Travel journal
A new journey may be just around the corner, or we may be looking back at moments from a journey we have just made. In our Travel journal, we write about regions, cities and villages across Western Europe and beyond. Personal travel stories, with historical and cultural context woven into the journey.
Cycling around Gaasterland I
You expect flatness in Friesland: bare pastures, a solitary lake, a straight horizon, and the occasional white sail rising above the grass. That is the familiar image, but Gaasterland, in the south-west of the province, refuses the rule.
Category: Travel journalTag(s): the NetherlandsThe Isle of Texel
Outside the museum in De Waal, three women in traditional Texel costume sit knitting lace. Asked whether a photograph is allowed, they nod and carry on with the needles. No posed smile, no pause in the work, as if we have simply cycled past something that was already happening and carry on the moment we…
Category: Travel journalTag(s): the NetherlandsCallantsoog holds its secrets
Only the white church hints at a different Callantsoog. At least, that is the impression upon driving into the village centre. The moment the camera comes out, a delivery van parks directly in front of the whitewashed façade. It feels as though the village makes one final effort to stay concealed. Only on the way…
Category: Travel journalTag(s): the NetherlandsDiscovering La Font Salada
As the sun slowly pushes the temperature up in the valley, we leave Pego behind us. We head towards the vast, flat landscape of the Marjal de Pego-Oliva, in search of a place where the water is always the same pleasant temperature.
Category: Travel journalTag(s): SpainLes Fonts d’Algar
A voyage of discovery to Les Fonts d’Algar, an oasis of tranquillity far away from the hustle and bustle of the Costa Blanca. That is what the brochure says, but it is anything but quiet at the waterfalls. Especially in the summer months, when entire families seek a way to cool off.
Category: Travel journalTag(s): SpainLangres, search for the sources
Our route from the Netherlands to our home in Spain takes us through the heart of France, and this time we make a stop that feels like a reunion with old friends. After a short stay in Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg, we are now settling in Langres. This is a place where history becomes personal to us.
Category: Travel journalTag(s): FranceReturning to Esch-sur-Sûre
First night in the trailer tent After thorough preparation, we head south with the trailer tent and two new bicycles. Our first stop is Esch-sur-Sûre, a place we last visited nearly half a century ago. We wonder what it is like now and how we will fare during our first night in the camper. It…
Category: Travel journalTag(s): LuxembourgChefchaouen, a blue fairy tale
With the scent of warm bread in the camper, we pull onto the road for a drive of about 75 kilometres. Our destination is Chefchaouen, one of Morocco’s most iconic spots, but the route requires absolute concentration.
Category: Travel journalTag(s): Morocco
