2006-07-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Placed: June 2006
Location: Village of Mill, Netherlands
Status: Alive and Spinning!

Background

This box came to be through an excitedly written email we received from our friend, Koyote in VA. He and Mari had just finished making plans for a visit to the Netherlands in June of 2006. As is our custom since The End Gang moved from CT to VA many months ago, Koyote and I keep in touch via email on a somewhat regular basis.

Koyote offered to take a letterbox of ours and plant it in the Netherlands during their trip. Sue and I were so pleased that he would even offer that and this box was born. Thanks to Koyote and Mari for carrying this extra pinecone creation many miles to find a new home for it on foreign soil and for clueing the box as well. This box is dedicated to Koyote and our continuing friendship, though it be miles apart.

Directions

From Nijmegan, Holland, follow A73 south towards Beers and Cuijk.

Take exit 4 to Beers and N321. Right off ramp towards Beers to first stop light. Sign for Beers should be visible.

Take left into Beers (church will be on your left) and continue straight through town. This road is called Millseweg. You will remain on this road for a while through some beautiful Dutch country side.

The road will turn into Beerseweg and you will come to a point where the road bears sharply to the right past a farm. Just before this right, you should see a a brown archway that reads "Baren Donk." This will be a good landmark to let you know you are going in the right direction.

Continue on Beerseweg which will take you into the town of Mill. You should be able to spy a windmill of in the distance on the right side before you get to town.Upon entering the town of Mill you should notice a parking lot on the left. It is at the corner of Beerseweg and Groenedijk. Remember this spot, as you will need to return here to park.

Clues

Continue on Beerseweg towards town. You will quickly come to a round about which you will enter and take your first right onto Kaarstraat (You are now actually heading out of town almost parrallel to Beerseweg.)

Continue on Kaarstraat. You will see the windmill off to you left. Take a left onto Hoogveldseweg and a left onto Prinz Hendrikstraat.

The windmill is here. Stop and see the windmill, noting the number of star points at the center of the sail arms. No, not all windmills have the same starpoint. Remember that this is a private residence and you are in a neigborhood. Please be respectful.

Continue backdown Prinz Hendrikstraat to Hoogveldseweg. Take a right to Kaarstraat. Left on Kaarstraat and follow until you cross a small bridge over a small canal (PeelKanaal). There is a small parking spot for one car on the left just over the bridge. Park here.

Get out and look along the canal on both sides of the road. There are machine gun bunkers along the canal leftover from World War II. Count the number of Bunkers. Careful: one bunker is covered with overgrowth.

Get back in your car and return towards town on Kaarstraat. At the roundabout, go around and get back on Beerseweg and park in that parking lot at the corner of Beerseweg and Groenedijk. Note the street sign also includes a sign for "Aldendriel."

From the Parking lot, walk across Groenedijk onto Looierijweg. You are now entering a park with Aldendriel castle nearby on the left. The town church steeple will be visible off to your right. Stay on Looierijweg, passing Kasteelestraat on the left. You will be at the castle now. This is also a private residence though they rent out for weddings and private functions.

Count the number of moats.

Subtract the number of bunkers from the number of starpoints on the windmill.

Add the number of moats to get X.

Follow Looierijweg until you come to a bench on the left overlooking the castle. Just past the bench, on the left, find a long lost iron gate between two brick columns. From the road walk "X" steps towards the gate and stop. Turn left and look for some small vine covered trees that are grouped together about 2 to 3 feet in. You will be near the corner of one of the moats. Your treasue lies under some vine growth in the grouping of trees. Stamp in back at the bench and enjoy the castle view with the ducks and sheep nearby. The "castle" is more like a large estate mansion, but beautiful none the less.

Windmill