Camping

I went on my first official camping trip this week. It’s typical for many Europeans to utilize camping as a form of travel over hotels (and more conventional American methods). Once summer hits, Europe is flooded with campers, hikers and tourists. From East to West, there are masses of camping sites spread throughout the continent. We joined the culture of holidaymakers by camping in Zeeland this weekend. We bought our first tent and associated camping gear, such as a grill, small kitchen table, chairs, and bed. Acquiring our own camping gear allows us to take vacations without paying exorbitant fees/costs. It was the first time either of us camped without our family. Our first excursion intended to “test” the camping experience by remaining in familiar area within the Netherlands.

Zeeland is located two hours south of our house, next to the Dutch/Belgian border. Part of our family is located in the area, and spent part of our trip with us. We saw almost all of our family during our visit. We ate veggies with our camping meals that were grown in my mother-in-law’s garden, and went canoeing with my sister-in-law. Our camping site was located on farmland converted into a camping business by a local farmer. A large lake stood across the road, allowing for people to participate in water sports or swim. The region is semi-wild and one of the nicer areas of the Netherlands. We have been there many times to visit family, but camping locally gave us a new experience with Zeeland. It was beautiful. Since this trip succeed, our next holiday will likely be outside the Netherlands.