June 29 – We had one more good breakfast at the Hotel de Kroon, then the dad of the owner drove us back to Vierlingsbeek so we could resume our hike right where we left off. 12.3 miles planned for today.
We were dropped off right at the church steps, and, as it is Sunday, we asked if there was a church service. Oh no, came the reply, perhaps if someone wants a wedding or a funeral the church can be rented, but otherwise no services.
This is the first day we will be walking in the sun, with no clouds expected. Today’s high is anticipated to be 82 F, which qualifies as a heat emergency in the Netherlands. As Virginians used to hot soupy weather, this made us chuckle. Our hiking app warned us not to hike in this extreme heat. I hope we make it!
We were very self assured after completing the previous day’s walk without taking any wrong turns. Perhaps we have figured out the Pieterpad? Nope!
We crossed on the ferry again to return to Vierlingsbeek, this time in a carLooks like it’s going to be a great day Out of the sun, into the woods On the other side of the woods, a little town with some roadside artClassic lawn decorations Guard ducksAfter the town, a very sandy area, although there is no beach nearbyA thatched roof cottage. Here we learned a lesson of the trail: just because others are walking in one direction, doesn’t mean you should follow them.This is a rose farm, with folks cultivating baby rose bushes. The Netherlands is one of the world’s biggest exporters of flowers of all kinds. Here we learned another lesson: don’t get so interested in your surroundings that you miss your turn!Moving waterMidafternoon, with no shade. We stopped at a bar, and Jim popped in to the outdoor restroom, just to refill a water bottle. As we left, the owner came out and chased after us, yelling that we were stealing his water. I guess he was the opposite of a Nice Person. Hope we don’t meet too many like him.Thanks to whoever took the time to decorate the roadside postsA little chapel in the middle of the woods The door was locked, but here’s what it looked like inside A picture worthy hollow log along the way – I would definitely plant some flowers hereLook in the distance- that must be Meerlo!Indeed it was Meerlo – we walked into the town …through the town, and out the other sideOur B&B was quite an extra hike, but we got there eventually. We had the place to ourselves, as our host said the other expected guests cancelled due to the heat. There were no restaurants nearby, so Jim made us a ramen noodle supper. A good day!
June 27 – We heard rain early this morning, but it stopped by the time we finished breakfast. Twelve miles planned for this cool and cloudy day.
Programming my phone for today’s itineraryGood morning, masked horses! The masks help keep the flies out of their eyesThe way markers seem clearer today, or maybe we’re getting smarter? The Pieterpad marker is the red and white in the middle.A nice shady pathA bit of road walking, with a decorated overpass…painted on both sides!Take care – chicken crossing ahead! We did not see any chickens…A big field of wildflowers This was the only cafe we passed by today, but we had already eaten our lunch with a pot of Jim’s good coffee, so we didn’t stop in.Now, here’s a sign you don’t see every day! An unusual way to alert folks that there is a ferry crossing ahead.Sitting and waiting for the ferry – how often does it run?It runs about every five minutes, taking pedestrians, bicyclists and cars across the Meuse RiverThe ferryman collected one euro from each person, and before we knew it, we were on the other side.Some more good signage – don’t take this path!Look in the distance – that must be Vierlingsbeek!We walked into town and waited on the church steps for Nena from the Hotel de Kroon to come pick us up. The walk to Meerlo is too long for us old folks to complete in one go (24 miles and a bit) so our travel company split it into two 12 mile walking days with a rest day in between. This is the good life!
Taking Our Time 