  Starting in Pelt at probably the strangest looking public toilets I've ever seen, the descend of the Dommel is a very rustic event. There is a commercial kayak outfit where you can rent kayaks but the best time to kayak is when the Dommel is closed off for commercial use. Meaning when waterlevels are to low or high, but like always act responsibly, if it's impossible to kayak, please don't.
Pretty soon you paddle through the Plateaux-Hageven, a very pretty nature reserve, here the river is back in its old meanders and given a free reign to mold the landscape as it flows. Being very quiet here pays off,maybe you can spot the kingfisher who is lurking in the bushes. A beautiful, small and agile bird you got to be fast with your camera. A flash of blue and orange, accompanied by a high, shrill tweet is usually what you see and hear.  Cows are freely wandering about, dipping their tummies in the refreshing water on this glorious summer day. The river slips quietly out of the nature reserve and into The Netherlands. It keeps its natural flow and meanders throught its lush green mini valley until it's been used to power the Venbergse molen. Now it is a restaurant with a nice terras but it's been one of the oldest known watermills in western Europe, dating back to 1227 AD. Being the end of the commercial kayak route, it is a nice place to conclude this first impression of this beautiful river.
0 Comments
|
