The Netherlands by Trains, Buses, Bicycles, and Boats (Part 3)

 

By: Bob Boyer

 

Our last adventures in the Netherlands were as exciting as the first. The earlier adventures included canals, museums, and the Ann Frank House in Amsterdam (see October “VIA Times”) and the International Court of Justice at the Hague (see December “VIA Times”). In those cases, getting there was a large part of the fun. The same held true for our final adventures, the “Pilgrimage to Berne Abbey” and “Bicycling the Trails.”

Pilgrimage to Berne Abbey: When our contact, the Norbertine Abbot Denis Hendrickx, invited us, he said simply, “Arrive at 10:00 in the morning.” Such precise timing surprised me. I had told the Abbot that we would be coming by public transportation from Delft, and Berne Abbey was off the beaten path. When I checked with the Tourist Information Office, the agent explained that we would take two trains and a bus and then walk about a half kilometer. The information made me still more skeptical, but with typical Dutch confidence, she assured me that if we got the train at 7:30 a.m., we would arrive at our destination two and a half hours later. Thanks to the extraordinary train system—frequent and on time—and the friendly, helpful, English-conversant Dutch travelers, we arrived at the front door of the Abbey in two and half hours (and three minutes). It was a smooth, pleasant trip. We were there, the Mother Abbey of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, Wisconsin, which is connected to St. Norbert College. My wife is an SNC alum, and I taught there for 36 years. This was a homecoming of sorts.

Abbot Denis, a businessman and politician before answering his late vocation call to the Norbertine Order, greeted us: “This is our morning break. Welcome.” For the better part of two hours and two pots of coffee, the Abbot fielded our questions with careful and colorful detail. We learned that the historically progressive Catholic Church in the Netherlands was becoming more conservative. The Dutch Norbertines, however, remained true to their more liberal roots. Abbot Denis’s predecessor had protested vocally against attacks on gays and lesbians. The Mass we attended at noon was inviting, and even included some prompts for the two Americans.

After Mass and a hearty noon meal (clearly the main meal), Abbot Denis gave us a tour of the Abbey buildings and grounds. He left us with the recommendation to “visit the library” and pointed the way. In Europe, “library” means book/gift store. We bought some greeting cards and a bottle of monastic wine to support the Mother Abbey.

Bicycling the Trails”: The Netherlands has literally thousands of kilometers of bicycle trails, which was one of the big attractions for us. We had planned for two days of biking, but one was rained out by a heavy rain, reminiscent of a Philippines monsoon. Still the one full day was unforgettable.

Here are just glimpses from my notes on the first part of the ride: “new varieties (many) of birds, ducks with their babies trailing behind, pairs of swans larger than any we’ve ever seen before, billowy clouds and windmills, and more windmills. In the countryside people speak less English. Lunch at a dockside restaurant (menu in Dutch) with fresh-baked bread and fresh fish. Needed to take a short ferry with our bikes aboard to be able to continue on the bike path.”

The ferry dropped us off within sight of our homeward trail. We should have had no difficulty finding our way, but we got so engrossed in the idyllic countryside and waterways, that we managed to lose each other and our ways. Even getting lost and finding our separate paths back had its up-side. We each got to meet a few other bikers when we flagged them down for directions. My wife said she was a bit nervous at first being by herself, but she now enjoys relating the story of how she got back before I did. When she arrived at our small hotel, the young woman at the desk told her that I had called and was on my way. “Looks like you beat him.” Dutch women, as I mentioned earlier in this series, remind me of Filipinas.