Exciting times, also for a guest address (Machteld Meij looks back on the summer)

Machteld Meij and Ronald Baksteen are a popular guest address for pilgrims of the Walk of Wisdom. They live in a fairytale way in the Hatertse Vennen near Nijmegen. People can spend the night in Sisterhurst’s bakehouse or cottage from May to October. Machteld looks back on the past few months.

Summer seems to be over. After the last heat wave that lasted for a very long time, it suddenly became autumn. Throughout the summer, hikers and cyclists came forward, who suddenly had to stay in the Netherlands due to all the cancelled holidays. The walkers of the Walk of Wisdom also knocked on the door every day.

From 1 June, when the hospitality industry was allowed to reopen to a limited extent, the phone did not stop ringing. Reservations for the coming weeks, but also for much further into the season. The calendar, which was still largely empty in June, showed fewer and fewer empty spaces in the following weeks.

After the overcrowded summer months, only the first two weeks of September were filled. The pilgrims of the Walk of Wisdom gained the upper hand. And yet people still booked for the same week or wanted a bed the same night. Many times I had to disappoint someone. The cots had already been discussed.

All the dates entered had a name, telephone number and the number of beds I wanted, so that I could make a layout. For 1 person I usually reserved the bakehouse and for two or three the larger house. But it also happened that I placed two hikers, who did not know each other, in the large house, so that they would at least have their own bedroom.

Totally happy
On the second Tuesday in September, a couple and 1 x WoW were scheduled. I hadn’t written down a phone number. I also couldn’t remember that the person in question had complied with my request to send a message, which included his name and phone number. I had already scheduled this person in the bakehouse.

The day before I had to disappoint a lady before this date, because unfortunately I didn’t have a bed available. Now a certain Karlijn came forward, who really hoped for a place to sleep. The previous night she had already had to move to an expensive hotel bed. What was I supposed to do now? Maybe this unknown WoW-er hadn’t sent any confirmation at all. I didn’t know anymore. There was a good chance that this unknown person would be a hiker, because that’s what most pilgrims are.

I decided to put the contingency plan into action. Both ladies in the bakehouse and then the beds but a long way apart. Karlijn was willing to put her bed under the roof if necessary, as long as she had a place to sleep. And maybe the stranger didn’t come at all, that had happened before.

K. was very happy that she could still go to our bakehouse. She would arrive early, leave her heavy backpack behind and walk a bit further and grab a bite to eat along the way. The weather was very reasonable that day, after a number of wet autumn days. Karlijn did what she intended, put off her luggage in the bakehouse, enjoyed a little break and went on the road again.

Dilemma
Around four o’clock my phone rang. “With Bas, I’ve booked a room with you tonight! It’s just that it will be a little later than planned.” Oops, so it wasn’t a runner and my improvised combination for that evening became impossible. I explained to Bas what dilemma I had faced and that I had not written down a phone number when booking.

Bas understood, but he had even received a confirmation from me with the necessary directions. He had reserved his place early in the year. Vaguely, I began to remember something. A then still virgin agenda and that I had only written down 1 x WoW. It was not going to work out this year anyway because the coronavirus undermined all activities. Only I didn’t know at the time that half of the Netherlands would be on the road in their own country.

Bas had the right to his bed in the bakehouse and Karlijn would have to sleep in the small room downstairs, a bit against our principles not to take people into the house. Luckily I had cleaned up a lot a few weeks before, so she had a place right away.

When K. arrived again at six o’clock, we were just having a glass of port and I invited her to join me for a drink. Then I could also explain to her a little easier, that sleeping in the bakehouse was canceled. She took it very sportively and quickly moved her things to her new sleeping place, actually very happy that she had a bed after all. We didn’t get to dinner. We had a lot to discuss, the port was tasty and the snacks we gathered replaced the evening meal. The evening was sultry, the bats frolicked and it was suddenly a summer evening again.

Bas arrived when it was almost dark, and with a bit of a laugh we told him that we had had a very nice evening thanks to him.

The next morning Karlijn left again after having had her breakfast at our table. We still had a lot to tell each other. It had also become a very special overnight stay for her. The port had ensured that she had slept well and the relaxed atmosphere of the previous evening had also been very special. The peace and nature had been healing.

Paradise
If you make a pilgrimage alone, you are mainly on your own. You don’t know if you’ll get company at your sleeping place. Most pilgrims who come on their own close the curtains before it gets dark and go to bed early. After walking all day, your thoughts have come by many times. You usually go on such a trip because you have to interrupt your normal life for a while, for example because you are in a difficult phase of your life, because you have to deal with a grief. Usually not because you’re out to meet nice people.

How wonderful it is that we can share our place in this beautiful nature reserve with people who have an eye for it and know how to appreciate it.

The word paradise is used regularly and we still don’t get used to it.

Machteld Meij