Post #12

The North: 09/30/25

We woke up in a warm, beautiful bed and didn't have to pack up a soggy tent for once. Ah, the small things in life; they hit you differently when you're on the road.

Today, our gracious hosts Wim and Lydia whisked us off to explore the northern reaches of the Netherlands, where they've spent years (well, the Dutch as a whole, anyway) masterminding massive swaths of new land. It's all thanks to those engineering marvels, the dyke systems. 

Our first stop? The fairy tale village of Giethoorn, where we were spoiled rotten with coffee, apple cake, and a serene boat ride through its canals. Picture this: lush, manicured gardens hugging the water's edge, storybook homes peeking out like they're straight from a Hans Christian Andersen dream. It was pure magic—minus the trolls, thankfully.

From there, we picnicked lakeside with steaming bowls of mushroom soup, with some German brown bread, and a chunk of cheese that would make a mouse weep with joy. Wim, our cheese connoisseur (note the fancy spelling—I've been practicing), is the self proclaimed cheese expert. I wish I could rattle off the name, but hey, one expert in the group is plenty.

Our grand finale was a nature preserve —once a testing ground for cutting-edge lock systems. This is where they developed the technology behind today's flood-defying wonders. It's incredible: entire cities now sprawl where there was once just the sea. Dykes, pumps, and a whole lot of  ingenuity turned water into "prime real estate."

We finished the day with a leisurely stroll around a small harbor before heading home as dusk fell. By the time we rolled in, it was late, but Wim whipped up a Dutch twist on pizza that fed us all. Bedtime never tasted so good.

The Netherlands is an amazing place to photograph so, I (Sarah) am adding a few of my favorites.

Keep on rolling, 

Scott and Sarah

Errands: 10/01/25

Today was peak errand day. Wim and I dropped their car off at the shop for a routine checkup. On the way back to the house, we swung by a bicycle shop to get some bicycle boxes. We managed to get two of them, no problem—just in case we decide on not pedaling the last few miles into Amsterdam. With the weather turning colder and wetter by the day, that call is feeling less like a tough choice and more like a no-brainer.

We unloaded the boxes back at the house, then it was go-time to pick up our rented camper through GoBoony (think Airbnb, but with four wheels and wanderlust). The whole process took a couple of hours, but thankfully it went smoothly. Sarah and I spent the afternoon prepping for our road trip, packing clothes, food and snacks while Wim and Lydia headed out for their evening bridge game. We, on the other hand, called it an early night and dove into bed.

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah

Our First Travel Day: 10/02/25

All set for our first day behind the wheel! We fueled up with a hearty breakfast and hit the road, ready for adventure. Driving in the Netherlands? It's like a glorious visual overload of pedestrians, cars, trains, buses, streetcars, bicycles, scooters, and who-knows-what-else barreling at you from every angle. It demands laser focus, a dash of courage (and maybe a good playlist to drown out the inner screams), but trust me: it can be done.

After three (or was it four?) hours of driving, we arrived near the city of Ghent, Belgium, and zeroed in on a campsite. The first spot was no bueno but we found a nice alternative. Ah, the sweet relief of pulling into a ready-made site—no tent wrestling required. All in all, it was a classic travel day: mostly miles, minimal mishaps. Of course, we had to stop at Starbucks for Charlie.

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah

A Stroll Around Gent: 10/03/25

We set our sights on Gent today—a charming city that promised history, cobblestones, and zero regrets. At the bus stop, we struck gold when a friendly guy from Tennessee clued us in on bus passes for just 15 cents each. He even played tour guide, escorting us to the machine where we bought our tickets. Hop aboard, and within minutes, we were dropped right into the older part of Gent.

It felt like a bigger version of Bruges. We headed for St. Bavo's Cathedral, a masterpiece that left us inspired. Just as we were soaking it in, an older gentleman fired up the massive pipe organ, unleashing a symphony of sound that turned the whole place into a scene straight out of a medieval movie. Majesty and mystery? Check.

Afterwards we wandered off for some classic window-shopping—you know, the kind where you admire but only look—and, naturally, coffee. But hey, this is Belgium, and waffles are hard to pass up. Sarah and I split one of those golden, crispy edges dusted with powdered sugar waffles.

Fueled up, we meandered through more shops like total tourists. We even strolled past the Castle of the Counts, a moody 10th-century moated fortress. By then, lunch was calling our names, so Wim and Lydia steered us to an Indian spot. I'm no curry connoisseur, but these dishes were delicious.

Our server, a young whirlwind of pure joy, lit up the day with tales of her adventures. 

We hopped the bus back to the campground, packed up our campers, and hit the road for Antwerp. We rolled in early evening, but true to form, the rain decided to deluge our arrival. No complaints as it was a great day.

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah

Visiting Antwerp: 10/04/25

It rained cats and dogs all night and well into the morning, but no worries—we've got our trusty camper. By the time somewhat blue skies peeked through, we were up and at 'em, venturing into Antwerp around 11:00. Our first order of business? Descending into a pedestrian-and-bicycle tunnel beneath the  Scheldt River. We're utterly amazed by the Belgians' infrastructure wizardry for walkers and bikers.

Our first stop: yet another jaw-dropping cathedral. (I'm not trying to sound jaded, but after so many of these Gothic behemoths, they're starting to blur together like Starbucks coffee shops. I can't even recall this one's name.) What does stick in my mind is the coffee shop we visited right after: Ray's, home to great pastries and coffee. Unfortunately the service moves at the pace of a sloth. But hey, when you're retired, what's a few extra minutes? It's basically our new hobby: competitive waiting.

While we have been in Europe we have been anxiously awaiting the news of our 12th grandchild. Well he finally came, a beautiful baby boy. Here we are getting to see him for the first time.

After the great news we walked through the bustling shops once more, then headed for the train station, famed for its soaring arched terminus and architectural swagger. We also strolled the diamond district but most shops were closed for the Sabbath—leaving us to admire the goods through windows. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise!

As the afternoon waned, we wandered over to the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom). We took the escalators to the top floor to look out over the city. The view? Spectacular. The wind? A full-on gale trying to launch us into the harbor like human kites. From this spot, Sarah eyed a burger shop below, and we went down to spend the next hour warming up over a few tasty hamburgers. Unfortunately, Wim was not able to eat with us because of his dietary restrictions.

We hopped a ferry back across the river and nearly made it to camp before the heavens let loose again. Once more, we burrowed into our campers and hunkered down for the night. 

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah

Belgium's Boatlifts: 10/05/25

Today, our gracious hosts Wim and Lydia whisked us away on a whirlwind tour of Belgium's ingenious "elevator locks"—or whatever the proper nautical geniuses call them. We travelled to three locations, each one showcasing a different take on the engineering.

Our first stop was Ronquières, a beast of a lock that's sadly closed to visitors. No worries, though—we strolled its perimeter and marvelled at the sheer scale of the thing. Picture this: They float an entire full-sized ship into a colossal, watertight giant container, then haul the whole up or down a sloped ramp to swap canals. 

Next up: Strepy-Thieu, the canals are at different elevations and because the elevations greatly differ in height it is more efficient to use an elevator system. We actually got to watch a ship lowered from one canal to another. 

The grand finale was the boat elevator on the Centre Canal and a similar construction to Strepy-Thieu but with a unique backstory. Turns out, it was engineered by none other than Gustave Eiffel—the guy behind Paris's iconic tower. He also lent his genius to the Statue of Liberty's framework, something I just learned about.

We wrapped up our day with some camping in a  forest near the town of Mors. After dinner we finished off the night with a few rounds of cards while piled into a camper van.

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah

A Day to Drive: 10/06/25

Today, we spent the day driving from Mors through Dinant, ending up at a lovely campground just outside Bastogne in the Ardennes. It was a great way to spend our 41st Wedding Anniversary!

Tomorrow, we plan to visit the war museum in Bastogne and remember the heroic fight that Easy Company waged during World War II.

Keep on rolling,

Scott and Sarah