{"id":557,"date":"2015-07-06T20:11:58","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T20:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=557"},"modified":"2015-07-06T20:11:58","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T20:11:58","slug":"apeldoorn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=557","title":{"rendered":"APELDOORN"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday 12 June<\/p>\n

We left Amsterdam, \u00a03 days were really enough to see the sights and experience the atmosphere.\u00a0 We headed off to Apeldoorn where we were to meet up with some of my friend Carmen\u2019s family members \u2013 her Uncle and Aunt Herman and Els and her cousin Marion and her partner Michel (Michael in English).\u00a0 We stayed at a camping ground which was similar to wild camping about 10kms west of Apeldoorn in a place called Assel.\u00a0 This is a beautiful woodland forest area which is part of the kings palace area.\u00a0 The camping ground didn\u2019t have any electricity which made us thankful we have gas to run the fridge on.\u00a0 What a beautiful secluded peaceful area.\u00a0 They have these portable fire dishes which you can move to your campsite and light an open fire in them.\u00a0 There is lots of wood around in the forest or you can pay for some.\u00a0 On the Friday night Carmen\u2019s family happened to be camping beside our spot in the ground which was quite funny as we didn\u2019t let them know who we were when they arrived.\u00a0 We waited until her cousin and partner had arrived and then surprised them.\u00a0 We joined them for a drink around the fire which was lovely.\u00a0 The next day we had a coffee at a caf\u00e9 that is close by near the railway line.\u00a0 There is nothing really in Assel but everyone comes here to bike through the forest paths as it is lovely and peaceful.\u00a0 The caf\u00e9 survives I think by these bikers who pass by stopping for lunch or a coffee etc.\u00a0 The train runs through here quite often from Apeldoorn or further out to Amsterdam and beyond.\u00a0 They come through regularly at about 130km\/hr.<\/p>\n

On Saturday we biked with Herman and Els the 10km into Apeldoorn for a BBQ for Marions birthday and for their house they recently moved into.\u00a0 What a treat for us to be invited into a family\u2019s get together with lovely food and great company- we felt very privileged and welcomed.\u00a0 It was so nice to be included in something on the other side of the world after it being just us for the last couple of months.\u00a0 We biked back in the last of the daylight around 10pm.<\/p>\n

On Sunday we said goodbye to Herman and Els and then biked back into Apeldoorn with Marion to join them for a Sunday session at a local bar where there was a band playing and we met their friend Martinique.\u00a0 Marion treated us to some Bitter Balls, which is a deep fried dutch snack \u2013 a bit difficult to explain what it\u2019s like, but is very nice.\u00a0 We also had deep fried cheese balls plus other snacks.\u00a0 Just yummy.\u00a0 After a few drinks there we went to an Irish bar where we had further drinks and some frites.\u00a0 We were having such a good time, and the fact that it doesn\u2019t get dark till late, we didn\u2019t leave until 11.30pm.\u00a0 We had to push bike back on our own in the dark \u2013 the 10km back to the campsite.\u00a0 The bike path is quite narrow and goes through a pitch black forest.\u00a0 Even though we had done this the day before in daylight, it was still quite creepy.\u00a0 Luckily I had a small torch taped to my handlebars so I could see a little in front of me.\u00a0 At one point Scot, who was behind me, said \u2018I can hear something rustling in the bushes beside us\u2019.\u00a0 I told him I didn\u2019t want to know what he could hear as it freaked me out thinking something was in the bush beside us.\u00a0 And a couple of minutes later all of a sudden two deer jumped out of the bush and crossed just in front of us and scared the shit out of me.\u00a0 There are a lot of deer in these woods as well as wart hogs \u2013 which you don\u2019t want to meet on a dark night!\u00a0 The wart hogs come out at night and dig along the side of the paths or roads looking for food in the soil.\u00a0 This looks like a digger has come along and turned the soil over ready for planting.\u00a0 We crossed the train line a bit after this and just as we had gone across a train came through \u2013 also a bit freaky in the dark of the night.\u00a0 Anyway we got home safely.<\/p>\n

Monday came and we were going to leave but this place was so peaceful and we had wanted to light a fire the night before but it was too late so we decided to stay another night and have a fire to cook our tea on.<\/p>\n

During the day we walked up to the cemetery near by which we had heard was really lovely.\u00a0 That was correct \u2013 it was a different place.\u00a0 Instead of just a whole lot of orderly concrete gravesites it was inside a heavily treed area with lots of plants and flowers.\u00a0 The gravesites were just medium sized rocks with names and dates and were quite modest in nature but were often planted around with flowers or had burning candles there.\u00a0 It was a very serene and restful place.\u00a0 You need to look at this place in perspective of where it is located \u2013 surrounded by acres of forest land with only a couple or so houses nearby.\u00a0 It is a long way from the town.<\/p>\n

We also drove into town to buy a whole lot of supplies of non perishable things as well as a few fresh things plus alcohol to stock up on before we head up to Scandinavia.\u00a0 Better to have a few cheaper things in store and avoid some of the greater expense of that part of the world.<\/p>\n

We cooked salmon and potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli on the fire which was just so lovely.\u00a0 Nothing tastes quite like fire cooked food.\u00a0 We had bought marshmallows to toast as well.<\/p>\n

Tuesday 16th<\/sup><\/p>\n

Bad news arrived and we had to prepare to leave on Wednesday and fly back to Dunedin.\u00a0 The news was that my mother may not last the night and all the family had flown over.\u00a0 What an agonising decision we had to make \u2013 whether we could or would make the trip or not.\u00a0 Luckily we had stayed the extra night near Apeldoorn which is an hour by train from Amsterdam Airport or we wouldn\u2019t have been able to go.\u00a0 We also were able to leave the van in a safe location at the campsite and had Michel and Marion to help us with plans and get us to and from the train.\u00a0 We were so grateful to them for all their help, especially since I was so distressed and not thinking that clearly.<\/p>\n

We flew out the following morning.<\/p>\n