WildflowerWeek21_02

It was not sunny at all, but AW and I went for a walk.  He wanted to show me trenches used not during WW1 but during the 80 Years' War way back in 1567.  I asked how he knew they were from that time and he said there are signs detailing the archaeological digging done at the site and showing the lay of the land at that time.  That made me very curious, indeed.

The site is a mere 2.5 km. or less from our house, and he discovered it during one of his walks while I was away on a hunt.  It's a small place, you'd miss it if you didn't know, and if you never walk there you wouldn't know at all.  There was even a map of Breda from that time, and it was interesting to note how much of the land was actually swamp.  Once you were outside the city centre, which was very small compared to how it is today, you had to deal with swamps.  Even where we live now was one large wetland.  Hard to imagine, but there was just so much water that had to be pumped out to drain the area.  So, yes, I saw the trench and took some shots, but due to cloudy weather the pictures aren't as sharp as I would have liked them to be, so I will return when the weather has improved again.

On the way back, we walked by a small, modern windmill that operates a sluice gate (no shots of that!), and then a small sluice gate further on that is still in use.  Two extras will show this to you, with AW in one of them to give an idea of size.   It is a very atmospheric spot, even romantic (as in Romantic-period romantic). Altogether about 5 km., maybe a little less.  Whatever it was, I was tired by the time we got back.  Maybe it was the fact that I had to pile on layers of clothing again, or perhaps it was the uneven terrain, but I took a 2-hour nap and AW woke me up for dinner.

This was shot during the walk for Miranda1008's challenge.  The route is actually very good if you're looking for wildflowers, and there are other things I spotted as well, in case I need an emergency shot.

A sharp drop in the temperature has been predicted for next week, with possibly some snow and a potential blizzard.  Fab for lockdown purposes but I still look forward to better weather afterwards.