The ultimate gesture of love for Honeybee by Herbert Dijkstra, but “my wife was not happy”
It was intended as the ultimate gesture of love, but it didn’t have the desired effect. When Herbert Dijkstra of Fries secretly built a dolmen in his front garden to surprise his wife, he was shocked.
“I’ve always been fascinated by rocks,” says the sports commentator. “It was supposed to be a gift, but it wasn’t a happy one.”
The idea of presenting the stones as a gift to his wife Marjolene Laurette comes from a comic book by Asterix and Obelix: Asterix as a Legionary. “Obelix has always loved Valhalla. The best thing he could think of was to give her a menhir.”
And when Herbert sees a large block of rocks while riding his racing bike near Huis ter Heide along the Norgervaart, he sees opportunity. “I think this is the most I can do for my Valhalla.” Then eight rocks are lifted into the garden by crane.
When Marjolein got home and saw the dolmen, the atmosphere was not at all pleasant. “A bit of stamping with your feet,” says Marjolein. “I think dolmens are very primitive. They are a big part of Drenthe. You shouldn’t want to recreate that.”
But the dolmen has been there for three years. During that time, children played on it, a hedgehog built a nest under the stones covering it, and the stones became a familiar sight.
“What seemed to lead to divorce didn’t,” Marjolein says.
Watch episode 4 of very good stories Whether the dolmen can survive: