The next part of the journey saw me travelling from Brussels Midi to Rotterdam. Uneventful..thankfully and I finally arrived at Rotterdam Central on Tuesday evening. I then had 25 minutes to get a ticket and find the platform to my final destination of the night – Dordrecht.
Arriving in Dordrecht feeling like id been pulled through a hedge backwards I grabbed a cab and relaxed only to nearly choke when the driver pulled up outside the hotel and said very nicely 18 euros please…no wonder he was so chirpy when I gave him the address. Yikes wont be doing that again I thought get the bus next time even if I have to drag Herman!!
The Hotel Watertoren in Dordrecht is billed as a 3 star converted water tower….1 out of 2 isnt bad, its certainly a converted tower but 3 star -hmmm me thinks not. Dont get me wrong the hotel is nice just not what id class as a luxury hotel. Nice room..it did have a fabulous bathroom…now that was luxury and fabulous food…thank you Jaap and Joke but a little bit of a disappointment. Anyway unpacked, settled in, soaked in the tub, nice cup of tea, reasonably early night.
I had every intention of getting up early the next morning..even set the alarm..however at 11am I finally opened my eyes, looked at the time and shot out of bed like a rat up a drainpipe!!!
I was due on a boat trip in Werkendam at 2, with no idea of where I was going or how to get there.
Breakfast shovelled down I asked for directions to the ferry. I had been advised that a push bike had been arranged and with the lovely bike lanes that are everywhere in the Netherlands I imagined a nice leisurely pedal to the ferry. However, the weather had other ideas, freezing cold and blowing a gale I considered my options – slim and non existant. The bike or hoof it…well antique bike was putting it politely and the thing had NO BRAKES as I discovered when I had a little pedal round the courtyard. To stop I had to pedal backwards, poor Jaap didnt know what hit him as I shot past him unable to stop nearly ended up in the dyke next to the hotel. My first full day in the Netherlands – going well so far!!!
Transport carefully laid aside with the promise of a bike with brakes for the following day from Jaap I decided to walk to the ferry only to discover it was a 3km walk to the ferry then another SMALL walk to the museum and boat trip in Werkendam. At this point I berated myself for being 44 and still not able to drive.
So the intrepid explorer set out on foot with Jaap and Jokes’ directions in mind I followed the long road which led up to the ferry. Long is a relative term in the Netherlands the road in fact was VERY long, at one point along a very isolated path and no other souls in sight…slightly scary At last I came upon the ferry and as luck would have it as I arrived the ferry was just boarding to head across the river to Werkendam. I wasnt the only foot passenger that day heading to the musuem, there was a Belgium couple heading for the boat trip as well. As we disembarked from the ferry they asked me if I could run??? Why I asked…oh the musuem is another 3km walk they said and the boat was due to sail in 30 mins…Dame Kelly Holmes im most definitely not and there was no way any of us were going to make it in time. A quick call to the museum advising we were on the way and we began the root march to the museum, about a mile or so up the road a car pulled up and the driver got out spoke to the couple and then turned to me and offered us all a lift bless him.
Finally on the boat a tad late we set out on the Biesbosch..snag no 389! the commentary was in Dutch so looking out the window and nodding sagely at certain points an also laughing when the others did, I dread to think what the Dutch couple thought – another loony English woman probably!! I looked like I understood everything being said HA HA. Thankfully the couple translated some pertinent information which I scribbled down for later perusal. The Biesbosch in that part of Belgium is quite harsh even though its the middle of winter it still felt desolate and lonely and freezing brrrr.
It has to be said I cant go on a trip without something happening and fate stepped in..the rudder or propellor broke – I never found out which and with a grinding and groaning of the engine and a 20 minute delay which excited the children on board the skipper managed to manouver the boat into a position to reverse out of a rather narrow inlet and head back for the museum with more groaning and grinding.
Back at the museum and in the warmth for the first time since I left my bed at 11am I wandered round the exhibits. The museum is well set out with a history of the Biesbosch well documented and the exhibits were all very visual and thought provoking. With information panels in Dutch and no sign of any staff I and the other passengers – all Dutch I may add wandered around the musuem to the strains of an unidentified classical music track..all very tranquil and soothing. Nodding at the exhibits I again pretended to understand what I was reading but to be honest it doesnt take a genius to know what the musuem was all about and the displays were all self explanatory even the glass case with a full layer of the water bed with the different species that lived in each layer was easy to understand. Having sated my curiosity and desperate to get warm I decided to tackle the walk back to the ferry. The Dutch couple by that point had disappeared so I was left to wander back alone. Having taken absolutely no notice of the route we came in I stood in the car park and looked about me, left to the mud track didnt think that likely, straight on towards another road or left. Luck was again with me that day – towards the road a group of men were doing the usual man thing with machinery standing around in a circle with a big digger in the middle chattering away in Dutch and not doing a lot.
Im not shy…not anymore anyhow lol, so strode over and asked which direction for the ferry. As one they turned, ooops I thought perhaps not one of my brightest ideas! but nay lucky again – a very kind…at least I think he was chap offered to take me to the ferry if I could wait 5 minutes…5 minutes heck id have waited 5hrs if it meant I didnt have to traipse back to the ferry in the freezing cold with sore feet (new boots). Sitting in the cab of his works van a sudden image of my mum popped into my head with the words “Never get in a car with a strange man”…too late I thought and not for the first time!!! Anyway everything was fine and dandy the chap worked for the construction company improving the site around the Biesbosch musuem and was heading back towards Dordrecht RESULT..
thebiesboschtraveller 