We strolled through places I had never heard of, such as Joppe and Epse, with elegant country houses and extensive gardens surrounded by forests. Just past Epse, we entered the province of Overijssel and walked westwards to the flooded fields of the IJssel. Even on this dark day, the view over the floodplains was breathtaking. We saw the A1 and the bridge in the distance. Even though the water level was high, we could get to the other side of the highway. Before we hiked the last leg to the station, we decided to have that cup of coffee we wanted to drink earlier at McDonald’s.