ON THE ROUTE
PINK WEDNESDAY
‘That 4Days Marches feeling kicks in on Wednesday’
In photo: Bas van Waarde
Blue Tuesday is the warm-up. Pink Wednesday is when the 4Days Marches really gets going. Bas van Waarde knows that like no other. A 36-year-old teacher and beekeeper from Otterlo, Bas will be walking for the thirteenth time this year, and when asked which day touches him the most deeply, he doesn’t have to think long. ‘Pink Wednesday is when everyone gets to be themselves. I’m thinking about all those people who are afraid to do that in real life. That day feels like a mini pilgrimage. You let go of all your social preoccupations. How much money you make, what kind of car you drive, where you live, none of that matters. What remains is the person next to you.’ It is a day that holds a deeper meaning for many: feeling seen and daring to be yourself. Bas will take you on a tour of the highlights of Pink Wednesday.
1. Sint-Annastraat, Nijmegen
Bas gets up at 04.00 hrs. The kitchen at Ron and Jacqueline’s, the couple he’s been staying with on Sint-Annastraat during the 4Days Marches for the past thirteen years, is still dark when he tries to get his breakfast down. ‘You basically don’t want to eat anything at all. But you know: if I don’t get any food down now, I’ll get in trouble later.’ At the start, the first spectacle awaits: students who’ve been up half the night. High fives, forming gateways with their arms, lifting up walkers, handing out beers. ‘Some of them join us for a bit, but they generally only manage about 50 metres.’ Among the walkers, there’s still a deathly silence. Pink Wednesday is about to start.
2. Wijchen
Passing the stunning Hatertse Vennen wetlands, the route leads to Wijchen. One of the highlights of the week. With the historic Wijchen Castle as a landmark on the route, the ‘magic mile’ starts in the town centre, made up of a succession of cheers and festivities, where walkers move to the beat of the music. That’s the secret of the 4Days Marches: hacking your brain with small moments to look forward to. ‘If you don’t have those to look forward to, your mind will only be on the pain in your legs and the kilometres still ahead of you.’
‘It’s a celebration of freedom. Anything is possible and allowed here, and everyone can be themselves’
3. The villages of Beuningen and Weurt
The 4Days Marches passes many villages. Compared to the city of Nijmegen, there’s a distinctly different feel to the route there. In villages such as Beuningen and Weurt, they have really got the party started when the walkers arrive, with children lining the route handing out colouring pages and the odd little rascal who has got their water pistol out. ‘As a 36-year-old grown man, I wouldn’t be so quick to shoot back. However, during the 4Days Marches, no one would bat an eyelid if you did get out your own water pistol and shoot back.’ It is precisely what Pink Wednesday is all about: daring to do things you would otherwise not do. ‘When Pink Wednesday comes around, you still have energy to dance, to go a bit crazy. You bring out your inner child. The more you let yourself go, the more you enjoy it. Let loose. The day is yours.’
4. Along the River Waal, heading home to Nijmegen
On the way back to Nijmegen, you walk along the River Waal. Then you turn the corner and see the eateries and festivities. ‘Walking past them while you’re already almost completely done in is always rather intense.’ Those final kilometres are a vicious circle of conflicting emotions. ‘You badly want it to be over. But you also don’t want it to ever be over. Your feet are screaming. So is your head. And yet, you keep taking those final steps towards the city.’
5. Hertogstraat, Nijmegen
Once you make it to Nijmegen, walking along Hertogstraat, the party kicks off and you instantly forget how exhausted you are. Drag queens dancing in cages along the route. ‘That’s always one of the greatest moments for me. As you walk past, you instantly feel it: this is Pink Wednesday.’ This is the day you can be who you are, in all your colours. Tough guys wearing flamingo costumes, walkers in pink tutus, everyone’s pushing boundaries. Anyone not wearing pink is soon helped out. Bas carried a bag full of pink bracelets with him for years. ‘You don’t formally call someone out for not wearing pink, but you still make sure they’ve got something pink to wear. The sillier, the better.
A city where people come together
Even as far back as in Roman times, Nijmegen was a city where people flocked from far and wide. Noviomagus was home and workplace to an eclectic mix of people, ranging from Romans and the local Batavians to newcomers from other Germanic tribes and even people from Asia Minor and Africa. Their customs and crafts existed side by side in everyday life in the city. There is a clear link between then and now: on Pink Wednesday, everything turns pink as a sign of freedom, visibility, inclusion and acceptance, as the city celebrates in its own distinct way that everyone can be themselves.
