Burgundy enjoyment in Altena

In addition to the meal of bread, a pitcher of beer always used to appear on the table. Beer kept longer and was much cleaner than drinking water. Can't imagine anything about that now. In the Land of Altena there were many breweries. And what did you need then to brew a good beer? Hops!

Hops were grown in this area in so-called hop pits and led up along high poles. In order to reintroduce these old hop pits into today's landscape, an organization with knowledge and expertise has been deployed. In more than 15 locations you can now encounter hop stakes. I discovered one myself, right next to the mill.

The golden and fizzy beer is still a beloved beverage. Hans Anton was already brewing beer as a hobby. When the opportunity arose, he decided to start a beer brewery together with his brother. The plan was to do so in a shed, but it soon turned out to be too small. An old and dilapidated farmhouse came their way. A substantial renovation later and Magistraat was a reality.

When someone mentions salmon fishing, I immediately think of Woudrichem. Not surprisingly, because the river used to be bursting with salmon. The coat of arms of 'Woerkum' has two salmon for a reason. The fish were caught and towed to the harbor on salmon steamers. After the river polluted and fish stocks declined, there was also less fishing. The harbor silted up and turned into a sandy beach.

To give the river more room at high tide, the historic harbor was excavated and restored in the late 1990s. There are jetties for passers-by, as well as a restaurant and wharf area. Floating on the water you will find the wharf barn D'n Hûig. Much less known than the Fisheries Museum, but this barn can also be visited.

A homely feeling immediately overwhelms me when I step inside. The wooden workshop is furnished with large workbenches and in the middle of the room are two masts on trestles. It is clear that this workshop is functional as well as museum. The walls are covered with all kinds of tools and implements. Store hooks hang neatly sorted under a long shelf that almost bends under the weight of an array of old ship's lamps. In one corner, a stone blacksmith shop is set up. Along the ceiling I can see the bellows used to get the fire up to heat; the anvil stands next to it. "Yes indeed," says Arjan (board member Historische Haven) to my question if these are used. Anyone who needs it for ship maintenance can use it with us.

Arjan goes through a door I had not yet seen. Behind it turns out to be a kitchen that was completely custom-made after examples from the old days. Soft green cabinet doors, tiles with Old Dutch motifs and a wood stove to keep things warm in winter. After chatting together at the table, he asked if I thought it would be a good idea to go for a boat ride. I am always up for a boat ride. Fortunately it has just turned dry outside.

Before turning into the harbor, we moor at the jetty in front of Woudrichem's Rijkswal. The fishermen greet us and show us some small fish they caught. We ourselves go to eat a fish at Wiljo Struik's fish cart. After years on the water as a fisherman, he now has a thriving fish business. When I ask what is eaten most locally, I am told it is the baked gurnard. Wiljo prepares one for us, crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside.

It is also cozy, everyone knows each other. A passing barge is the subject of conversation. "Owned by family," says an elderly lady who is waiting her turn. Oh yes, I've often been on that. Superb. Now it has been sold and has a different name and owner. That's how it goes on the water."

The burgundian life is still very much on the surface, although everyone gives it their own interpretation. It is no longer about abundance and heavily laden tables. The trick is in the love and focus on small moments of enjoyment. For some, that means creating a beautiful loaf of bread together with local entrepreneurs with full attention. For another, it means enjoying a home-brewed beer or taking a barge out on the water.