and your little dog too....

Yesterday Dad and I went back to 's-Hertogenbosch. This time by bike. The bike I am riding is in excellent shape, but, as I have indicated previously, quite old. I am still not 100% used to the pedal brakes and often find myself kicking my feet out and stopping it like Fred Flinstone stops his car. I fear for the soles of my sandals. Every time I get on it and get going, I have the desire to cackle and say "I'll get you Dorothy and your little dog too! LOL!"

This time our destination was not the cathedral, but rather a walking tour and a boat tour on the canals. The area where this town was already populated by the year 1150 and was built in a swampy and wooded area between the rivers Dommel and Aa. The name 's-Hertogenbosch actually translates to Duke's woods. As many towns of the time, a fortified wall was built around the town as protection against enemy attacks. As this particular town grew, so did the wall and eventually 120 hectares and the river branches were enclosed in the city. The little waterways that made up the river branches were called the Binnendieze. So, it was on the Binnedieze that we toured today. Because the roads were often inundated with the traffic of the time, almost everything was transported via the Binnendieze. After all, as the guide explained the rivers were there before the houses were built, so as the townspeople built, they would put their workshops at the back of their houses in order to have access to the water for transport. Of course, they used the water in leather, metal and brewing industries as well as for drinking and cooking water and to carry away the sewage  (hmmmmm!).  We could still see some of the century old outhouses because the wealthier folks built theirs from brick and advertised their wealth to the world! Because it was dangerous (and therefore forbidden) to build outside of the city walls, the townspeople began building across the water, so much of the Binnendieze runs through tunnels under the existing buildings and streets. It was not until the late 1800s that the citizens were allowed to build outside the city walls and so they did with a new canel crossing the city as well as a railway providing transport. However, the Binnendieze continued to serve as an open sewer for almost another 100 yrs. In the 1960`s the town council decided to close all the waterways, but some people recognized the historical-cultural value of the Binnendieze and retained some of it. The next 25 years and many Euro were dedicated to restoration. Initially 12 km s of waterways with over 100 bridges were contained within the city walls. Now only 3.5 kms remain and about a third of this is covered and flows under the houses. The old buildings are quite remarkable and we even sailed under an original gothic church that was built in 1533

Another ``must do`` in Den Bosch is the Bossche bol, also sometimes called the chocoladebol. It is a pastry ball that originated in the city of `s-Hertogenbosch. It is about 12 cm in diameter (larger than a tennis ball) and is filled with a buttermilk whip cream and coated almost entirely in dark chocolate (which of course we all know is good for you)! Since we had some time to kill before the boat tour and were a little famished from our bike ride, Dad and I found an outdoor cafe to have a drink and a Bossche bol and to do some people watching. Was very yummy and I am glad I am on vacation because everyone knows calories do not count when you are on vacation! After our tour on the boats, we picked up our bicycles and found our way out of town. It really was not that hard, and I think Dad was a little more worried about it than I was. He says he never gets lost in the bush (when hunting) so I am surprised he gets turned around so easily inside of town. I am a little more confident ... or maybe I care a little less about getting lost because I just accept it is going to happen and I will find my path eventually. Now I understand though why Dad has been a little reluctant to venture alone where he has not been before. Anyway, it was all good yesterday because we made our way back to Koos`s house with plenty of time to sit and relax and have a drink before dinner!


Today we are taking a train to Breda to tour that town and meet my cousin Margaret. She is a retired school teacher and has excellent english I am told. Koos tells me she was going to be a nun once upon a time but changed her mind in the end and taught school instead. We will be heading out soon, by taxi to the train station and then it is 45 minutes by train. They close the access to the bicycle parking area at the train station  at 9 pm or so, hence the taxi. Should be an interesting day!

Enjoy your day!  :-)