Giethoorn, Netherlands

Our second stop for the day is the town of Giethoorn. Giethoorn is a mostly car-free village in the northeastern Dutch province of Overijssel. It's known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bicycle trails and centuries-old thatched-roof houses. It borders a section of the Weerribben-Wieden National Park, a marshy area once popular for peat and reed harvesting.

Yearly around 1 million people from all over the world come to visit the town of "no roads"', placing Giethoorn in the top 10 attractions in the Netherlands. The small islands are connected by 176 bridges to the mainland and the lovely thatched roof homes were built in the 17th and 18th centuries.

No roads means no cars so the only way to get around is by boat or walking and biking. Thankfully our tour today was by boat. Our guide was so informative and it was interesting learning about the traditions and the way of life here, in the past and present. One of the conditions of owning a place on the canals is that you agree to maintain a pretty garden so tourist can admire their property as they sail by. There were some beautiful gardens and even though the clouds had returned, we still go to admire what the home owners have done. Some had a sense of humour too with their garden decor.

The canals and lake here are only a metre deep and have all been handmade as people dug for peat for their fires. Once we exited the canal we sailed around the lake and got to see how expansive it actually it.

After our boat ride we had time to explore the town on foot before deciding to enjoy some warm food out of the cold wet weather. We got to try the local snack type foods including bitterballen, which are a Dutch meat-based snack. Made by making a very thick stew thickened with roux and beef stock and generously loaded with meat, the mix is refrigerated until it firms, then rolled into balls which then get breaded and fried. They are different and delicious.

It was a day trip and we got to enjoy the company of two American couples for the long bus ride. We swapped stories and had a great laugh, once we discovered we all had a similar sense of humour and liked to tease each other. It was a brilliant day. Made us miss our travelling buddies as it is a very different experience when you travel with friends. It was a fabulous tour, long but so worth it.Read more