When find yourself, slap-bang in the middle of The Netherlands (no jokes – Barneveld is really in the middle of the country), stop for lunch at Ina’s Eetkamer.

This was our first pit-stop from Schipol to our overnight stop in Hanover, Germany. The town of Barneveld is very conveniently located just off the A1, about an hour from the airport.

A bit about Barneveld: It is known for its egg production and poultry farming and one of the Dutch’s most popular breed of chicken, is named after the town…or the town was named after the chicken….

From hundreds of restaurants that came up when we searched for a place to eat and more importantly, to have some liquid refreshments, Ina’s was the place I decided on. Why? I cannot tell you….but when these kinda things happen, I just go with the old trusty gut feel.

The ‘eetkamer’ is owned and run by the magnificent, yup, you’ve guessed it: Ina. There are about thirty seats in the cosy dining room and plenty of seating outside, which was absolutely damn marvellous for us. Fresh air and sunshine after the crossing over Africa, was indeed welcomed and apart from possibly the best bitterballen in the world and plenty of tipple, best of all, I made a new friend.

Surrounded by happy bees pollinating the rose garden next to our table, sipping on a complimentary bottle of wine, Ina and I were able to cover a vast range of topics in the time that we visited. From travel, to plastic surgery, to mierentietjes (the most stunningly visual word I’ve heard in a long time).
Her, in her beautiful, descriptive Dutch and me in my sucky Afrikaans, peppered with English. I cringe when I think how bad my moedertaal has become!

It was a simply stupendous way for us to start our road trip and all the thanks goes to Ina and her generosity.

Ina, als je in Kaapstad bent, zal ik extatisch om uw gastheer te zijn en zou de mogelijkheid om uw warmte, openheid en vriendelijkheid terug te betalen waarderen.

Love & Light
xx