped between the dams became brackish and almost all the fish died so sluices were built in the sea dam to partially restore tidal flow but so far there has only been limited recovery. The lake is a popular recreational area and Herkingen has a marina, from where I started my day’s walk.

Herkingen is protected by a dyke. There is a gap to access the marina with large watertight doors that can be closed to prevent flooding.

Spoiler alert! There never was a Dutch boy who put his finger in a dyke to stop a flood. It is not even a Dutch fairy tale, it is an American story by Mary Mapes Dodge. When a dyke fails a whole section collapses, there is not a small hole. However, in the 1953 flood some deaths and considerable damage to large cities such as The Hague and Rotterdam were prevented by a captain manoeuvring his ship into a 15 metre breach in a dyke which allowed the placement of sandbags to seal the gap.The most densely populated part of the central Holland, with more than 3 million inhabitants, was saved from flooding.

I climbed up to the top of the dyke and set off along the Meer on a concrete path It was hot again but there was a cooling breeze. I had taken more water with me today but I was grateful to be able to refill my bottles at a campsite after a few kilometres. The cycle path was at the base of the dyke. I cannot practice mindfulness walking on a cycle path, I tend to wander a bit and get urgent sounding bell rings from the cyclists as I deviate into the middle of the track. I did appreciate how much more popular cycling is in Holland compared to England. There were very few recreational walkers but a lot of cyclists. Small scooters were also allowed to use the paths and it was an easy and safe way for motorised wheelchair users to get fresh air.

Two huge dams separate the body of water called the Krammer from the Grevelingenmeer. These dams, the Grevelingdam and Philipsdam are over 9km long. I dropped off the top of the dyke to join a cycle path across the Grevelingdam. There was plenty of bird life as I walked along. Sadly, there was also a small number of apparantly uninjured dead birds next to the lake so it looks like bird flu is still prevalent.

Halfway across the Philipsdam there were sluice gates to control the amount of salt water allowed upstream and two huge locks, each of which could accommodate four of the enormous barges at once, two side by side.

One barge was called “Bacchus” so I assumed it was full of beer. I later saw other barges with similar superstructure and I think they contain liquefied gas. Others had multiple container units on board, stacked two high, I counted 16 on one barge.

As you will have seen, another feature of the dams was the presence of multiple wind turbines. I know there is a lot of opposition to on shore wind farms in the UK but they were not particularly noisy and they produce clean energy. In this sting they are not even particularly ugly. However, I would be very upset if they adorned every hill in the Peak District so I guess I am a NIMBY as well.

After the dams the cycle path joined a small road. I was expecting to find a path to take me through an area of wetland called the Slikken but either I missed the path or, more likely as the red and white waymarks continued, the trail has been diverted. Eventually I reached the Schelde-Rijnkannal and it was a relief to get of tarmac and on to a path.

By now I was hot and running out of water. I rejoined a road. GR5 goes into Nieuwe-Vossameer but I was unable to find accommodation there and had to detour to Oud-Vossameer. At the turn there was a farmhouse with drinks and an honesty box. I was very grateful for some water.

I arrived at DeMarehoeve to be greeted by Wilma and a really nice sugar and cinnamon cake. Another fantastic B and B. A large room with a good shower and a patio area. Most importantly, a large TV on which to watch the Champion League final.

I was tired and really didn’t want to walk into the village to find some food. “Do not worry, there is a take away that delivers” said Wilma. So pizza and football it was. In the morning I had another large Dutch breakfast. “Please make yourself some sandwiches to take on your walk” said Wilma, bringing me some bags to put them in. Another fine example of Dutch hospitality.

Distance walked 21.3 miles/ 34.4km

When planning today’s walk, on a cold March afternoon I thought it would be a good idea to combine two short stages into one long one. When I came to walk the double stage on the hottest day of the year so far (30 degrees C) it did not seem so clever!

There was a fresh food market opposite the hotel and I was tempted by the pastries from the baker’s stall but I decided they would just fragment in the rucksack. I walked through Rockanje, which is a small modern town, to get back to GR5. About 1km down a quiet lane I turned on to a footpath passing through sand dunes, the Voornes Duin, to reach a beach on the North Sea. This was a lovely beach with soft sand mixed with thousands of shells. The tide was out so I was able to walk on firmer sand close to the sea.

After a kilometre I approached the Haringvlietdam, one of the major components of the Delta Works.

I left the North Sea beach to pass under the motorway to reach another beach on the Harinvliet. This is now a large fresh water lake, it used to be a salt water estuary. There was a bar by the beach. It was now quite hot and I wished I had chosen a shorter day so I could sunbathe and wander into Goedereede late in the afternoon. However, I had a long way to go so I set off on a cycle path across the dam.

The dam is 2.5km long. On the way you pass 17 sluice gates (they are numbered), each about 50m wide. There have been environmental concerns about the loss of the salt water habitat above the dam. In the Cicerone guide, Dorgan comments that the Dutch government were considering opening some of the gates to allow tidal mixing. One gate was open today.

It was hot but there was a cooling breeze on the dam. I now set off along a cycle path through polder and no wind. I passed a small lake and then took a path through scrubland to reach the small, canal side village of Havenhoofd. Translated to English this means pier or jetty. There is a statue of a fisherman by the canal so I assume this was was a fishing village before the dams were built.

I continued down the canal some shade was offered by trees lining the canal. Goedereede is a small town that lies next to the canal. I took the chance to have a quick lunch in a small pub.

It was another hot day. I had two miles of road walking through farmland with very little breeze. After a while the unchanging scenery began to get boring, even Carol Dorgan describes this section as monotonous. With the countryside being so flat it seems to take an age to get anywhere.

When I arrived at the dyke it became clear that there was a footpath that ran along the top. It was good not to be walking on tarmac and there was also a breeze. For the first few miles the grass had been cut and walking was easy but eventually there were grass cuttings on top of the dyke and progress was hard work. I tried dropping to the side of the dyke but I still had to high step over the cuttings. Eventually I decided to cut across a farm lane to a road which I followed into Herkingen.

The name of my B & B for the night was “GR5.” It turns out the owner is a good friend of Carroll Dorgan, the author of the guide and helped him write the Dutch section. There is a photograph of him walking on a dyke in the book.

I was met at the gate by a wiry daschund. After barking at me to let me know who was the boss he kept me company for the rest of the evening. The owner (sorry, once again I have forgotten his name) brought me a beer. He was surprised I had done two stages on such a hot day. I have seen plenty of cyclists with big panniers on their bikes who are presumably touring but no backpackers. I asked my host and he told me he sees about 250 people a year doing the Northern GR5.

t was late by the time I arrived. “ Have you eaten?” He asked. When I said I had not he offered to bring me food that was left from his tea. I was too tired to go out and I gratefully accepted. Within a few minutes a plate of vegeburgers (home made) chicken strips, fried potato, yoghourt, a feta salad and bread arrived. Delicious! Then chocolate mousse to follow.

The accommodation was good too. I had a wooden outbuilding (much nicer than it sounds) with two beds, a shower and washroom and a garden, where I ate my tea, accompanied by the dog.

Breakfast was good too. The Dutch version of continental breakfast is not what you get in a UK hotel. Breads, cheeses, meats, hard boiled egg, orange juice, fruit. There was too much to eat. Then when I offered to pay for my supper he just said “us walkers have to stick together” if you are walking or cycling though this part of Holland go stay.

21 miles/ 34 kilometres

I was staying in the old part of Maassluis, by one of the main canals. For the next few days I will be walking through the Delta region of Holland, originally formed by the Rijn (Rhine), Maas (Meuse) and Scheld. The geography has become more complicated by the construction of multiple canals. My first task today was to cross the Nieuwe Waterweg but there are no bridges below Rotterdam so I allowed myself to use a ferry.

I left the B and B and followed the canal, climbing up the side of the lock in the above image. I walked around the Haven which, as it’s name suggests, is a harbour. There was a large barge, which appeared to be empty except for two cars on the back, leaving the Haven and two road bridges were elevated to let it pass. I did not see what they did with the railway bridge, presumably that can be raised as well.

I walked past a post showing the height of previous floods.

There was a devastating flood in 1953 when over 1000 people died. To prevent this happening again, the Dutch government commissioned the construction of multiple dams, sluices, barriers and other defences across the river delta, called the Delta Works, some of which I will pass on the walk. I got on the Rozenburg ferry and crossed the Waterweg (free) and I climbed up on to the top of a dyke and walked west overlooking the Waterweg.

After about 400 metres I dropped off the Dyke and entered some woodland. This took me to the edge of Rozenberg. I walked through a residential area and then followed a cycle path to the top of another dyke. I followed the Calandkanaal to a road bridge. Across the canal I could see the enormous Europoort.

The next 2km involved crossing three bridges, on cycle paths so I was separate from the road. While not classical country walking it was interesting to see the size of the ports and the cargo ships. I crossed the Candalbrug, the centre of which can be raised vertically to allow tall ships to pass through. On the south side of the bridge there was a long row of tall half cylinders, definitely not containers. I cannot guess what they are for. To absorb traffic sound maybe? Two more bridges took me across the Hartelkanaal and Brielse Meer.

Brielse Meer used to be a branch of the Meuse river. This was dammed as part of the Delta Works and is now a lake about 10km long. The cycle path dropped down to the south edge of the Meer and I followed it to Brielle. Most of the walk was on tarmac but I took a few detours through trees, alongside little streams or ponds. There were several swans shepherding their cygnets through the water. On the Meer I could see small pleasure craft. To the south there were the agricultural fields of the polder.

As well as the GR series of paths, there are ultra-long distance routes as well. For example, GR5 forms part of the E2 path which will eventually start in Galway, cross Ireland. After a ferry to Stranraer it will pass through England before taking a third ferry to Ostend. It then links up to GR5 to eventually arrive at the Mediterranean. On the way to Brielle I saw a sign for E9 which runs from Biskaje in France to Gdańsk. I decided to give it a miss.

The church tower of Brielle came into view and I soon arrived at the small town. Brielle was a fortified town, surrounded by a canal, like a moat. Almost all of the fortifications have disappeared but mounds of earth are still clearly visible. I spent an hour wandering through the narrow streets before arriving at the Markt where I stopped at the old guardhouse which is now a cafe.

Brielle is famous in Dutch history for the actions of the “Sea Beggars.” These were men who had been expelled by the Spanish rulers, who were becoming more oppressive in combatting both religious and political opposition. The Sea Beggars sought refuge in England but eventually Elizabeth expelled them too. After leaving England they invaded Brielle on 1 April 1572 and took it from the Spanish. This encouraged other Dutch opposition to rise and eventually independence from Spain was achieved.

After a “light” lunch of smoked salmon (about half a fish) cream cheese , dill mayonnaise, lots of salad and bread I managed to start walking again with difficulty. I tried to find the plaque commemorating the Sea Beggars but the signs took me to the remaining bastion on the city walls. Time was getting on so I followed the canal cum moat back to GR5.

As well as the GR series of paths, there are ultra- long distance routes as well. For example, GR5 forms part of the E2 path which will eventually start in Galway, crossing to Stranraer then passing through England before arriving in Ostend. As I arrived at Brielle I saw a sign for E9 which runs from Biskaje in France to Gdańsk. I decided to give it a miss.

I left Brielle to continue my walk along Brielse Meer on cycle tracks and footpaths, mainly on the top of a dyke. I could see the church tower of Brielle across polder fields. About 3km outside Brielle I came to a tower called Stenen Baak. This was the first stone lighthouse in Holland, built in 1630, to replace older, wooden structures that had burnt down. Later it assumed a military role as well.

I followed a cycle path for a short distance and then turned on to a path running through woodland. Things then became surreal with a plethora of gnomes, smurfs, rabbits, horses and other garden ornaments lining the path. Eventually I emerged in the centre of a chalet park, so either they were placed by an eccentric, or, more likely, they are designed to encourage small children to go for a walk to see what they can find.

After another cycle path I entered the nature reserves of Tenellaplas and Voornes Duin. The path wound its way between trees, clearings where there was scrubland and ponds for about 6km. This was one of the best bits of the day. I emerged from the woods to join a road and walk the last 2km into Rockanje. While my accommodation (and food) was very nice I had to walk to the north side of the town and then retrace my steps back the following morning.