A visit to my mum on wednesday. My mum Nelly and her husband Jan, who live in Leusden. It’s an hour by train from Rotterdam. Usually they pick me up at the train station with the car, but this time i was going for a walk. Beforehand i checked the map and saw it was around 5 to 6 kilometers from Amersfoort to Leusden. An hours walk.
I took the train around 10 from Rotterdam. In Amersfoort i started walking. I knew which way i had to go, but i wasn’t looking at all the street names to see if i was going right. I went through the Vlasakkerweg and the Bergstraat past the centre of Amersfoort. At a roundabout i saw the bike roadsign with the name Leusden on it, happy i went through a lovely street with old houses. I walked past the Albert Cuijpstraat. Then i came to a large roundabout with like 6 streets going from it and with lotsa work going on. On one lantern i saw the bike road sign with Leusden on it. The problem was that it was pointed to one of the streets on the roundabout, i just didn’t know which one.
I took a chance and walked into one of the streets. Midway that street it was completely broken up and there were signs no bicycles were going through, so i went to a side street called the Bosweg. I got a feeling i wasn’t walking in the right direction anymore. At a bus station with a map i tried to find where i was. An older man walked past and i asked him how i should walk to Leusden. Yeah, i had to turn around, go through the works going on, which should be possible and follow the signs there leading me to Leusden.
I went through streets named after gemstones. The Emerald street. The Diamond way. The Sapphire street.
I turned on the Dorresteinseweg. That is not a gemstone, it’s a name. The street wasn’t named after a single Dorrestein though, else it would have the first name too. I walked past some nice houses and saw that it was a dead end, but not for bikes and walkers. At the end were some flats the Eemgaarde.
I walked further on the biking path and saw a tunnel under the freeway. I had to pass the freeway to get to Leusden, so i took it.
The road went on. Suddenly i was out of the city of Amersfoort and in the countryside. Behind me the cars speeding. In the fields besides the small road sheep and lambs were lying about, eating a bit, some asleep. At the turn a forest started. I stood there reading the signs, thinking what would be the quickest way to get to my mum. I asked a man who walked behind me and who was planning to go into the forest. He said he was going for a special walk in there. He said that if i wanted to get to Leusden quickly, i should walk past the road, than a bit besides a small freeway and then enter Leusden. I followed his advice. It was a pleasant walk, on sort of a broad path beside the road. I wasn’t sure it was a path to be honest. It was walkable though.
I crossed a small bridge and saw the freeway further on. I followed the mans advice and walked past the way on the bike path. Later on, when i showed my mum how i walked, i saw that it was shorter to cross the freeway and walk over the Burgemeester de Beaufortweg. On the other hand, i would have missed walking the Lisidunalaan and going on the footpath besides the water. The footpath was lined with elderflowers. Ducks were on the path and in the water besides. It felt like a magical path in the midst of Leusden.
I turned on the Burgemeester de Beaufortweg and ended up in the shopping-centre De Biezenkamp. I knew i was close, but i didn’t know exactly where my parents house was. I walked on, started to recognize a bit of the surroundings and there it was!
It did take me around an hour and a half to walk. I didn’t walk the planned route, but i didn’t mind that. I do enjoy the walking. Even though i was red faced and a bit sweaty when i arrived at my mum’s.
You can see the map after the read more link.
I didn’t make any photos this walk. All the more reason to try and describe my walk as best as i can.
Read more…
