Sunday, May 4, 2003,
The weather is wonderfull and I planned a trip to Groningen to see the "Waddenzee", the sea
North of the Netherlands. Before I can leave I'm going to the midgetgolf park close to our
hollidayhome with the youngest children and my wife so I leave a little later then I planned
but at around noon, I'm on the road again.
One thing has changed since yesterday, my beard is gone. From 25 years ago. I have always
had a beard but yesterday I shaved for the first time in 25 years and I have a very naked
chin now ;-)
This is me, without a beard
First I drive through the center of Ommen and then I get on the N34 past Coevorden, Wachtum
and Oosterhesselen.
Flowers on the side of the road near Oosterhesselen
From Oosterhesselen I follow the road to Aalden. When I am driving on the road to
Aalden, I notice a nice windmill, on a hill in Aalden. When I enter Aalden, I turn left
on the first road and drive to the windmill. it is situated in some kind of park with
people sitting there, relaxing and talking and children riding around on small bicycles.
Windmill in Aalden
From Aalden I drive to Zweeloo.
It is a very nice road and the scenery is very nice, green and wide. The only things
that are not green are the road itself and the high voltage electricity lines. It is all green
to the horizon. Beautifull!
In Zweeloo I drive past a small old brick church, very nice with the old fasioned farms with
thatched roofs, big green trees and a graveyard around it.
Beautifull church in Zweeloo
On the way to Rolde was a deviation so I drove on a narrow road in the small village Noord Sleen
when I saw a sign "Hunnebed". A hunnebed is a grave from the stone age, made of very big pieces of rock.
I already past the sign but I turned around and drove back, then right on a even narrower road until
I came at a green field with the hunnebed in the center. There was a picknick table and a small parking
space but the entrance was free. I parked the Gold Wing on the grass and looked at the Hunnebed. It
is amazing those people in the stone age could build constructions like this without metal or
modern tools.
Hunnebed in Noord Sleen
From Schoonoord I get on the N376 past Schoonloo, Nooitgedacht and Rolde (close to Assen, the place
of the Dutch TT). From Rolde I follow the N33 past Gieten, Bareveld and Veendam and the I drive
to Appingedam. Just before I arrived in Appingedam I had to wait for an open bridge over a canal.
A ship passing a bridge near Appingedam
At the outskirts of Appingedam is a McDonalds and because it's lunchtime, I park the Wing in front
of the McDonalds and go inside to get a hamburger, a McShake Salad and a milkshake that I enjoy on the
terace, next to my bike. After lunch I check the engine oil of the Wing. No extra oil needed so I'm
ready to roll.
I pass Spijk on my way to Oosteinde, on the N363 and from Oosteinde I drive past Roodeschool in the
direction of Uithuizen.
Nice houses in Roodeschool
I need some gas now and because I asked it some people I saw on the side of the road I know there
is a gas station open on Sunday in Uithuizen. Unfortunately there is a deviation because of roadworks
in Uithuizen so I have to ask directions a few times before I find the Shell gas station.
With my tank full again I put the tripmeter on 0 and head in the direction of the Waddenzee.
I drive through small villages like Westernieland and Pieterburen. It is very nice and green here.
Small pitoresk villages, beautifull old churches and narrow roads.
The province Groningen is very flat and wide
Nice windmill in Westernieland, close to the sea
Past Broek, Kloosterburen and Hornhuizen I drive parallel to the shore until I see a sign "Lauwersoog".
That is the road to the sea and after a few kilometers I can get on a road to some small building on
a dyke. From the dyke I can see the Waddenzee.
The Wing at the Waddenzee
While I'm looking at the sea and enjoying the sun, I get a Cola. After I finish my drink, some people
on bicycles arive at my viewpoint so it's time to go on. From the Waddenzee I drive to Vierhuizen and
through Zoutkamp to Gripskerk.
My original plan was to use only small roads and no freeways but it is getting late (I left a little
later then I planned) and my wife is waiting with dinner so I have to get back at the hollidayhome
in time. To save time, I leave my original route and drive to the city of Groningen. From Groningen I
get on the freeway to Assen and Hoogeveen. From Hoogeveen I get on the N48 to Ommen and just in time
for dinner, I park the Wing next to the hollidayhome. Today I drove 324 kilometer.
|
