Sunday July 13 , 2014
Ultrecht to Wijk bij Duurstede   (most "J's are silent in the Dutch language)
The city was founded by the Romans in 47 AD, this comes into play later.  Both the long and short loops started together with a slow ride through town  The town is quiet on Sunday mornings.  Stopped a few times most notably at a really old, huge church.  Pictures to follow when I get home.  At this church which took 200 years to build,has an inscribed rock  about  4 ft x 4 ft as a gift from Denmark  It was carved in 960 and give in the 1930's.  Also of interest is the fact that there is a burial in the church square of some 17 gay men who were killed for their "sin" of being gay back in the 1930's.  Then out into the country to tour an old fort.  It was initially built as a part of a "water defense system" which could flood miles and miles of ground to knee deep depth to stop advancing armies.  The system was started in 1815 so it did have some uses.  The fort itself was used in World War II, now it is a part of a park..  Just out front of the old fort is a wooden watch tower, a replica of the one built by the Roman army back in the 800's  Off again to view a rather unusual site, a pyramid that was built by Napolian's army.  They were there for about twenty years and became board so the generals decided to build a sod pyramid.  Continued on to an old castle with a moat.  a field away was the stone watch tower.  Then for a stop for icecream and on to the barge.

 This church was built by the Catholic Spanish invaders, later becoming a Protestant Church, now maintained (as most huge buildings) by the national government

 The carved rock as stated above.

 A fort just outside Utrecht that was a part of the "Water Defense Line"  It did work to keep out solders wearing armor or/on horses.  The whole system protected many provinces.

 Napolian's Generals thought this sod pyramid was a good idea.

 Above is an old castle, now privately owned, and below is the watch tower  located several hundred meters away.

 The windmill located on Wijk bij Duurstede's entrance gate.  The town was fought over by the Frisians, Franks and finally the Vikings in the 9th century.  It was an important city back then.