Etappe 9

Another day of walking lost to the rain, and by now we were definitely falling behind schedule. Thus, instead of hiking in, we drove straight to our overnight stop: Hof van Salland. Perfectly located on the Pieterpad, though sadly we were too far behind to really take advantage of starting the trail right from the hotel (we were past the refund period so there was no changing the location, not to self: don't try to book too much in advance). 

The hotel itself was fine. We stayed in the main hotel building rather than one of the houses, had a modest breakfast, and then drove in the morning to Ommen. From there it was a quick train ride to Hardenberg, where we finally started the next etappe.

This stage quickly became one of our favourites. Beautiful nature from start to finish, rolling forests and quiet paths with hardly anyone else around. 

However, there was almost nowhere to buy food along the trail, so once again we relied on Plenny shakes, plus a quick pie from a tiny place open in Rheeze, a small village a few kilometres from Ommen (this was not foundable in Google maps, but visible right at the entry to town).

I especially loved the hilly views and the atmosphere of the whole stretch. It felt remote, peaceful, and properly wild in places. All in all, a really good etappe, and one we both enjoyed far more than expected.

Lessons learned:

🚌 Transport tip: Very convenient, easy to go by without a car 

☕ Food tip: Pack your lunch

🌲 Mood: Beautiful!