We made a spontaneous weekend trip to Delden, a small town in the East part of Holland (Overijssel/Twente). There are many historical places and Castles in this part of Holland and such pretty little towns like Delden. We did not walk so much in the centre and the shopping streets, we were more countryside orientated this time. The prettiest part was just wandering around the forest paths near the local Castle and make decisions where to turn, what path to take. Luckily it was not raining and we could have a lunch on a terrace at the Hotel and be outdoors the rest of the day.
Our children didn't like our plans for longer walks and didn't want to join us this time. A weekend by the grandmother was more inviting for them. The grandmother already had her two injections against covid-19 and feels now more free to meet the family members. Win win situation for everyone: more time to with the grandchildren for her and more time for the parents to do something together.
A famous Twickel castle is surrounded with a huge green area of parks and old farming areas (4300 hectares). The farmers were in old times renting their land from the owners of a castle. The castle grew from a house (family Twickelo bought the original house in 1347) to a castle during the generations of Twickelo family. The last private owner (Marie Barones van Heeckeren van Wassenaer) brought the castle with the estate under the rule of Twickle Foundation, but she decided that someone had to live in the castle and it had to stay as a central point of a dynamic country estate. At the moment there is also a family living, keeping the historical place connected to our time.
You can visit the park and admire the architecture and all the interesting plants. There is a visiting centre with a nice museum shop and also a kitchen garden near the castle. It is possible to buy vegetables, fruit, flowers and plants from the kitchen garden twice a week.
 |
| Such a nice park around the castle. |
 |
 |
| Oranjerie, a winter storage for citrus trees. |
 |
| a map of the castle gardens. |
 |
| Idyllic houses in beautiful environment. |
We passed the old North Mill during our afternoon walk. The mill is over 650 years old and the volunteers are now taking care of this beautiful spot. When the mill is open, it is possible to watch the mill "working" and see how the flour is made. We will come back to this area in other season and learn some more about the history. The museums were closed during our visit, but slowly the cultural places are getting open to audience again.
A view from our evening snack terrace. The beautiful old town house of Delden to admire on the opposite side.
Snacks in town in the evening and a elegant breakfast in our room in the morning.
Our Hotel was a little bit side from the centre, but the green areas were near. We did not mind a little walking and admiring the local houses and gardens.
 |
| Our Hotel with restaurant. |
 |
| The forests were full of rododendrons. |
I was enthousiast about our small trip. I really liked some of the old farm houses we saw. The typical black and white colors of the wooden parts around the windows are showing these houses belong to the estate of Twickel. It would have been nice to see those houses from the inside as well. It was an inspiring weekend and I almost wanted to move to the countryside.
 |
| Peaceful walking paths around the estate. |
 |
| the Water tower |
 |
| A big fallen tree near the Castle. |
It is getting easier to travel and see places. I will soon get my first covid injection and the second one just before I'm visiting my family in Finland this summer.
I am glad the restaurants, not just the terraces, will be open on 5th of June. The museums and cinemas, theaters and other attractions will be open again. It will be more inspring to visit some sights, towns and nature areas as well. We can be more free and plan a little bit ahead or just enjoy the moment and what's possible right now. The high school kids can also go to school every day for these last few weeks before the summer holiday, they just have to do a covid test at home twice a week (if they want). It is nice, but there is also some extra pressure with the last testweek coming. It will be sunny and clear during the next, few days. Looking forward to have a picnic in the sun and meet some friends.
