Day 03: Giethoorn, Holland.
We thought last night couldn’t have got any better. In a prime location, for free, with little road traffic noise and not many people around. Just as we began to settle for the night…
…frogs.
Ever heard a frog at night? If you haven’t, all you need to know is that they’re relentless and bloody noisy. Nat did suggest throwing bleach over them, I think she was joking, but then maybe she wasn’t.
Todays agenda was to empty our black water tank. Which is water collected from both sinks and the shower. IT’s been warm and there may have been some stagnant water left over, which STINKS. Thankfully it absolutely poured it down as we began our drive so I just popped open the cap slightly and let the water drain as we drove.
We wanted to visit the village of Giethoorn. Situated in Northern Holland and about 90 minutes drive from where we stayed last night. After a nice and steady drive down Holland’s 6 and 7 landed motorway, we’d arrived.
We’re staying at a campsite tonight just for convenience and mainly because the village of Giethoorn is a car free village.
Dutch Venice: Giethoorn.
This village is so peaceful, charming and beautiful that it hardly seems real. Almost something created out of a fairytale, like Hobbiton.
It’s car free so you can only access here by boat, bike or walking. Which makes walking around this quaint little village all that more surreal.
With over 100 bridges connecting houses, crossing the canal and connecting tea rooms and coffee shops this makes for a great day for exploring.
It’s really hard to put into words at how beautiful this place is. Often I get worried about visiting somewhere like this with so much hype and talk around it’s beauty. Worried that I’ll feel underwhelmed and like it’s been over beautified. However, this place really is incredible.
Each house is beautifully unique with its incredibly kept gardens, sleeping ducks, thatched roofs and wonderfully crafted wooded windows. With each having its own little wooden bridge connecting it to the Main Street and over the canal.
With boats passing, bird song aloud and ducks going about their own business it would be easy to sit besides the canal and watch the whole day go by.
As always if you want this place to be quiet, calm and without many other people you’re best of coming early morning or after 6PM. When we re visited this afternoon is was incredibly peaceful and it seemed strange that real people live in these houses!
Mowing their lawns, sitting in the garden, having BBQ’s and generally just going about their day as anyone else would. Couldn’t put my finger on it, but because this place looks so movie like, you almost expect these houses to be prop houses and not actually supporting functioning lives!
Another Thunderstorm.
Since our last tour and being at home we’ve encountered quite the number of thunderstorms. Proper ones too. Big bolts of lightening, cracking thunder and rain that makes you worry about leaks. Well, today was no different.
No sooner had we got back in the van from the scorching evening heat the skies changed. Deep rumbles in the distance followed by bolts of lightening being sent down by Thor. Within a few minutes it was right over the campsite and the rain was as thunderous as the thunder!
Luckily we’re cooped up with a good evening meal and some more danish pastries.
Tomorrow we’ll likely leave Holland and head for Germany or Denmark, depending on how far we travel. We’re really itching to get further North and seem some wilderness and mountains. Although, I’m not sure how I feel about that now after I’d realised I’ve packed nothing but shorts this time round…
Tonights camping location: Giethoorn, Holland. (CamperContact: Click here)