Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction. Faithless
By the end of November I finally had a full film in my camera. Developing it got me a series of photographs ranging from Colchester to Berkel-Enschot:
The 'dog leg' in the 2 mile lap in Colchester, August 2004. Walkers go up and down this path along the river 50 times in 24 hours on their 2004 Centurion race.
September 2004: the 40 km Wereldhavendagentocht in Rotterdam also crosses the Rotte area. This is a recreational area east of Rotterdam with several lakes, windmills and the river Rotte.
October 2004: the 60 km Herfstdagtocht in Berg en Dal is the last long distance for many Dutch walkers before the winter season. Early in the morning, in the hills east of Nijmegen, this view of the Ooijpolder shows the dense fog above the polder and river.
I walked part of the Herfstdagtocht (organized by the L.A.T.) with L.A.T.-member Martijn Biesmans. Here we walk close to the village of Malden, near Camp Heumensoord.
One of my favourite walking clubs is the AWV, who hosted a 40 km walk in Amstelveen. Their walk around Schiphol Amsterdam Airport and through this former Floriade (Dutch flower fair) park was very attractive.
Another walk in the autumn of 2004, the fourth 25 km RS'80 winter walk of this season. We started in Wassenaar (north of Den Haag) and walked in forests and through estates to Voorschoten and back.
The second R.W.V. 10 km racewalk this winter, in the Kralingse Bos. Pedro Huntjes and Marcel Bunschoten talking at the finish line, while judges wait for the next walker.
The Kralingse Bos is the main city park in Rotterdam. The R.W.V. has six 10 km racewalks here every winter on their regular 990 meter lap. When every racewalker has finished his or her 1, 3, 5 or 10 km some run another 5 km around the local recreational lake.
Before every race, there is an opportunity, especially for the younger walkers, to do some training exercises and an extensive warming-up. Ronald Maas is already slightly ahead of the group.
At the start and finish line, walkers prepare for their race. There is a tent to store clothes and warm tea and sometimes candy for after the race. In orange, to the left, Ewout van Wieringen.
Cees Lambregts, Theo Koenis and Marcel Bunschoten have already finished when Ad Leermakers, followed by Ernst Westerhof, crosses the finish line.
Doing four major Belgian walking events (100 km Turnhout, 100 km Bornem, twice 40 km Blankenberge and 50 km Kluisbergen) gets you invited to the Klavertje Vier prize ceremony. The amount of goodies was somewhat overwhelming and a good opportunity for the Belgians to make fun of their Dutch neighbours ("At least over here they get some stuff for free").
Centurion Vereniging Nederland, the Dutch branch of the Brotherhood of Centurions, had it's annual reunion in Oirschot, in the south of the Netherlands. The Centurions visited the La Trappe monastery in Berkel-Enschot, one of only six breweries in the world which produces official monastery 'Trappist' beer.
This contraption behind a tractor drove Centurions Constant Dedel, Hans Leendertse, Gerrit de Jong and Liewe Schol from Oirschot to Berkel-Enschot and back. The day ended with a small award ceremony and a barbecue
The day after all that beer and the barbecue several Centurions walked 25 km in the rain in Oosterbeek. Walking club the Zuidzoomers had a walk rich in nature, hills and mud in store for us. This is the Dunoplateau high above the river Rijn (Rhine).