After bicycling through Kessenich and the municipality of Kinrooi, I crossed the invisible border back into the Netherlands again and came to the town of Thorn.
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| Thorn is a town in the municipality of Maasgouw, in the Dutch province of Limburg. It lies on the Maas (Meuse) and Witbeek rivers. It is known as "the white village" for its white-washed brick houses in the center of town. The region was first a swamp near the Roman road between Maastricht and Nijmegen. It was drained and in 975 the Bishop of Utrecht ,Count Ansfried and his wife, Hereswint founded a Benedictine nunnery, the abbey of Thorn. The original convent soon changed its status to a religiously focused, but secular establishment in the 12th century. In Dutch, as well as in German, this type of institution is called a "Stift". At its peak, 20 female canons lived in the community, performing liturgical services. Vows were not required, and the Vatican was petitioned repeatedly to permit worldly dress. It took about two hundred years before the ladies would wear anything but black. This Stift was abolished after the French invasion in 1794 when the church was declared a property of the state. After the Vienna Congress, it became a municipality of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
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| The Daalstraat was so bumpy that I walked Silver. |
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| Neat white-washed brick buildings give the town a Mediterranean look and the streets are paved with cobblestones in mosaic patterns. The cobblestones that pave most of Thorn's streets are from the bottom of the river Meuse (Maas). The village exists because of the church. |
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| "Wij Houden van Oranje"---Dutch soccer fever--"We like the Orange team" |
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| Thorn Abbey or Imperial abbey of the Holy Roman Empire in what is now the Netherlands. St. Michael's Church is all that is left of the original abbey complex. Until the 12th century, the church was a Romanesque building of which the west part is the only remnant. In the middle of the 13th century, the church was rebuilt in Gothic style. Much renovation was carried out in the 14th and 15th centuries. Between 1860 and 1880 the church was thoroughly restored under the well known Dutch architect, Dr. P.J.H. Cuypers who also restored the Rijksmuseum and the Central Station in Amsterdam. |
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| The Pancake Baker Restaurant but it is too early for it to be open |
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| Thorner Sail Club |
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| Sluis (Lock) Panheel in the Wessem-Nederweert Canal in Heel |
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| The British Queen's Royal Regiment captured the Panheel Lock on November 14,1944, a prelude to the liberation of the Municipality of Heel. it as modernized in 1993. It deals with an 8 meter difference of water levels. |
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| Fun Beach Panheel |
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| Bicycling north, I came to the village of Grathem. It is located in Limburg in the municipality of Leudal , about 10 km. west of Roermond. The population is about 1,770. |
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| The garden of this home is stunningly beautiful and the decal of the racing car on the house is strange! |
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| Severinuskerk marks the end of the "Kerkplein" (church street) which is situated in the village center. Behind and beside the church is the cemetery. The still existing tower dates from the 12th or 13th century. |
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| In Grathem, I stopped at a square with some benches to have a snack and take off some of my outer clothes and I met 80 year old, Josephine, who was out on her electric bike. She is able to step into this bike easier than a normal bicycle so she is still able to ride. I am amazed during my travels in Europe about how many elderly people still ride bikes. That is GREAT! It makes for a healthier population. I gave Josephine my card even though she can't follow my blog because she does not have a computer. |
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| I was really tempted to eat some of these ripe cherries but since I didn't have permission, I refrained. I hope they get picked before the birds eat them. |
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| These red currants were also ripe and ready. |
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| Another shrine along the road. I know a person can pray anywhere to God BUT you don't need a shrine to do it. |
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| I stopped and asked a worker what is growing here. It is a strawberry field arranged so that the harvesters don't have to bend over to pick the strawberries. The netting is to keep away the birds and it also looks like there is a built-in irrigation system. SMART! |
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| He also explained that this was a field of raspberries that are all grown in individual pots and also with irrigation. |
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| The sign on this house as ""De Witte Huis" --The White House |
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| Close up--gladiolas |
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| A whole field of gladiolas being irrigated |
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