Crossing the Zuiderzeepad with food for thought

Gate: José Van der Wegen Friday December 17th 10:28 a.m. – 2021

PUTTE – Arie Haasnoot and his partner Johanna Jacobs from Putte are avid walkers and they make a pilgrimage almost every year. But due to COVID-19 this was not possible in 2020, so they took a trip on the Zuiderzeepad. In her new book “Pilgrimers between lockdowns”, Arie shares the experiences of this trip.

Arie has already written two other books on the pilgrimages they have made. His first book “Paradise Beneath Our Feet” was on the journey from Canterbury to Rome and the second book on the Norwegian Olavspad. “In fact, it was not the intention to walk on the Zuiderzeepad, but due to the pandemic it was not possible to make pilgrimages to well-known European destinations.” At the start of the pandemic, Johanne and Arie stayed in New Zealand for a walking holiday. “We actually wanted to go to Australia, but we couldn’t go there anymore. We decided to buy new tickets and ended up with the last plane from New Zealand to the Netherlands. “

Road

Upon their return to the Netherlands, Johanna and Arie entered quarantine. “We then read a lot and discussed what we would do with our annual pilgrimage. We actually wanted to complete the GR5 partly already covered from Hoek van Holland to Nice. But we didn’t dare to travel to France, so we opted for a trip to our own country, the Zuiderzeepad. Although the route on the Zuiderzeepad is actually a long walk, it has become a kind of pilgrimage for Johanna and Arie. “If you walk for weeks at a time, you disconnect from everyday life. You have great conversations, you get a different makeup, you meet other people, but you are also more lost in your thoughts. As you walk, you also start to look at yourself critically.

Confinement

The trip on the Zuiderzeepad has become one with many challenges and limitations for both walkers. “We started the tour in Enkhuizen with a heat wave that lasted for days. In Amsterdam, Johanna fell and injured her calf. As a result, we had to interrupt the trip. After a six-week hiatus, the two hit the road again, but finding a place to stay proved very difficult. “Hotels often wanted to book a minimum of two nights and it was almost impossible to stay with people because people, rightly so, were taking no chances. In addition, the Netherlands was also crowded, because of all the people who stayed in their own country. They eventually found refuge in the Frisian town of Lemmer, but that’s where the new lockdown stood in their way. “After November, the weather improved a bit and then we were able to continue, returning to Enkhuizen as the end point. We really got through the blockages. The impact this pilgrimage has had on Arie and Johanna is greater than they expected. “The pandemic makes you realize that nothing is taken for granted. The world seemed limitless, but what are we really doing as a society? We’ve been pushing our limits for years, including ourselves, but what are the consequences? I am concerned about the growing tension in society.

Pilgrimage Between Containment is available at Primera Putte and Primera Hoogerheide and in bookstores for 19.95 euros. ISBN 978-94-6443-090-5.