Sommelsdijk | What a day and what an experience. Priceless!
Saturday, August 29th, was the day of my Ambulance Wish ride. I was really looking forward to it. I didn't know what to expect, but the most beautiful dreams came true.
Jolanda and Debbie were the accompanying driver and nurse. A photographer also came along. They arrived at a quarter to ten. What an enthusiastic team. We clicked immediately, too.
I was given a mascot, which was Mario. He had to be in every photo. This collector's item is only for the wish recipient, and I had to take good care of it.
The wish request: From Sommelsdijk towards Alblasserdam, along the water to Kinderdijk.
Drink a cappuccino there.
If we can take a quick look at the windmills there, we can continue along the Lekdijk via Streefkerk and Groot Ammers, possibly through Nieuwpoort.
Via Ottoland, Bleskensgraaf, Vuilendam, Brandwijk along the water, where I used to fish and ride my racing bike.
I would also like to drive past this one: The historic farm 't Hoogh (or 't Hoog) is located in Slingeland (Giessenburg) in the Alblasserwaard. This location is the historic ancestral site from 1687 where the family name Van 't Hoog originated after tenant farmers settled here, and is considered the homeland for a large part of the family of the same name.
I would also like to go to Giessenburg.
We would like to have lunch with our family. Ideas for restaurants: De Krom in Oud Alblas, Het Wapen van Alblasserdam, 't Wingerds Hof in Wijngaarden, Het Posthuijs in Groot Ammers.
Lunch is with 6 children aged 2 to 10. Number of adults: 10.
After that, I want to drive to the “head of the country” in Dordrecht and then on to Sommelsdijk.
On our way from Sommelsdijk, we first made a stop in Kinderdijk for a cappuccino. What cooperation and a fantastic gesture from party center De Klok. We were offered the coffee with apple pie for free.
We wanted to have lunch with all the children and grandchildren at the Posthuis in Groot-Ammers. The children and grandchildren arrived there at 12:30.
The ride was very comfortable and I must say the ladies really made the difference. Enthusiastic and very sociable. I was in charge and they handled it. What stars!
I used to cycle a lot in the Alblasserwaard because I lived in Dordrecht.
Upon arriving in Groot-Ammers, we were met there by our children, grandchildren, sister, and brother-in-law. What a welcome!! We were able to go inside with the stretcher, and afterwards I sat at the table in my wheelchair. What a celebration that was. All the children and grandchildren and the sister and brother-in-law. Our sister and brother-in-law are always there for us and do so much for us; they were part of the family. We have three sons, and they all have a partner and two children who are very fond of Grandpa.
Our son Marijn had tracked down and bought the same racing bike from back then, a Gazelle Tour de l'Avenir, in Amsterdam—second-hand, of course. How nice that was; it was indeed exactly the same one!
We had a delicious meal and a lovely chat. For our 35th wedding anniversary, we received a bottle of wine from 1982, the year we got married. A Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe.
I opened this and, miraculously, it was still good. I didn't drink any of the wine, as I no longer consume alcohol. With the fantastic cooperation of the owner of the Posthuis, who decanted the wine into a beautiful carafe. We then toasted together, and the adults in the company enjoyed the wine.
We stayed at the Posthuis in Groot Ammers until four o'clock. What a fantastic restaurant; we were taken very well taken care of with great dedication and kind efforts. And, we had a delicious meal there; highly recommended. Afterwards, we went for the tour and the children headed home. And what enthusiastic guidance from Debbie and Jolanda. We laughed a lot; it was worth its weight in gold, I hadn't thought it would be so amazing. I lay comfortably on the stretcher in the ambulance and could rest and look around, how wonderful.
I really wanted to visit a farm near Giessenburg, where the name van 't Hoog comes from. My grandfather's name was van 't Hoog. In 1687, Bastiaan Gijsbert settled there as a tenant farmer. Interestingly, one of my baptismal names is Gijsbert.
At the farm, driver Jolanda drove onto the yard without batting an eyelid and jumped out of the car, looking for the owner. How amazing was that!!
I went out into the yard and checked if anyone was home. That turned out to be the case, and we chatted there for a bit; that was so cool.
Here is another photo of the house from the real estate agent. It is a national monument, and a long time ago, a monastery once stood here.
Next, we drove via Gorinchem and Werkendam to the Kop van 't Land. There, we just managed to catch the ferry to Dordrecht. Great idea, Jolanda!!! It was already 6 o'clock by then.
I said I was in the mood for fries. The girls knew of a really good snack bar in Sterrenburg, so we headed there. And guess what, they wheeled me right into the snack bar on the stretcher; with a bit of help from some men from the bar, we lifted the stretcher over the threshold.
We ate delicious fries with mayo and a veal croquette. And what a lovely gesture, we were offered a free and delicious ice cream. Very tasty.
Then back home and we were back by half past eight. What a day and what an experience. Priceless. Girls, thank you so much!!! But also many thanks to the people behind the scenes, the planners, and everyone who works on this voluntarily. And not to forget, a huge thank you to the sponsors. I cannot describe what it meant to us; tears certainly flowed, but it was all wonderful.
Photos from the photographer are still coming; she took 1500. So amazing, thank you so much!!
Once again, thank you so much. People, if you are in a situation with cancer, consider this option. They make all the difference for you on a day like this.
KUDOS!!!!!!!
The staff of Ambulancewens volunteer their time to fulfill a wish. They voluntarily gave up their precious time to make a wonderful day a reality for us. We found this to be very special and valuable. We have great respect for this and are so grateful to the staff of the Ambulancewens foundation.
Berco and Els
