It still feels pretty unreal but it looks like it is about to begin. We are in Leeuwarden and have just come from Arcadia where we had the informal kickoff. Sjoerd Bootsma of Arcadia kicked off and positioned Circle4Change as the logical follow-up to Bosk. As yet another impossible and “idiotic” action, but oh so necessary in these times. Then I briefly outlined our challenge based on the presentation I gave last Monday evening in Kortrijk, because everyone who was there actually already knew the story.
It was a day of ‘a thousand’ things, as it goes before you leave for an extended period of time, and that is actually true for the last few days, or better yet, the last few weeks. But it looks like we can really start tomorrow after all.
Left Amsterdam this morning, picked up Sanne, and around eight o’clock we were already driving across the Afsluitdijk. After picking up the boom-bike at the municipal yard on Orionweg with Floris, Rose and Richard we did a test with the drone, and then cycled the boom-bike with Margret to the Oldehoofsterkerkhof and parked it at the municipality. Meanwhile, the big map arrived at Arcadia and the newsletter was also sent out. So everyone is aware of our start. Great everyone and I am talking about our team: Sanne, Richard, Daan, Rose, Floris, Rosalie and Margret, everyone has his own tasks. We had a lovely meal together in our stay at the Jabix House. Went over tomorrow’s day, quite a logistical puzzle, and also loaded up all the cars for the most part so it will all work out tomorrow morning. Good night.
Fri April 11
From the beautiful little idyllic village of Ie with a full moon on the church tower, we look back on a fantastic first day. ‘It giet oan’ they say in fries. At half past eight we stood on the Oldehoofsterkerkhof explaining the map, drone tests, interview with Buma, etc. The sky was blue the sun was shining brightly, what a beautiful day to start the Tour. With all present in a circle around the map, Buma and Sjoerd told about the importance of Bosk for Leeuwarden and Arcadia, and they wished us a great trip. Because this “crazy” project, too, is bound to succeed. After a few laps around the map we cycled with I think 50 people, with Sybrand Buma in the lead, along the road to the Groningerstraatweg where we planted 16 trees in a circle. Thanks to the municipality for the trees and preparation. The first beginnings of what may become the first birthday forest. Leeuwarden has the scoop! Geertje van Hooijdonk and Ernestine Meyer from the LVVN ministry were also there. And Foppe, and Eric and Han, and Hilbert, and Linda, and Ilse, and Vincent, and Martine, and many others. Very nice. We ended the planting ritual with singing together led by Amarins, again in a circle. And then the time came, no escape. We set off, about 30 people I estimate, in the direction of Ie, about 35 km, waved goodbye by Buma and Lisa the children’s mayor, among others, who made a beautiful wish for the future, before she planted her tree.
It’s really unreal and I fortunately don’t realize it yet, partly due to fatigue, but we are really cycling, we have started! The tree still needs some getting used to, and so do I. Especially maneuvering between the low branches of the existing trees requires quite a bit of focus. Sanne keeps track of the route on Komoot, which is nice, I don’t have to pay attention to that. Linda takes us to an elementary school in Oensjerk, where a six-year-old child has her birthday today. All children on the square, and of course she gets a birthday tree, the 2nd one we hand out today. We still have to learn that system because we have to average 50 a day. The battery lasts about 20 km, then we change the battery, but that seemed easier than it was. The new battery did nothing at all. I call Luuk from Cargo Cycling for advice, but he can’t figure it out either. Fortunately we have another battery and it works. Great. We are now just before Damswoude, after 20 km, where we take a break on the sun terrace at restaurant het Kruispunt. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed. What do you want with this beautiful weather on April 11. Probably it will rain the whole month of May? We wait and see. With Foppe in front we cycle on to Ie, through loose villages, or what passes for them, and Frisian meadows with few trees, another 15 km or so. Along the way, Richard’s drone regularly flies with us and we also regularly see Floris standing by the side of the road with a camera.
Around four o’clock we receive a warm welcome at the elementary school in Ie. After a short speech by the director of the school, Matthijs ter Bork, director of IVN Noord, takes the floor and draws attention to the importance of education, also about trees and about the relationship we as humans can have with them, and about inspiration in fact. I responded by taking it with me as an assignment during our tour. We’re going to pay attention to it!
After that we visit the Flax Museum and get a fascinating story about the mound on which the church is built, from about 400 BC. Talk about history and long-term thinking. We have a drink at the “pump station” and celebrate that we made it through the first day. Margret also stopped by and brought along leaflets and other prints that were delivered to Arcadia today via Theo. We say goodbye to yet another number of people, including Rose and Margret, and the six of us (Sanne, Daan, Rosalie, Richard and Floris) have dinner at the ‘Herberg’ a village down the road, Westergeast. Everyone is pretty tired and hungry, as lunch was not enough. After dinner we go through the logistics of tomorrow, a nice puzzle because we sleep in two locations, Floris and Richard stay in Westergeast to spot the filmed material and the rest goes back to Ie, 10 minutes apart. In Ie it is a bit of a search for the cottage where we sleep but we find it, with the help of the full moon. We put all the batteries on the charger, check the mails, have a quick look for a way to organize all the luggage in the cars and end the day. It was beautiful. On to tomorrow.