A day out on the sprinter train

Sprinter trains in the Netherlands run between  the towns and cities, stopping at all stations.   They are the local commuter trains, designed for short to medium journeys, with easy boarding, wide doors and open carriages.   Perfect for people like Walter, with his walker.

We always use this train service to travel into Utrecht, 10 minutes away, but never thought to travel in the opposite direction.

The first day we used the sprinter to travel to the other side of Houten, Houten Castellum, for coffee and apple cake.      Not the best coffee or apple cake, too much sugar in the cake plus cream out of a can.  Well it is always cream out of a can here!  

On the next trip out we thought we would go as far as Geldermalsen, a couple of stops further along the line, and have a look around the town.

But not so, as the train stopped at the middle platform, and the lift was broken, which had been happening here often, and they don't get fixed straight away.   The lift in Houten did not work for a few months, not long ago.    If there is no lift, then people like Walter, with his walker, or people in wheelchairs, parents with children in prams and buggies, and people with bikes, cannot use the train service.   This is very limiting, as you can imagine.

So Walter was stuck on the middle platform, feeling very frustrated, while I quickly walked down the stairs to have a look around. 

A beautiful old railway station in Geldermalsen.

The edge of Geldermalsen was very pretty, with large houses and plenty of trees.   Interestingly the grass verges had dog poo scattered around, and it would appear that the locals here still maintained old ways, in that they did not pick up their doggy poo.   I kept to the path.

A very large and beautiful house and garden.   

A commuter town for sure.

Finally a train arrived, and we continued on to another town, called Tiel. The town is surrounded by three rivers, the Waal, the Linge, and the Amersterdam-Rhine Canal.

It also has a beautiful railway station.

                                         

It was quite a long walk into town.   We passed lots of lovely gardens, which helped quite a bit, and the beautiful old church below.    

The initial part of town was a little run down, and quite poor looking.   

Once we arrived at the city centre, with its old buildings and cafes we could feel quite a change in atmosphere.   Much cosier.     We ate lunch at the Hema (a popular department store) where we ate rolls filled with an unidentified sausage.   We managed to survive the lunch.

Tiel was chartered in 1200 AD, and is known for its medieval ports, and as a market town.   It became a member of the Hanseatic League, which was a powerful medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns of northwestern and central Europe.

It is now the centre of the fruit growing areas.

The town gate, with a museum beside it.

The pedestrian crossing which leads to the River Waal.

Walter taking a well earned rest.

A very small and cute electric car.

A little playfulness in the town.

Finally we slowly walked back to the train station.