Pelgrims path / het Pelgrimspad / the Netherlands / Southern section by Ton van Zutphen / August 2020

 

Pilgrimspath, its Southern part, the Netherlands. By Ton van Zutphen, August 2020 / from Waalre village to Maastricht town: 185 kms

 

A kind of straightforward blog but perhaps useful for those foreigners who want to walk this section of the trail / actually we never met any foreigners; my wife Biya and I were viewed by villagers as an example of a most exotic couple.

 

‘Het Pelgrimspad’, or literally translated in English ‘the Pilgrims path’ provides since centuries the overture to the region where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands join up. Pilgrims walk from Amsterdam to Maastricht covering around 480 kms. From Maastricht it is a stiff one day’s walk to Vise in Belgium where the path joins the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims route from the North (drawing pilgrims mainly from Cologne/Aachen in Germany) toward Reims and on to Vezelay in Central France. Both Amsterdam and Maastricht have been cities where annually pilgrims gathered to do penitence and ask for forgiveness for sins committed, and for mercy, in particular from the Holy Mary. There is a guidebook that offers good information, only in Dutch though, but one can find the on-line version in English at www.longdistancepaths.eu. The markings are white above red and although signaling is not perfect I never got lost during the three walks I did in 2008 from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, in 2018 also from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and in 2020 from ‘t Loon in Waalre ;  all with end station Maastricht.

Over the past 125 years the topography and landscape of particularly the Northern section (Holland and Utrecht provinces) in the Netherlands has changed substantially because of the urbanization and industrialization. That is why I never walked the route from Amsterdam to ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Nevertheless, some beautiful water and polder landscapes are part of the trail, including many traditional water mills. From ‘s-Hertogenbosch and its famous St. John’s Cathedral, the path follows mostly rural areas and takes the pilgrim past tucked away villages, even the well-educated Dutchman has never heard of. Examples include Belvert, Spoordonk, Tungelroy, Hunsel, Brommelen, and Trintelen, to name a few.

For those foreigners who have been brainwashed to think that the Netherlands consists mainly of Amsterdam, canals, dykes  and tulip fields, the route described below offers a complete different view of the Netherlands and of two of its most Southern provinces: Brabant and Limburg.  From ‘t Loon (a few farmsteads near the village of Waalre close to the city of Eindhoven) my wife Biya and I walked during 8 days approx.. 185 kms through dense forests dominated by oak and fir; over extensive heather terrain spotting a few flocks of sheep, along many small manmade lakes, passed agricultural fields dominated by maize, potatoes and sugar beets, climbed a few short hills in Limburg and followed the spectacular trail along the Geul river in Wijlre. According to Biya ‘the flowering potatoes are more beautiful in Korea than in the NL. Mind you…did I ever see anywhere in ‘Korea a potato field? ‘Sweetie’, I thought ‘what have you been smoking?’

Although it is called ‘Pilgrims path’, in my personal opinion only sections of the trail, especially in the South reflect a routing past Catholic heritage such as monasteries, churches, chapels and the typical Jesus and Maria prayer statues in Brabant and Limburg (which is testimony to the Catholic origin of this region).

For those walkers who love to see castles, rivers and vast agricultural fields this trip is an eyeopener. For example, most castles can be visited and date back from the medieval times when knights in armor were roaming the area. In some of these one can eat and overnight as well.

In summary: this Southern section of the Pilgrims path combines 1. a pilgrims route along Catholic landmarks with 2. a touristic and attractive nature trail that crosses several nature reserves. It is an easy trail and very quiet; we met during 8 days and during the high season end July/start of August less than 5 people whom we knew or thought of doing the same trail. Most people we met walked their dog for a few kms. and then  returned home to village life.

This Pilgrims trail meets and joins at several places the more famous ‘Pieter path’. This popular path runs from Pieterburen on the coast in the North of the Netherlands to the Saint Pietersberg or the ‘Saint Peter’s mountain’, also located in Maastricht. It is approx. 525 kms. long  and crosses the Dutch regions West of the German border from North to South. 

Our objective for this pilgrim’s path was threefold: 1. To take time and reflect about our faith and relation to God 2. To continue to get to know each other better and better as a couple 3. To enjoy walking through some of the prettiest areas in the Netherlands so Biya would be able to get a better idea of the countryside. We took 8 days but more than often we could have visited certain villages and historic spots much longer. There is a lot to read and to see about the historic events that took place in this part of the Netherlands like the Roman armies passing through,  Napoleon passing through early 1800, and cemeteries of the allies from World War 2 (in Margraten is the biggest in Europe). Also special flora and birdlife, and very typical homestead farms from various centuries. On average we spent some 10 hours a day on the road, including breaks.

Although a pilgrim is expected to suffer physically from long walking, bad weather, lack of food and good bedding for the night (all this to get closer to God because the absence of luxury and regularity apparently stimulates the need for being close to God, the Savior), we had only a few issues like that. Biya suffered as of day 2 from toe and heel blisters and then as of day 3 her left knee was giving her trouble in the afternoon. On day 8 and the final day the blisters were healed but both knees were suffering. Now, a week later and being home in our Leende village, knees and feet are again in good shape. My backpack started to have an impact on my right shoulder after 4 days walking, which even a week after the ligrimage still remains kind of sore. 

We took precautions in terms of our hiking boots and walking sticks; Biya’s pack weighed around 8 kgs. And mine around 12 kgs. We planned to walk around 20 kms each day and decided to make reservations only for the first 2 nights in Heeze and in Sterksel. We carried most of our food and a bit of water. After all, this is an easy trail and nearly everywhere at a distance of max. 2 kms. from the trail, one can find a village or some kind of place to stop for food and drink. Then most important during corona-time: practically all hotel and other accommodations in the NL including campsites, are fully booked. So we booked by phone each day what we could get! One day we asked a farmer to sleep in the meadow on the opposite of his farm, and one day we walked into a campsite and just got apparently the last place available because of a cancellation!!

 

DAY 1 / 24th July / Waalre to Heeze 

Ready to move with big enthusiasm

Friday morning / our neighbor Toon Kees drove us the 8 kms. to the starting point at 't Loon in Waalre village. This ‘brink’ is an open space where 150 years ago common activities of the small village took place and where the cattle and sheep were kept overnight for safety. Then to the cabin of Mie Peels  / now called the hut of Mie Pils where we received the first pilgrimage stamp. This tavern was only 125 years ago an infamous resting place and transaction center for smugglers between Belgium and the NL. / run by a strong woman called Mie Peels. Most of the trail goes through forests and along maize fields with horses all over the place.

Then onto Heeze where we stayed at Els Meuser's  B&B / Huize Aurelia. Very nice indeed;  Els is in her mid-eighties and doing just fine! 16 kms.

 

DAY 2 / 25th July / Heeze to Sterksel

From Heeze and its pleasant restaurant 'the Swan' the trail passes the large castle and the dense Herbertus forest to lead into the heather of Strabrecht and its lakes; a beautiful large and quiet area; protected by the government and no private cars have ever been allowed to pass through. The heather started to bloom but will reach its full glory with a deep purple color only by mid-August. Nevertheless a pleasure for the eye. This was  a long strenuous walk as Biya started to have blisters from noon on. We just made it along the Pandyke to the St. Jorishoeve in Sterksel around 6pm. We had rented a comfortable but cheap bungalow and the owner Petrie sold us 6 bottles of Belgian Jupiler beer…then Biya tended to her blisters. A warm and heavy day. 24 kms.

 

The next morning we decided to let Biya’s  feet heal from the blisters and I walked quickly back home the 7 kms. back to Leende; drove back in my Opel Meriva and we returned home before 12am. Rested on Sunday and Monday / no knee problems as yet for Biya. She changed her shoes from ‘Mammut’ to ‘Campline’ and took the extra in-lay soles out.

 

Heather Strabrecht in Heeze

Stoeiing in Sterksel

Pandyke, Sterksel: very first feet repair moment

DAY 3 / 28th July / Sterksel to Altweerterheide

Toon again dropped us at ‘the Stoeiing’ in rural Sterksel and we resumed our pilgrimage through the forests for hours and hours enjoying the fresh green and cool weather. We crossed the national highway A2, had coffee with Limburg apple-cake called ‘vlaai’ and had a lunch around 2 pm amidst the 2600 years old cemetery where the ‘Dutch Barbarians’ burned and buried their death in the Bronze period. Biya became more and more professional tending to her blisters with various methods and tools. ‘Compeed’ turned out to be the better healing system after all. We walked on to the Crossmoor golf course in Altweerderheide, where we had booked a room: expensive but doable on a 50-50 basis (smile!!). The afternoon was warm and we clocked up 22 kms.  

 

DAY 4 / 29th July / Alweerterheide to Goestingen (Belgium)

Again a beautiful walk through forests, some sandy parts, and along maize fields arriving after 7 kms. at the village of Tungelroy. No shop, no bar…nothing, nada, rien! Only in Hunsel a village some 10 kms. from Tungelroy is the first shop if one does not leave the trail. Not leaving the trail at all means that from Heeze to Altweerderheide, some 30 kms. there is no shop. Hunsel with its big St. Jacobs church is the starting point in the South of the Netherlands for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I phoned and phoned and we could not find a place to stay in touristic Thorn. Only at Wessem which is 3 kms off the Pilgrims route (and then bus to and from). We crossed the ‘Napoleons road’ into Ittervoort and descended into Thorn where we had supper. Then, around 8pm we walked over to the Maas river and its newly created leisure lakes for boating. Then continued into Belgium to Kessenich without any controls; not even an official sign, except for the one that was erected there in 1843! 

The only sign of a border 5 meters aside from the road

We then had more or less decided to sleep outside in some grassy secluded spot. But close to Goestingen an angel in the form of a lady ‘long trail walker’ came by. I asked and she said in soft Flemish ‘only at less than 2 kms and next to the church in Goestingen village there is a new B&B 't Orgelhuis'. We advanced slowly and checked in.  Biya had her first Duvel beer. No other guests at all, the owner said ‘we close the bar when the last customer goes home’. Typical of Belgium. Impossible in the NL. First signs of Biya’s left knee hurting whereas the blisters were becoming less of a problem. Heavy duty my lady is! 28 kms

 

DAY 5 / 30th July / Goestingen (B) to Limbricht/Sittard

This day we often kept sight of the Maas-river and walked first to Maaseik town where we crossed the bridge over the Maas-river into the NL again. We entered the floodplains of the river at the narrowest part of the Netherlands: it is only 15 kms. wide between Germany and Belgium. Walking on top of the dyke along the Juliana canal in Roosteren was a hot walk for about 3 kms. 

Juliana kanaal close to the Maas river / beautiful for walking

River traffic shows  ships loaded with sand and other bulk materials and a lot of pleasure boating. We needed and took a long lunch plus siesta in Buchten/Born. Biya's knee had started to hurt seriously now. We walked and walked. I phoned and phoned : no place to stay. We arrived after crossing kilometers of wooded area at Limbricht castle around 6pm; only a km away from the city of Sittard We decided to eat at the castle but then they were booked out for the rooms. No place in Limbricht village either.  We prayed and after  dinner we simply came up with the idea to travel home by bus and train to Leende. And give Biya's knees and feet another rest of at least one day and a half. And so we did and where home before 11pm. 23 kms.

DAY 6  / 2nd August / Sittard to Weustenrode

We decided to bring my ‘half dome 2 Rei’ tent and some simple bedding, but without a proper mattress and no sleeping bags. On this Sunday morning before 11 we arrived by bus and train from Leende in Sittard and it was a joy to cross the centre of town and its main market area with its very nice stately old and restored buildings, and its quality shops and restaurants. Worth a longer visit! Then  for the first time the trail  goes up  the Kolleberg hill past the Santa Rosa chapel. It is here where the hilly part of the Netherlands begins. Equally the frequency of the Jesus and Maria statues at crossroads showed; some of these must date back to Napoleon’s days. We took advantage of this and prayed for our loved ones all over the world. We walked and walked, had our packed lunch and knew we still had not found a place to stay overnight. 

Happy trails by Biya Han in Limburg / close to Wijnandsrade

Finally at 7pm we arrived at a restaurant called Joe's Place in Brommelen where we devoured a ‘Texan Steak’ and washed it down with a German Warsteiner beer. Then we decided to find a place to sleep in a farmer's meadow. I knocked on the door of a farmhouse in Weustenrade, 2 kms. down the road and we were welcome to sleep in the meadow opposite their house. We put up our tent; all very nice; tall grass  but still kind of hard on my bones / AOB  = Anton's Old Bones. We kept our clothes on as during the night the temperature dropped to around 14 degrees Celsius. Biya slept better than I did; her left knee remained painful. And she persevered. 25 kms

Raw camping style

DAY 7 / 3rd August /Weustenrade to Vinkenhof/Schin op Geul

At daybreak I stretched my legs and felt my bones seriously. Beautiful sun getting up around 6am. We left early, leaving a thank you note for the farmer and walked on to have a full breakfast in Voerendaal where I dried the tent on the fields: we had 4 raw herrings as we bought lots of  foodies at the local 'Plus' store. 

Only in the NL: raw herring tradition

Hilly Limburg-land is beautiful as we walked up the Kunrader mountain; we bought finally coffee and a Magnum ice cream stick in the Chinese managed cafeteria in Ubachsberg. Four hours later we made it to touristic Gulpen where we had early dinner with a chicken Queen’s patty (bouche a la reine)  and a large local Gulpener beer. Then continued through the woods ascending to Wijlre, where we passed the Brand brewery (this beer brand started as of 1340)  and where the river Geul offers beautiful vistas as it meanders West of the village and past the watermill on its way to finish in the Maas river. We passed the bottom of the famous Keutenberg (cyclists love to try this mountain out!) and fortunately found a last spot to put our tent  at the Vinkenhof campsite. We were surprised that guests still have to pay  for hot showers here? We ate the rest of our reserves, had a Brand beer outside the camping bar and tried to sleep. The ground was hard; I slept ok but Biya was cold; remember we had no sleeping bags and no mattresses!! My old bones only played up a little. 23 kms.

DAY 8 / 4th  August / Schin op Geul to Maastricht

Last day...would we make it? Biya's knee was always ok in the morning. We walked past the old monk’s chapel on the Schaelsberg/mountain, then past the beautiful ‘Schaloen castle’ toward Old-Valkenburg. Then descending tthough the  Geren-valley but saw no wild orchids. We had breakfast with bread, cheese and fruit. Stopped for coffee in Scheulder 3 kms. further; to resume walking to Groot-Welsden amongst apple and pear orchards, and on to Cadier en Keer past the 'mergel mines' = the soft yellow stone with which in the old days many houses and farms were built. We passed the back of the COV community where I lived for many years in Cadier (from 1978-1999 when I was on leave in the Netherlands). And onto Maastricht...a long walk to the Our Lady, Star  of the Sea basilica / wow / a beautiful church where daughter Kesso Gabrielle used to play the piano with the Opus Dei community some 10 years ago. We prayed long and seriously in front of the altar of our Holy Mother. We were invited to do a wish and then I knew the time had come. Biya and I are together since 2014; we married for the Church in 2017 in Seoul but we still need to register our marriage with the state. Then all would be complete and feel complete. Then and there on the bench in front of this church I asked her to marry me officially in Seoul coming 10th November...and she said yes. We both were very emotional and cried a little.

Chapel of  Our Lady, Star of the Sea basilica in Maastricht

What a wonderful ending of a pilgrimage with thanks to God and our Holy Mother, and with a good intention to strengthen our love and relationship with an official registration of our marriage. Then a short walk past the flamboyant ‘Vrijthof market’ place to the train station, and we were home in Leende before 11 am. 23kms

We shall return one day to Maastricht to do some sight seeing and visit the Saint Servaas church; the official ending of the pilgrims path from Amsterdam to Maastricht.

Leende / 13th  August 2020.

Anton van Zutphen

tonvanzutphen@gmail.com