Giethorn

We spent the day in the small village of Giethorn where the homes can only be accessed by boat.  The area dates back to the 13th century when it became known for the best "peat" around.  The locals would cut the huge bales of peat out of the ground and it eventually left passages for the water to fill in.  The homes were then built on the solid dry ground. The peat bales was then dried and used as fuel to burn in their fireplaces and stoves.  The reeds were cut, stacked and dried and then used to thatch the roofs.  It became a great way for the people to support their families.  Many families still make their living the same way today.

We started the day off with rain but by the afternoon the sun came out and we enjoyed the good weather while puttering around in a small quiet boat.  We did take a few wrong turns but that made it more fun. 

Some of the bridges were a bit low so we had to duck but the ride was very peaceful and relaxing.

You simply could not live here without wearing wooden shoes throughout some of the gardens. 

Kim and Todd dried up enough to pose for me.

Ben is just heading over towards us just before we started out on our little boat excursion.