A Daytrip to Nijmegen Page 3

Part Three:

The River Waal and its Bridge

Soon as I arrived by the river Waal I climbed the stairs up to this train, bike and footbridge to take a peek at the traffic bridge from this vantage point. The bridge carrying trucks and cars from Nijmegen to Arnhem (of "A Bridge Too Far" movie fame, see first page in this series). A lot of cargo also moves under this bridge, carrying trade between the Atlantic (at Rotterdam and other ports) and Germany.

From under the bridge it was also possible to look west:

I have always been told that my father was born in one of the houses in this area below the bridge, on the "Waalkade" the river-front. But it not one of the ones still standing, I have also been told. Nevertheless, we'll take a few looks at the neighborhood:

From near these houses, the bridge, and one very old fashioned ship, were sights to see:

AS I sort of mentioned in page one of this series, this location was a crucial battle ground in the end of the Second World War:

For some reason the north shore always looked inviting to me as a kid. Perhaps it was because there was a beach there! My older brother and I were always looking for a place to swim, but the river was strictly forbidden by our parents who knew how hard it was to come back to shore in a rapidly flowing river, so we settled for the rather placid canal instead (see last page in this series).