Jacob van Lennep route, Part 35 (Utrecht - Gorinchem from April 1 to September 31)

Not happy
On Saturday morning, August 16, Van Lennep goes straight to the post office. He finds nine letters:"Reading them cheered me up.\\\" Later that day, Van Lennep and Van Hogendorp visit many acquaintances. "We were constantly being sent from one to the other," writes Van Lennep, who clearly does not feel happy.

Utrecht is flourishing
On Sunday mornings the young men skip Mass. They spend their time writing letters. They also explore the part of Utrecht within the city walls. The city center makes a gloomy and melancholy impression on Van Lennep. Yet, according to him, the city is flourishing at that time like no other in the Netherlands. He mentions the flourishing university, the large garrison and the court as causes.

Thiefdijk
The next day, Van Lennep and Van Hogendorp pay a "disgracefully expensive bill" to the innkeeper and take the barge. Not towards the west, but surprisingly south towards Vianen. In the eighth TV episode, Geert Mak expresses the suspicion that the young men probably wanted to stop their journey, but continued anyway at the urgent request of father Van Hogendorp. In the Vijfheerenlanden they turn right at Everdingen onto the Diesdijk. This is probably the medieval Diefdijk, which was strengthened in 1824 so that it could be integrated into the New Dutch Waterline. Asperen does not appeal to Van Lennep:"It looks miserably dilapidated.\\\" And yet the rich farmers here bred horses for which buyers even came from Paris. After another expensive overnight stay (this time in Leerdam) they walk to Gorinchem.

There are two ferries on this route. Foot-bicycle ferry Vrevia does not sail on Sundays from November 1 to March 31.

The Carolinge bicycle and pedestrian ferry does not operate between October 1 and April 1. From junction 37 you drive directly to junction 39.

Floor sources
-Jakob van Lennep," The summer of 1823": part 3, chapter 4.
-Geert Mak, The summer of 1823 as a television series : episode 9.
-Maya Schepers, The summer of 1823 as a radio series : episode 8.