Natasja Beumer: the detour is more interesting than the highway (part 2)
This is the second part of the travelogue of walking coach Natasja Beumer. Read part 1 here .
When the Waal is out of sight, the imagination flows.”
Twan Niesten
Travel companions
After a few extra kilometers from the path to the B&B and back, I am back at yesterday’s end point and the route starts from the glider airfield towards the Overasseltse- and Hatertse Vennen, a beautiful nature reserve. My confidence slowly comes back with every step I take because I am good the way I am, even though I didn’t meet his wish list. The fabric I leave behind in the patch tree symbolizes my sadness and with this I am ready for a new beginning.
Just before restaurant Walrick I meet Linda again and we chat about our experiences on the Walk of Wisdom. After lunch it starts to rain a bit and I quickly put on my backpack again and walk alone towards Velp. I still have quite a few kilometers to go to the Emmaus Monastery, where I will spend the night.
Because of the rain I can’t put on my reading glasses (and therefore can’t read the book) and therefore follow the markings along the path that are fortunately well signposted. In front of me is a couple and I walk behind them for a while. When I catch up with them, we start talking and a little later we arrive at the Lady Chapel where the logbook for the pilgrims is located and where Anja, whom I met during the walking coach training, also happens to be. We started at the same time. For the couple, the day’s stage is almost over and they continue to walk to the point where their car is and come back tomorrow.
Together with Anja I walk on to Grave where she spends the night. I recognize this picturesque fortified town from the Four Days Marches and on the way there we have time to catch up. After historic Grave I walk the last kilometers alone to Velp, still through the rain and the mud with a headwind. These encounters make me realize how much I missed contact with people last winter. How great the loneliness has been, working from home on the boat in a new city.
Walk out of your head
I walk in different ways. During a walking coaching session, my coachee’s coaching question is always central, I use nature for exercises and the emphasis is not so much on the walking itself, so it’s not about the kilometers, but about achieving more well-being for the coachee.
When I guide a walking tour or camino, I am responsible for the group and it is about everyone being able to walk at their own pace and enjoy being on the road by simply following me. I am then concerned with the well-being of the group and with following the directions or GPS.
When I walk with my dear hiking friends, we walk an average of 20 kilometers or more at the same pace and it’s mainly about the social contact, exchanging stories and having fun together. We now know what we can expect from each other, after many kilometres together.
When I run for myself, I like to run alone. I like the physical challenge (the number of kilometers or altitude difference) but I also like a short morning walk along the Wantij. I experience nature optimally and there is room for reflection and mindfulness. That’s why I prefer to walk the 136 kilometers of the Walk of Wisdom alone, and I’ve never felt lonely while walking alone.
Capuchin Monastery
The door is closed and it seems deserted. When I ring the bell, the door opens after a while. A cheerful volunteer welcomes me and takes me to my room in the annex. It’s a sober room, but the bed is okay and the heating heats up quickly so my clothes and shoes can dry. She shows me how to get to the dining room through the garden and pours me a cup of coffee. After this I have some time for a shower and make my bed.
At six o’clock we sit down at the table and I meet the two other people who are also staying here. An evening full of special stories, a delicious pumpkin stew with sweet potatoes, arugula, leek, bell pepper, bacon and smoked sausage. Salad and freshly baked bread with homemade herb butter. White chocolate mousse with strawberries and a cup of coffee. Just for the food and hospitality, you’ll want to stay here longer.
Breakfast is more like an Easter brunch and on every table is a bunch of cheerful daffodils. The volunteer who takes care of the breakfast is also very friendly and after an unexpectedly frank conversation with one of the other lodgers, who could use a helping hand, and a visit to the church of the monastery, I am another bird ring richer and leave in the rain, with poncho and a smile towards the dike.
The Pigeon House
After the hills, forests, heathland and meadows, there are now dikes and more meadows. For a moment I think I have missed a turn, but I turn out to be walking well and continue my route along the Maas towards Ravenstein. Here I cross the bridge to Niftrik because the foot ferry is not going yet and stop at Hotel Hoogeerd in Wijchen for lunch and a bird ring. I am the only guest, but glad to have eaten here because the next place appears to be closed. The last mile of that day brings me to the Kapelberg in Bergharen and the Stations of the Cross by artist Jac Maris, which I walk in the opposite direction, after which I ring the bell at the Duifhuis for the night.
What a lovely house and what a warm welcome just 150 meters from the route. In the converted barn with large dining table, fireplace and kitchen, I get a glass of wine poured and we eat endive stew. A lovely bright room with a large bed and down duvet ensures that I fall asleep quickly. An excellent breakfast and a thank you in the booklet of Friends on the Bike, before I put my backpack back on my back and put on my walking shoes.
A little later I walk into the nature reserve ‘t Elzend, which runs behind the Duifhuis. From the path I see Riet waving when I take a picture of the house. What a nice place this was and what a sweet and interesting people. I wave back as a final greeting and continue the path after which I leave Bergharen again.
Waal in sight
In Afferden I have lunch a short part of the route, at the Zandroos country shop, a tip from Riet. After a hot cup of soup, sandwich and hot tea, I battle the elements on the dike along the Waal towards Winssen and Ewijk. The wind is blowing quite a bit and it’s still raining lightly. I follow the walking route and a piece of clog path which actually comes down to sliding instead of walking, but I enjoy it. The cows don’t bother me and I don’t bother them. Along wheels or winds, breach holes in the dike that now form small pools with here and there a single dike house. Even in this gray weather, it looks idyllic.
In Winssen I walk into town for a cup of fresh mint tea before I walk the last bit to Ewijk, since I can only go there at the end of the afternoon. On the dike near Winssen is the temple of Huub and Adelheid Kortekaas, the makers of the symbol of the Walk of Walk of Wisdom, with the text in the floor: Every human being is a unique seed of Mother Earth. And that’s just the way it is. Walking brings people together, fraternized, regardless of origin, religion or culture. We are all walkers on the path of our own wisdom.
The next day I walk the last 12 kilometers to the Stevenskerk in the pouring rain, whistling happily. The wild horses are standing quietly with their butts against the wind when I glide past through the mud with a fluttering poncho and have to laugh. The horses neigh back. After a heavy hailstorm, I am wet through and through and my socks are soaking in my waterproof shoes that are no longer waterproof. I feel fit and look forward with confidence, with renewed energy, hopefully. Curious who or what will come my way. The outlook is positive.
At the bottom of the bridge De Oversteek, the water, as the last obstacle, is even above my ankles for a while, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The Stevens Church is in sight and with it the end of this pilgrimage. When I cross the Waal again via the railway bridge to the labyrinth on the Waalkade, the circle is complete and my thoughts are ordered. La boucle est bouclée, as they say so beautifully in French.
It doesn’t matter which path you choose, because in the end you will get where you need to be. The detour is more interesting than the highway and the outcome more important than the arrival.
See you again.
