Weather: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Lunch: 🥪🥪🥪🥪🥪 (5 out 5, we had a great lunchtour in Nijmegen. First empanadas at Gesha we went to for coffee and then at Downtown, where we had great sandwiches)
Track: 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱 (3 out of 5 nothing too special, exept for the kingsday decorations everywhere, but it was fun to walk into Nijmegen again)
Campsite: 🛌⛺🛌⛺🛌 (5 out 5, when your anticipated campsite becomes a bedroom with a good bed😅😁)
Name of followed trail: Grote rivierenpad (great rivers trail)
Special mention: Niels and Maartje, our scout friends who invited us to the scout centre of St Walrick. Thank you for the hospitality and good evening. It was good catching up again!
We pack the tent quickly when we wake up, so we soon become free breakfast eaters instead of free campers 😅.
After breakfast we start our 25 km walk to Nijmegen. We enjoy the walk through the villages which are all getting ready for Koningsdag (kings day) tomorrow. Orange flags and red, white and blue are everywhere. One of the villages seems to have a neighborhood competition on decorating the streets with gates. We say that the candy land street is definitely a winner, but reading the article we missed out on a few other good ones! https://www.gelderlander.nl/overbetuwe/na-tien-jaar-staan-er-weer-bogen-in-herveld-en-andelst-je-leert-je-buren-echt-kennen~a94daa72/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Because it’s early (and a Sunday) we find the shops and cafe’s closed when we pass. We get to Slijk-Ewijk and talk about our good memories of the Nijmegen marches, that also passes this village. This makes today an almost literal trip down memory lane.
Over halfway there we have a break and rest in the sunshine. The weather is good, but still cold in the shade.
We continue along the Waaldijk and pass a warmemorial honoring the Liberation Army in WW2 that crossed the Waal here as part of operation Market Garden. Later we understand that every evening at sunset, there is a march of honour across the bridge by soldiers. https://www.immaterieelerfgoed.nl/nl/sunsetmarch
From here we see Nijmegen and the Waalbrug lying in front of us, with just a few bridges to cross. When we get into Nijmegen, good coffee is the first priority. We go to Gesha, a great coffee place with really good empanadas. When you’re in Nijmegen do go there!
We continue the trail through the city centre of Nijmegen and have real lunch at Downtown brunch restaurant. Another tip; great sandwiches there!
We continue along the Waalkade and look at the Waalbrug, to us a symbol of the Nijmegen Marches. we decide to hike a little further to get our of the city centre, because tomorrow it will be packed with happy people dressed in orange..😅😅
We take the bus to the train station and from there to the scout centre where Maartje and Niels are waiting for us. They have a room for is in the scout hut, with a proper bed! Really sweet, because I thought we’d be pitching tent!
After a shower, we have a good time catching up. Good to be here!