We had our first win with Bronte the dog today!!! Took her on her usual walk around the hyda this morning and managed to avoid all the puddles!!! We did miss her consuming some doggie delicacy though which she then proceeded to throw up – gross. The comparison between small and large dogs is huge especially when it comes to their dumpage rates. Bronte puts out in one dumpage effort that Toque and Maples do in a week.
We then took advantage of the cloudy but dry weather to take the bikes for their first long distance spin. We are very fortunate as the area we are staying has a lot of park land with many bike tracks. We opted to bike around to see three castles – well that is what they call them but they are more like stately homes.
We would let you know the names but they are unspellable and unpronounceable. Talking to Mark the neighbour next door, he was telling us that as a Dutch person he cannot understand what the Dutch who live in the north are saying, so that gives you an indication as to how difficult this language is.
This particular place is more an exhibition hall.
On our ride we came across what is called the Needle of Waterloo. It was in recognition of the Dutch and English beating Napoleon at Waterloo and the battle of Quatre Bras. It was after these battles that the Netherlands commenced the process towards becoming independent.
BUT, it is not about the battles we are interested in telling you about but what was written on the memorial. A plethora of verbose hyperbole. In case you are unable to read this we will transcribe it for you.
In grateful remembrance of the heroic exertions of William Frederic George Lewis Prince of Orange under whose auspicious command the troops of the Netherlands in the glorious field of Quatre Bras, repulsed with unbounded fortitude the fierce and persevering efforts of the public enemy and prepared the way for the triumphant and decisive victory of Waterloo by which our natural independence was finally established the King and people of the Netherlands have erected this monument.
We are very taken with the effort that the Dutch put into their cycle path system and the detail that they go into.
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