Bergen op Zoom (1)

7 May 2015:  We completed our first week of hiking today in Bergen op Zoom, one of the biggest cities on the GR5.  Today was actually a very modest day:  Tholen, where we spent last night, is not far from Bergen op Zoom – and we did not even hike the whole route.  About an hour after we started, a passing motorist stopped and asked if we would like a lift.  Our "trail" was a paved bicycle path beside a highway and rain was threatening, so we sacrificed little of the hiking experience by accepting the invitation.  We enjoyed chatting with the driver, Pieter, and his daughter, Evelyn, as we drove on to Bergen op Zoom, and they joined us for coffee and appelgebak at a café upon arrival.  Very pleasant and interesting folks!

We have scheduled a rest day tomorrow in Bergen op Zoom.  We will visit the historical museum and do some shopping.  One of Mary's boots needs repair, which can be done here.  We also need to plan our itinerary for the next stage of the hike across Flanders.  It's a bit complicated, because there are not many hotels and B&Bs in the area.

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Tholen's harbor:

Our route from Tholen:

Pieter and his daughter Evelyn:

We're staying at an apartment, booked through airbnb, in the center of Bergen op Zoom, above a "Blokker" shop:

We enjoyed another Dutch specialty for lunch – pannekoeken met spek en kaas:

The church in Bergen op Zoom's Grote Markt: