De Biesbosch

Trip Start Sep 30, 2011

Trip End Oct 30, 2011

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Flag of Netherlands De Biesbosch National Park, North Brabant, Netherlands
Monday, October 3, 2011

It's not a holiday unless there's rowing, so we set out for Biesbosch National Park which is a network of islands, streams and rivers full of reeds and willows. Theoretically a freshwater tidal area it is changing now that the Delta Project has prevented the tides reaching inland. We hired a four person row boat - with badly balanced wooden oars - and spent the afternoon rowing and picnicing with S entertained us all and slept occasionally.

I was struck by the extent of human intervention in a National Park, the river banks are all obviously hand built rock walls, there is constant river traffic hauling freight, and the whole water flow has been altered by the Delta project and locks at the river mouths. Not to mention the rather ominous, but actually coal and biomass fed, Amer powerstation towering over it.

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