Boxing Day: Nijmegen, Dry and 8°C
It’s been a week since we arrived in Holland, Nijmegen, to be more specific. After a gruelling two days and about 32+ hours of flying from Brisbane-Perth-Guangzhou to Amsterdam! We arrived at Schiphol airport at 6am and 0°c. This is not our first time visiting my hubby’s birth country, but our first visit in winter. The forecast was a mild winter, and it had been in the past week, but we shall see how the next couple of weeks go. I am looking forward to some snow to complete my winter experience. The past two Christmases was white for Holland and most of Europe.
So what have we done so far…a quick visit to Hooftstraat in Amsterdam to check out the new G-Star store. This street is known for its hotels and brand name shops – nice; been to walks around Central in Nijmegen; drove around a few times to Amersfoort and back; and walked around De Geerkamp areas. We are staying with my sister-in-law in Nijmegen, East of the country, bordering on Germany. Around where we live there are beautiful walking tracks along the river. On a mild day you can see people walking their dogs, ducks enjoying the water and have some sun on your face.
Christmas Eve was small and intimate. After a lovely dinner the family gathered around to exchange gifts and read a special poem written for you by the gift-giver. An old tradition that the family still proudly practice. The first day of Christmas was an elaborate brunch sharing fun stories. The second day of Christmas, Boxing Day for us from Australia, was a day spent exploring the Haterstse Vennen on Gelderland. This is a protected area with marshes and forests. The walk was very easy as the area was mostly flat and the view was beautiful – apparently every season of the year.
And then there was the ruins of St Walrick of Koorstkapel from the 9th century. Beside it is an old tree, a wishing tree or the fever tree, where people have been hanging hankies or pieces of cloth in the hope that they would be cured of their fever.
After our effortless walk we rested at an old Restaurant St Walrick for some coffee and snack.
Overall the day was a wonderful experience of another area of Holland. There are many more to see from this small country that is very rich in history and culture.
Our Weird and Wonderful World 