Another stage of the Walk of Wisdom, from Malden to Grave. Again, it was an amazing combination of the familiar and the unexpected. In this stage, we also passed the halfway point of the route. Three long stages to go! Today’s was 20 km, and I’m proud of myself for making it this far!
We spent two days hiking at Maria Laach, a big lake in a volcanic crater. In the water you can see bubbles coming from the bottom of the lake, a sign that the volcano is dormant but not dead. Apparently a new outbreak is statistically overdue. Makes exciting hikes!
Hiking is lovely on the steep slopes of the volcano. We saw many mice, interesting beetles and even a snake. But the highlight is the Abbey of Maria-Laach that has stood on the banks of the lake since 1093. Unimaginably old, that is! The place has a very peaceful and loving atmosphere and we enjoyed spending the night at the abbey.
As we are walking the Walk of Wisdom trail, we discover new places around Nijmegen. But this stage was our home stretch, passing my favorite photo spots and Hermen’s jogging trail. What a beautiful environment!
My plan for the summer is to do a long hike at least once a week, and since today’s weather promised to be the best of this week, I set out for a nice long walk this morning. I chose the NS walk between Culemborg and Beesd station, with beautiful Dutch scenery.
It was weird to suddenly realize I was walking on the Mariënwaard estate, where almost exactly 15 years ago I broke my back. I think I’m fitter today than before that day, but it has taken me very long.
Today we visited a forest- and a field chapel. In the forest we found the chapel Dekke Tönnis – Fat Tony – for St Anthony. For fear of wildfires from candles the entrance was barred. Even more bars made the statue of the saint impossible to photograph. But it was a good place for a picknick!
After hiking through the beautiful forest we went to the Bruder Klaus Feldkapelle – Brother Klaus Field Chapel – a chapel built in 2007 in a very modern style. Parking is a kilometer from the chapel, so it’s a brief pilgrimage to get there. From the outside, the building looks a bit like a climbing wall. Inside, there is room for two people, it’s a really intimate space with big marbles in the walls that let the light in. It’s beautiful and has a very special feeling.
We were awed by the destruction in Bad Münstereifel, still visible after the floods two years ago, but driving through the Ahr valley, we saw that it was much worse there. It’s unimaginable what happened there. We ended the day with Flammkuchen in Bad Ahrweiler, where the marketplace was restored.
Did a beautiful hike today in the vicinity of Bad Münstereifel. A Roman sanctuary to the matrons – three goddesses – was very special to find. People had left some offerings, like Mexican coins and Dutch pre-Euro coins. They wanted to make a sacrifice but not one that’s actually worth something? What does that mean?
The town of Bad Münstereifel was badly damaged by the 2021 floods, now two years ago. The process of rebuilding is still ongoing, but it’s definitely worth a visit!
Another favorite: the klipspringer. Mrs. Klipspringer – without the horns – is slightly larger than her husband, and, when we saw them, also decidedly more brave. She had already crossed the road in front of our car when he was still checking us out from a nearby boulder. He decided that we were not safe and darted away – and then she had to go back as well, of course.
Klipspringers feel safe on the rocks, so that’s where you will find them. If you look at their hooves, it’s like they are walking en pointe like a ballet dancer. They are unbelievably quick when they scamper up a rock to get to safety.
Our favorite bird is the secretary bird. On our recent trip to Pilanesberg, seeing a secretary bird was no. 1 on our wishlist. Our second day in the park gave us a nice sneak preview: a secretary bird far, far away. The next day got better: first we saw a secretary bird flying. Then we saw one in a field but behind a lot of shrubbery. After lunch, we tried again, and we hit the jackpot. Two secretary birds, and we were able to follow them for a while. Walk walk, stamp stamp, munch, walk walk. Beautiful creature!
I’ve been back a while, but finally the weather gods and employment gods joined up to give me the opportunity to photograph a misty morning on a quiet work-at-home day. So happy! Much better than seeing the fog from the train!
Awesome wonder 