you can sit down to enjoy the sand drift. Luckily there is no wind today
a persistent cloud refuses to budge to the sun. But the view remains nice
Honey fungus is bad news for trees: they attack the roots
we see our first mushrooms: a pait of common stinkhorn
a pine holds on to its position but the sand erodes its base
but soon we reach open territory
initially the trail leads through a forest
the sand dunes may reach a height of 20 meter, but not here
as Yogi Berra said: when you come to a fork in the road, take it
a carrion crow is looking for something edible
another perfect picture by Mother Nature
National Park de Loonse en Drunense Duinen
The National Park
The Loonse en Drunense Duinen features
sand drifts, heather shrubs, forests and a wet area with swamps and
lush meadows. The park is surrounded by cities and villages like Tilburg and 's Hertogenbosch.
The park is the result
of human activy.
In the early Middle Ages forests were chopped down for agriculture and pastureland.
Peat extraction created
marshes. When the population grew, overgrazing and sod-cutting created ever growing sand drifts.
Further damage was done In the
80
Years War, resulting in famine and depopulation.
The wind increased the sand drifts and created high dunes. Complete settlements were
swallowed by the advancing sands.
From the 18th century onwards pines and beach grass were planted to stop the erosion and reclaim
the grounds.
The sand drifts are among Europe's largest. Since the establishment of the park in 2002 the area is activity
managed to preserve and increase the drifts.
The park is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and horses alike.
We visited
in November 2020. Sunny skies were in the forecast but the clouds won. Fortunately we did spot many beautiful toadstools.
the park is surrounded by cities and villages
many trails start at restaurant De Rustende Jager, but due to COVID-19 there's only a takeout service
the Fly agaric is one of the most iconic toadstools. Eating them will make you sick
sand drifts, heather shrubs and pinesin the background, all in one picture
