Diary of the GR5 Walk in 1999

Today, I plan to walk 17 km to Herkingen and then take a bus to a hotel at Middelharnis. Breakfast is as good as yesterday. Moreover, the waitress is chatty and is very interested in the details of my walk.

Armed with a brochure containing hotels in Holland, I start to plan for the section of the walk up to Bergen op Zoom. I ask the waitress to telephone ahead and book a room for me at the hotel in Middelharnis. Also, before setting off, I ask her to translate the part in my topo-gid the deals with buses. Just as well because she informs me that the bus I planned to take does not run on Sunday. The plan is already a shambles! It seems that I will need to walk about 6 km from Herkingen to reach the hotel. But I can also leave the track 4 km early to reach the hotel by a different route and this sounds a more reasonable approach.

The first 7.5 km are along a track between the Zeedijk and a lake, Slikken van Flakkee. Mostly this is between high vegetation and it is a very quiet walk. It is along this section that I meet the first fellow backpacker. As we pass, I notice he has only a daypack. We must have both been taken by surprise to see someone else on the track. Some meters later we both turn around to acknowledge each other and then move on hardly missing a step.

The next section is about 6 km along the Diederikse Zeedijk. There is no path as I walk along the top of the dyke, in grass knee deep and scaring numerous nests of pheasants that are as surprised as me to meet each other.

My feet are holding out well and I am really enjoying trundling along this section. I finish the entire 13.5 km in about 4 hours and arrive at a camping ground where I rest and enjoy a cold Coke. From here, the plan is to leave the track and walk to Middelharnis, which I expect to be no more than 6 km away. However, I have no map of this area and only a vague idea of the direction in which I should head.

I start off by almost retracing my steps about 1 km albeit along a different dyke. From the directions I get from a couple of cyclists, I turn right 3 km from the campground through one town, right at the water tower. Altogether, they tell me, no more than 11 or 12 km! That would total 25 km for the day. I can already feel the blisters complaining and the pain from the chaffing that will be there by the end of this journey.

My plan was to pace myself each day so that I start the next day in slightly better condition. This extra distance is not going to help. Well enough moaning I tell myself, just start walking. I reach the first town and am asked by a few people where I am heading. Then a motorist stops and offers me a lift. "Where are you going?", I inquire. "Middelharnis" is the reply and I can�t get my backpack into the car quick enough. Since this is a detour, I don�t feel the least bit guilty about taking any transport that becomes available. My only rule is that I must walk the entire GR5.

My chauffeur drops me off at the hotel after taking me on a scenic tour of the town. Again, after a long hot soaking shower, I start to feel good again. 19 km today and I feel no worse for wear. This town has a small harbour for expensive yachts and they come in all shapes and sizes. The largest is a luxurious craft that must have cost millions.