Travel Tips

In medieval times here used to be a monastry. In between the village of Oosterbeek and the slowly but steadily growing city of Arnhem. The monastry got destroyed, but as the years turned by on it's ruines a mansion was built and a rich family of blue blood settled on the estate of Mariëndaal. The family possessed wide lands around their new home. Part of it was lended to farmers and became agricultural fields and arable land. Others were foresty and kept that way. Yet in the direct vicinity of the house one created a parklike setting with a spring-creek dug from a well.

In the 19th century the estate was crossed by the railway from Amsterdam to Arnhem and on to Germany (Köln). Nice annecdote is that the owner of the land was difficult to cinvince of the necesity to lay tracks here. Eventually it would be done on a dike and ... (so says the contract) ... when the landlord rose the flag, the passing trains had to stop to let him or his familymembers on the train to travel either East or Westwards.
Around the centurychange the last landlord gave the orders to built the most romantic secret in Arnhem vicinity "De Groene Bedstee" (translated something like a "green bedcloset"). A hedgecorridor of curly trees, hundreds of meters long and climbing up and down a hill. A magnificent and unique feature of gardening architecture.

Beginning of the 20st century it became increasingly difficult to maintain such expensive estate and parts were sold off to farmers that used the land as agricultural ground. Later the mansion slowly decayed and in the war it was temperarely a house for the Nazi occupiing forces. Heavily damaged in the second worldwar it was left to it's grieves after the second worldwar until Blgg (bedrijfslaboratorium voor grond en gewasonderzoek = laboratory for soil and cropresearch) settled in and expended outside the view of the parkvisitors. The park and it's surrounding forestry and land came in the hands of the "Geldersch landschap" (foundation of Gelderland landscapes). Now it is one of the finest and least visited parks in Arnhem (as it is actually on the border with Oosterbeek).

Blgg, my company, is a agricultural laboratory that offers full service to it's clients in a growing segment of the Dutch and now also European market. It started out as a foundation, but grew out to be the leading laboratory in it's fields. Soil (fertilising), crop and manure research were the starters, but now more specific research is done in the field of microbiology, nutrients in as well feed- as food-sectors of agricultural and industry.
Blgg is not only in Oosterbeek but now also has activities from Naaldwijk (near The Hague), Sint-Katelijne-Waver (Belgium), Parchim (Eastern Germany), Denmark and Almeria (Spain).

In 1999 I started out as being secretarial administrative employee and quickly developped my specialities in the internal communicative activities. Intranet and telecommunications were two items that I took in hand and made more efficient then ever before. The a reorganisation swept this department of the Blgg-map and I was transfered to the communications-department. Here I am working now in a growing external communicative way. Blgg Belgium has become my "child" in way of advertising and promoting Blgg. Intranet has grown up and daily activities on the department floor are done by me (from writing articles to keeping the various bulletins, brochures and PR-material in order and stock. Most time I however spend in organising promotional activities "in the field", like presentation on exhibitions and bourses.

Every morning is different and on Mariendaal one can see the seasons change very accurately. Trees and nature shows fresh green in spring, full folliage in summer, wonderful colours in autumn and with a little luck a white tappistry in wintertime. My most beloved time is April / May, when all the Rodondedrons are showing their bright coloured flowers.