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12-Sep-2010 -- My first Degree Confluence experience was in 2001. Together with my eldest son, a fanatic GPS-user, we visited 52° N 6° E near Velp in our country The Netherlands. Today’s visit is my 50th unique visit to a confluence point. All my CP’s are located in Western Europe, very often selected as a target of opportunity during business trips and holidays.

I asked my son to accompany me to Zichem in Belgium. He lives close to Eindhoven in The Netherlands which is only 60 km NE of the CP. Due to a lot of small roads, roadwork’s, deviations, a portion of Belgium french fries and rain it took us about 2 ½ hour to reach the Steenweg Diest / Breedeveldstraat. (Thanks to the previous visitors for the advice). The car was parked at a minor parking lot about 100 m in the direction of Zichem.

It stopped raining; I changed my shoes for boots and we walked without any problem in 15 minutes to the CP as can be seen by the blue dots at the GoogleEarth image. The Confluence is in the rough vegetation at the left of the image. It looked like another confluence hunter made his/hers all-zero-dance before us. The GPS showed the 5+5 zero display at an estimated position error of 5-m. Father and son celebrated this special visit with a photograph.

The North, East, South and West view gives a good impression of the area.

The four photographs combined were taken at the numbered camera symbols in the map; the lines indicate the direction. Quart 2 pictures the river Demer; quart 3 shows several cars and umbrellas of people angling in the pond.

The green balloon close to camera 4 marks the Tower of the Virgins, the remains of a fortified tower of the 14-century. This is our next goal. Instead of returning to the car and taking the convenient footpath we went cross-country. The tower was wrapped in constructors’ material, waiting for restoration. The other green balloon marks “De Craenenburgh”, an early 17th century farm. Until the Steenweg Diest was constructed this farm was protected by a moat; part of it can be seen in real and at the map.

Back home we celebrated the 8th anniversary of my grandson Yvo. Despite the rain it was a lovely day.