Katie found a likely looking ride on our map, titled something like "Discover Brook Valley from Windmill to Castle", and we rode it yesterday. Maybe 25 miles? Will never know exactly because we got lost twice, so can't figure out exact mileage.
I'm a huge fan of the knoopunt (node) system: numbered points on the map and in actual locations, with directional signs from each to all other directly accessible knoopunts. What can go wrong with such an elegant system? How can you get lost? Well, elegant as the system is, it depends on two things. The number signs from the map must actually exist at the physical route junctions, and they must be located where they are supposed to be.
Sometimes it doesn't happen that way. Not often, but sometimes. On this route, it's possible that the installation crew finished the job late on a Friday afternoon, after a few beers and a spliff at lunch. So errors were made in the installations.
First time, we "found" ourselves and got back on track. Second time was pretty hopeless, we might be out there still if a good samaritan hadn't stopped his car, considered the situation, and led us directly to a spot we could rejoin the correct route. Nice guy, even if he was pretty brazenly much more interested in helping Katie than helping me. (Who can blame him?)
So here is the coolest thing about the ride. On the map in very tiniest possible type it said "Kasteelmuseum Heeswijk"... hard to spot. Then access itself was really remote and kind of weird. You had to find a tiny bike path, ride down it, then turn down an even tinier one. So you approach this castle through a countryside path rather than a road... it is like cycling up to Camelot or something. Imagine a castle rising from fields and woods, with not even a jet contrail in the sky to let you know you are in the 21st century rather than the 12th.
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| First view -- cycling in the 12th century? |
Rather than recount the castle's history, I'll
link to a description and post some photos.
Couple things to call out about the visit that made me particularly happy. First, an actual spyhole just like in the movies! Enabled you to look down unobserved from a stairway into a dining room below. Very cool. You can see the school kids also loved it. Second, check out the circular steps in the castle's oldest tower. Finally... I was kind of bummed on Monday when we discovered the "family with rats" diorama had been removed from the Biesbosch museum, so you can only imagine how happy I was to discover a mummified rat in a baggy in one of the display cases here! For all I know, it might be the same guy. Nice to know he has been made part of the collection, which was otherwise really 'medieval upscale'.
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| Kids and spyhole |
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| Spyhole |
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| Spyhole view |
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| Tower stairs |
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| My friend from the Biesbosch museum? |
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| Approaching castle by path |
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| Castle Heeswijk |
I'm a huge fan of the knoopunt (node) system: numbered points on the map and in actual locations, with directional signs from each to all other directly accessible knoopunts. What can go wrong with such an elegant system? How can you get lost? Well, elegant as the system is, it depends on two things. The number signs from the map must actually exist at the physical route junctions, and they must be located where they are supposed to be.
The tower stairs must have been installed after the time when fights took place with hand weapons. In mid-evil and older castles staircases were spiraling counter clockwise. This gave the defense the advantage of using their right hand unrestricted.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting and makes sense. Yet they say this tower was medieval construction. Strange. Maybe the original owner was a lefty? Or maybe they believed that attackers would never get inside the castle so there would never be fighting on the stairs?
ReplyDelete