Cycle route At home with Toon
Sittard, Geleen
"Without love, everything makes no sense, then you are as poor as the street.... But with love lies all beginnings, never is it too late... This is a place to love, a place and a country to love." Toon Hermans Theatre-maker, poet, singer, painter and life artist Toon Hermans was born Antoine Gerard Theodore Hermans in Sittard, Limburg, on 17 December 1916. He had a good start; the second of five sons of a Sittard bank director, he grew up in Villa Zomerlust at 10 Parklaan. Until the bank, where his father was director, went bankrupt, due to a mistake by his father and he lost his job. The family moved to a small house at Begijnenhofstraat 5 in the centre of Sittard. When Toon turned 12, his father died and the family fell further into poverty. Unfortunately, Villa Zomerlust was completely demolished in 1987; a model of the villa should still be found in the Domeinen archives. The house on Begijnenhofstraat still exists; a bust of the life artist can be found in front of this house. The death of his father, his childhood in poverty and the love in that warm Catholic family were later a source of inspiration for all his works.As was the love for his Sittard and for his great love Rietje. His wife Rietje Hermans-Weijtboer (1925-1990) grew up in an orphanage in Amsterdam and met Toon on a terrace where he had a date with Rietje's girlfriend. Toon instantly fell in love with the beautiful beautician. They married in 1946 and had three sons. The love for Rietje was not only a great inspiration, Rietje was also his sounding board. If Rietje did not give her approval, the made had no right to exist in Toon's world. His career began with a fascination for clowns. He had his first public performance at the Sint Jozef building, on Wilhelminastraat. In a talent show, Toon imitates his idol Johan Buziau and wins. Toon invents the concept for the One Man Show and grows into one of the Big Three (with Wim Kan and Wim Sonneveld). The style of his conferences, his songs, his drawings and his poems (which he himself invariably calls "versjes") is melancholic but there is always that smile. Until wife Rietje died of cancer in 1990. The smile disappears from his face and when he sings "Lente me" tears trickle down his cheeks. Toon died on 22 April 2000 at the age of 83 in Nieuwegein. According to the presenter of Nova that evening, "Toon leaves behind a land of fond memories". Toon, after a service in the Gemma Chapel, was buried in the Public Cemetery in his beloved Sittard with his wife Rietje. Near the family grave is a bench around a red beech tree with a poem by Toon. "Shall I travel to a star, north or south 'tis equally far. Deep within myself I feel it already, I am here... and everywhere". This route takes you past a number of places in Sittard that were important in Toon's life. Much has not been preserved, but there is enough to get to know the man behind the beautiful art a little better. Have fun!
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Nassaustraat , 6166 BD Geleen | 37.3 KM | |
|
From
38
to
40
|
720 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Nassaustraat | 477 M | ||
| Keep right onto Oranjelaan | 184 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 17 M | ||
| Turn left | 42 M | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
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From
40
to
110
|
4796 M | 4.8 KM | |
| Head northwest | 25 M | ||
| Turn left | 11 M | ||
| Turn right | 25 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Jodenstraat | 63 M | ||
| Turn left onto Penrisstraat | 204 M | ||
| Turn right onto Peschstraat | 240 M | ||
| Turn left onto Norbertijnenstraat | 572 M | ||
| Turn right onto Beekhoverstraat | 10 M | ||
| Turn left onto Op de Vey | 141 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Op de Vey | 243 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Op de Vey | 33 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rijksweg Centrum | 53 M | ||
| Turn left onto Raadhuisstraat | 169 M | ||
| Continue left onto Markt | 54 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Markt | 118 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Markt | 127 M | ||
| Turn left onto Markt | 14 M | ||
| Turn left onto Annastraat | 223 M | ||
| Turn right onto Mauritslaan | 59 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Mauritslaan | 36 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 34 M | ||
| Turn left | 14 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Mauritslaan | 95 M | ||
| Turn left onto Groenstraat | 144 M | ||
| Continue straight | 96 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Borrekuilstraat | 115 M | ||
| Turn right | 224 M | ||
| Turn right | 10 M | ||
| Turn left | 6 M | ||
| Turn right onto Transportlaan | 319 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bedrijfsweg | 130 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Industrieweg | 48 M | ||
| Turn right onto Handelsweg | 305 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Handelsweg | 68 M | ||
| Turn right | 107 M | ||
| Turn right onto Einighauserweg | 157 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Einighauserweg | 504 M | ||
| You are now at section 110 | 0 M | ||
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From
110
to
29
|
2165 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head west on Veeweg | 295 M | ||
| Continue straight | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left | 31 M | ||
| Turn right onto Veldweg | 641 M | ||
| You are now at section 29 | 0 M | ||
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From
29
to
82
|
2411 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Bergerweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Bergerweg | 69 M | ||
| Continue straight | 32 M | ||
| Continue onto Bergerweg | 980 M | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
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From
82
to
27
|
483 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head west on Bergerweg | 353 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Beatrixplein | 130 M | ||
| You are now at section 27 | 0 M | ||
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From
27
to
19
|
4901 M | 4.9 KM | |
| Head north on Berger Maasstraat | 177 M | ||
| Turn right onto Veerweg | 429 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Kasteelweg | 177 M | ||
| Turn left onto Maasstraat | 500 M | ||
| Turn left onto Harrecoven | 242 M | ||
| Continue straight | 18 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Dijk Obbicht | 875 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Batstraat | 812 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
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From
19
to
23
|
4735 M | 4.7 KM | |
| Head east on Oude Veerstraat | 72 M | ||
| Turn right onto Heilig Kruisstraat | 109 M | ||
| Turn left onto Achter de Kruiskapel | 636 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Oude Kerkstraat | 608 M | ||
| Keep right onto Julianalaan | 1.1 KM | ||
| Keep left onto Sluisweg | 400 M | ||
| Turn right | 36 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Prinsbisdomstraat | 487 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kerkstraat | 395 M | ||
| Turn right | 871 M | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
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From
23
to
34
|
5829 M | 5.8 KM | |
| Head southeast | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Beukenboomsweg | 71 M | ||
| Turn right onto Michiels van Kessenichstraat | 900 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Steenstraat | 410 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Onderste Sittarderweg | 206 M | ||
| Turn right onto Trichterweg | 379 M | ||
| Turn left onto Provincialeweg | 251 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hasseltsebaan | 5 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Limbrichterweg | 182 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 18 M | ||
| Turn left | 20 M | ||
| Turn left | 929 M | ||
| Continue onto Elisabeth van Barstraat | 349 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Rijksweg Noord | 44 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Rijksweg Noord | 255 M | ||
| Turn left | 5 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Linde | 131 M | ||
| Turn right onto Haspelsestraat | 213 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kloosterplein | 262 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Paardestraat | 47 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Paardestraat | 117 M | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
32
|
375 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head southeast | 340 M | ||
| Turn right | 35 M | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
69
|
84 M | 0.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on President Kennedysingel | 84 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
65
|
3961 M | 4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Putstraat | 629 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kapellerweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Heerlenerweg | 350 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Heerlenerweg | 589 M | ||
| Continue onto Middenweg | 63 M | ||
| Turn left onto Watersley | 667 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sittarderweg | 613 M | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
|
From
65
to
89
|
3225 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Sittarderweg | 121 M | ||
| Continue onto Sittarderweg | 12 M | ||
| Turn left onto Windraak | 27 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schinnenderweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| Make a slight left | 248 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sittarderweg | 137 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pastoor Albertsstraat | 361 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kerkweg | 108 M | ||
| Turn right onto Panoramaweg | 243 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Panoramaweg | 72 M | ||
| You are now at section 89 | 0 M | ||
|
From
89
to
38
|
3626 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Panoramaweg | 689 M | ||
| Turn right | 8 M | ||
| Continue onto Kempkensweg | 365 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hogeweg | 802 M | ||
| Turn right onto Duistergatsken | 639 M | ||
| Turn left onto Veldweg | 372 M | ||
| Turn left | 298 M | ||
| Turn right onto Daniken | 299 M | ||
| Turn left onto Daniken | 95 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Daniken | 59 M | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M |