Kampen to Zwaartsluis via the Ganzendiep

The morning was pretty grey and overcast with a high cloud cover, but thankfully dry and an almost balmy 16 degrees. We cycled the 5 kms back down the river to Kampen, one of the cities on the Ijssel, on a lovely bike path next to the river. As it was Sunday, the roads were almost totally traffic free. 

The channel out of the Ganzendiep to the Zwaarte water. There is a vast stretch of water with a narrow 2km-long channel marked with green cones CLOSE to the reeds. Everywhere else is only 1/2m deep.

The exit out into the Zwaarte Water.

Gorgeous old ladies tied up alongside the wharf at Kampen. Many of them are now charter boats.

"Where are all the people?" we wondered as we rode into the town centre. Just then we could hear music coming from all directions and realised everyone was in church singing hymns. There were at least 4 churches around the centre and they must have all been pretty full judging by the volume. Just then, the doors opened and hundreds of people poured. Unlike much of the Uk, they seem to be well attended.

The Radhus, old town hall, with its leaning tower.

It was built in the 14th Century, so we'll forgive the tilt.

The old town is lovely with narrow streets lined with old buildings. The town was once ringed with protective walls, long gone, but three of the gates with their towers are still standing. We made it our mission to find them all.

Kampen's three city gates.

After a lovely cycle around the small lake just outside of town, dodging ducks and geese as we went, we headed back into the centre to a streetside cafe for lunch. Uitsmuiter sandwich (basically eggs and bacon on toast) for Clive and a healthy tuna salad for me.

Back aboard we headed up the Ganzendiep and out into the Zwarte Water for a couple of kms until we turned into the Drentsche Hoofvaart at Zwartsluis where we are tucked up next to a pretty bridge with a lovely pub. 

Moored up in Zwartsluis. This picture taken from the pretty bridge on our way to the pub 30m away.

You can just make out Zoe in the background.

Skip told me to order him a beer, so I did. 

:) :) :) I saw this on the menu and had to have it. Kwak, it's called, and it comes in this special glass, although a chap at the next table had to show us how to drink from it (we had it out of it's holder, at first).

My legs needed a stretch so I took a quick walk around the village. I came across a small cemetery with hebrew headstones and a pile of bouquets of flowers placed around a central monument. Curious I wandered over and found a list of about 20 names of, presumably, Zwartsluis residents, with dates of death in mid 1943 - place of death: Auschwitz.