Snert
On the 5th of November it was time for the annual Snertjourney to celebrate the end of the season. Now you are probably wondering what ‘snert’ is. Snert is a Dutch version of Pea Soup (read wiki). Snert normally is associated with bad weather and winter. But on this day it was beautiful weather. A BBQ would have been more appropriate. In the morning I finally could pick up my kayak at the shop after it went away for reparations.
At 15.00 we began at the local water with 15 boats. Both kayaks as canoes. Always a beautiful sight when a group op kayaks and canoes are on the water. After a good paddle it was time to eat snert. Afther snert it was time for a tradition within this tradition. Honorary member mister Giel tells a story. As it was a good story I want to share it with you.
Mister Giel and his wife went on holiday to Scotland, while eating at the local pub the met other canoe paddlers and where invited for a paddle. Mister Giel and his wife did not have any gear with them and do not like fast flowing rivers but that was no problem. It would be a nice paddle and the local couple would bring extra gear and canoe. The next day mister Giel and his wife where wondering why the canoes where so robust as they would go on a nice and calm paddle.. While paddling the locals told mister Giel to stay behind them at all times. Another mystery, but mister Giel decided to just follow orders. After a while the locals seem to fall of the earth. There was a ledge they had to go over. One that would drop your canoe. Mister Giel and his wife decided to follow and went over the ledge, but very carefully. After doing so mister Giel decided he wanted to take the ledge again but now in a more sporty manner. Now they understood why the canoes had to be robust.
After the paddle both couples returned to the pub and there it seemed this adventure was one the locals took tourist on very often so they could mock on them in the evening. Well, mister Giel doesn’t like to be mocked so he told the Scottish locals a nice story: ‘Very long ago there was a Scotsman that went to the Netherlands. There he drank Jenever, or as you might know it Holland gin or Dutch gin, (wiki) and he was hooked immediatly. When he had to return to Scotland he decided to build his own Jenever distillery. Years passed but he never could create Jenever. He never came further then making whiskey.’ Only seconds later mister Giel was thrown out of the pub!
Two other pictures from the Snert journey.
Het water op
Varen, varen ...
