A BIRCH TOO FAR One of the pleasures of planning walks in the early Boots and Bowtie days using the old (read “paper”) topographic maps was spotting the symbol which according to the map legend indicated a “remarkable tree”. This would mean a tree that conspicuously differs from the ones around it, or is in
Belgium has once again led the way in introducing a brilliant new idea: point-to-point walking. They’ve had bike “knooppunten” for years, and recently began to make routes for walkers, based on numbered signs, an online map, and the possibility of devising and printing your own walk. Here in the Netherlands we’re busy catching up, and
One of the unintended benefits of staying closer to home since March of this year (2020) has been a better acquaintance with Utrecht’s many trees. In all frankness, we didn’t recognize many different species, until having read Peter Wohlleben’s “The hidden life of trees”, and afterwards Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Overstory”. We became curious
Mrs. Boots and Mr. Bowtie are two ex-pat Americans passionate about walking and food. Having settled in the Netherlands over twenty years ago, they set out to explore and discover all the finest dining and hiking the region had to offer. They aim to guide their readers with thoughtful, detailed and accessible descriptions of a variety of rambles through the Benelux, informed by local history and culture.
Read the Boots and Bowtie Manifesto.