Things are a little damp here in Northern Netherlands! It has been raining every day for the past several with a few sunny breaks in between the downpours. We spent the morning inside the motorhome waiting for a period when the rain looked like it was going to stop long enough for us to get a walk in.
So with an unlimited supply of internet from the campground, I did some research on the various choices for refillable propane systems. They are not cheap, and there are a lot of options to sort through. Despite a couple of hours of research, I still haven't decided on the best route to take for this. Although, I do feel more educated about the possibilities.
After lunch, it cleared up enough that we felt confident we wouldn't get drenched during another downpour. We brought our new umbrellas with us... the ones that we had purchased at IKEA a few weeks ago, but hadn't used yet.
There is a small castle located 3 kms away, so we set off in that direction. Along the way is the Slochteren church and tower.
This tower was built in the second half of the 13th century!
The bell in the tower has the year 1373 inscribed on it.
Unfortunately, it was all locked up.
Apparently there were other churches at this location previously, but the current one was built in 1650.
Slochteren Church.
We got to the entrance to the castle, and it started pouring with rain. We stood under some big trees for a while but it was raining pretty hard and eventually we decided we had better make use of our new umbrellas.
I got the first one out and tried opening it for Ruth, but it wouldn't open! Upon closer inspection, there is a small zip tie holding the thing together to prevent it from opening accidentally prior to sale. But it has to be cut off and we had no way to do that. Of course the other one had the same issue. So there we were standing in the pouring rain with umbrellas that we couldn't open!
All we could do was shrug our shoulders and laugh!
So we got a little wet, but not bad all things considered.
Just after I took this photo it started pouring with rain.
We went to the visitors center at the small castle and borrowed a pair of scissors to cut the zip ties. The grounds were free to wander, but we weren't interested in paying to see the interior. They also do a "Barefoot Walk" that costs €4 each. We would have done that with the grandkids had they been with us!
The small castle is surrounded by two moats.
Originally built in the 1300's.
So we're off wandering through the grounds and it turns out there are ten different "art" exhibits along the way. Yes, I put the word "art" in quotation marks. Why they would do this in a pretty forest is beyond me. Here's an example of one of the exhibits...
An articulated bus?
Yep, an old bus in the middle of the forest. Yes, this is art.
It started raining hard again jus tas we got to the bus, so we took shelter inside. Good for that, anyhow.
Inside the old bus were photos of the interior of the castle.
Ruth, driving the bus. Careful of the broken glass!
Another art installation.
The forest itself was quite pretty.
Scenery along the way.
A tree house built around the base of the tree.
Part of the Barefoot Walk.
Yuck. Fun for the kids though!
Not a bad day overall.
Again, the temperatures are quite pleasant. High of about 20C (68F). Rain again this morning, but then its supposed to clear up for the next few days.
We are heading back into Germany this afternoon!
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And in Canada...
You were lucky the bus was open!
ReplyDeleteYes, we were lucky it was open but if it wasn't we could at least have used our umbrellas by that time. :-)
DeleteOne man's junk is another man's art? Not for me! ;c)
ReplyDeleteWe do have to admit that was not our kind of art either!
DeleteI thought that as wanderers you would have a Swiss Army knife in your backpack.
ReplyDeleteKevin did at one time but that was quite a long time ago. With us, because we travel light and sometimes don't check our bags, carrying a knife with us doesn't work. Now that we have Max and can travel in him, we should get another one that we can carry around with us, especially when we are out hiking,
DeleteMaybe the quote should be "Art is in the eye of the beholder". Maybe the investment in the refillable propane system will help on the back end when you sell it so you can recoup the cost, should you go that route.
ReplyDeleteYes, when it comes to art and appreciating it, it is all in the eye or mind of the person looking at it. We're afraid that putting and old articulated bus in the middle of the forest is not art, it's not even like they actually made it! Still it was nice to take cover under and it was nice to see the pictures of some of the rooms inside the castle.
DeleteYes, we have definitely thought of that as well and it would be a plus when it comes time to sell Max but not sure that we would recoup the cost of buying it and installing the system. For us, we really are thinking about what is easiest for finding the gas and filling the tanks. Kevin will be doing more research. :-)
I had to smile. My cousin who lives in Chelsea Quebec posted photos of he and his children at Red Pine Camps. I did a double look as I recalled seeing posts of you taking your grandchildren there.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty cool! Yes, we took our grandchildren there the summer before last. Kevin has gone to that camp many times over his lifetime, plus working there as a teenager and our daughter did as well. It is a great place for families. :-)
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