Holiday in the Netherlands
I am writing this blog at the risk of forgetting some very good moments that I had in the Netherlands; or can I? After two hectic but very satisfying trips to Rome and Paris, we were least prepared for the trip to the Netherlands. A busy day at work and a rushed train journey to London culminating in me sprinting to Stanstead set the tone but the next 48 hours could not have been more different.
My better half had succeeded in getting us premier tickets on the Eurostar to Amsterdam. It was indeed a treat! There was a delicious and nutritious meal offered on board which made us repent our decision to grab a quick bite before hopping on the train. The coach was lightly occupied and therefore we were offered a complete cubicle for ourselves with retractable tables and spacious seats. We spent most of the time admiring the views outside and playing cards. We reached Amsterdam at half past 10 in the night and were immediately greeted by scores of people riding bicycles outside the station. You just can’t ignore the fact that most of the riders have well-toned muscular legs from years of doing the most natural exercise possible. Our pre-booked taxi driver was slightly surprised that we were on time and not pulling the wool over his eyes and making him wait. We traveled a few miles outside of Amsterdam to Oostzan where we had booked our accommodation for the weekend. Hotel Van der Vaalk surprised us with its elegance, richness and its huge welcoming lobby. After a quick check-in we proceeded to our room to be delighted further with its décor and beauty; money well spent indeed!!!
Day 1 began fairly early with a hearty breakfast at the hotel. The spread was incredible and huge stretching as far as one’s eyes could see. From fresh fruits to yogurts; a variety of bread to innumerable cheese types; multiple flavours of milkshakes to traditional tiny Dutch pancakes with caramel sauce. There wasn’t enough space in the tummy to accommodate all these tasty treats. With a full stomach and at the peril of falling asleep, we made our way back to Amsterdam where we had planned to board a coach to visit the Holland Countryside. That being the week of the King’s birthday, people were celebrating everywhere. As we got on the coach, time seems to turn backwards. We were immediately transported to a calm holiday like mood. We had a delightful guide called Cecelia who was a ball of energy and a coach driver Bert who had a very dry sense of humor.
The first stop of the day was at Zaanse Schans. Cecelia tried her best to help us pronounce the name correctly. Eventually, Bert had to clean his windscreen after all of us had attempted to use all the saliva in the mouth to make the tongue rolling and deep throat noises J. Zaanse Schans was a revelation; being a tiny village made up of the last remaining working windmills. The population of windmills which was in the tens of thousands in the 50s has reduced to a handful today. Each windmill has its own specialty produce. We managed to visit the sawmill and spice mills in action. The action of the windmill is mesmerizing and puts you in a trance. Apart from being the home to these mills, Zaanse Schans is a heaven for selfie queens and kings. The beauty is breathtaking and renders itself to some excellent photographic backdrops.
Not wanting to be late, we made our way back to the coach and continued our journey to Edam. Although Edam is known for its cheese, we experience the architectural beauty of the village. We roamed the streets of Edam appreciating the slant buildings and mouth-watering cheese shops. The walk did not seem onerous at all due to an excellent weather and good humorous banter by Cecelia. I completely lost my heart to Edam wanting to buy a holiday property so that we could re-visit every year. It is no exaggeration when I say Edam is my true holiday destination for relaxation.
The next stop was the coastal city of Volendam. We made our way along the river which is the size of a sea to the Volendam cheese factory. We were given a quick crash course in making cheese and were then allowed to taste some of their famous produce. Mmmmm, I can still taste the lovely goat’s cheese with a mustard dip at the tip of my tongue. We pretty much filled our tummies by tasting a variety of cheeses that were so fresh and creamy and tasty. We topped it off with luscious chocolate ice cream as we waited for our fellow travelers to wrap up their cheese shopping. I surely put my weight issues and diet to the farthest corner of my mind and thoroughly enjoyed the cheese tasting experience.
Our journey took us next on a ferry, to the fishing village of Maarken where we paused for lunch. We had already put in our preferences during the early part of the day; therefore, we were greeted to some very tasty tomato soup and a huge veggie burger for lunch on the first floor of a quaint de Visscher restaurant. Wanting to make use of every minute available outdoors, we quickly finished our lunch and headed out to the coast for a lovely summer walk. The moored boats were gently bobbing on the river with gulls riding high on their masts. With the entire coach of people finishing their meal, Cecelia led us on foot to view the insides of Maarken. Maarken is dotted with multiple footbridges, all named after Dutch queens. Decorations were up everywhere for celebrating the King’s day. A leisurely walk took us past pastures with brown sheep and quaint slant houses with lovely lace curtains. Since Holland is covered in darkness for the most part of the year, houses are built with huge and high windows to let maximum light in. Also, the Dutch spend a lot of time in cleaning these windows and in keeping them gleaming. Cecelia also told us about the concept of ‘Poulders’. The Netherlands is basically built on land reclaimed from the water. There are several instances of the land is slightly below the sea level. This reclaimed land is called Poulders. The Dutch are Master of Water based techniques and technology and therefore you will always find a Dutch specialist in every hydro based major project all around the world. The final pitstop for the day was the Maarken Wooden shoe factory. Holland is famous for its shoes made from wood. Although it looks and sounds uncomfortable, the working class vouch for it and does not prefer any other form of shoes while working. Poplar is the wood commonly used for making these shoes. The demonstration brought us to the end of the 8-hour countryside tour and we made our way back to Amsterdam. Since it was still early in the evening, we roamed around city center appreciating the contrast between the quiet countryside and the hustle and bustle of the city. That night we again had a huge meal of pasta and gnocchi at the Van der Vaalk. God these Dutch have huge portion sizes!!! No wonder they burn off all those calories by cycling like crazy!
Day 2 again started with a scrumptious breakfast. Our plan was to visit the Keukenhof Tulip gardens before heading back to London. A 45-minute bus ride took us to the world-famous Tulip gardens. It is very surprising that there are absolutely no tulips in the north of the country whereas the South is a haven for tulips. As we approached Keukenhof, we were greeted by endless carpets of colorful tulip fields. I am so happy that we decided to visit this landmark; if not I think our trip to the Netherlands, especially during May would have been an utter waste. Even though it was just 10 AM, there were no less than 500 coaches and tens of thousands of cars parked outside the garden. Despite this, we did not feel claustrophobic inside the garden due to its enormity. People were spread everywhere in tiny groups taking endless pictures. Mind you, even I, posed for some pictures among the beautiful flowers. Tulips in every possible colour and shape can be found here. The bed of bright orange tulips gives you a feeling of a fire pit; the bed of light pinks looks like giant cotton candy and the bed of red tulips makes reminds one of a huge ketchup spill. My aunt is due to visit Keukenhof soon. I am already imagining dear uncle trying to persuade darling aunty to move on or else they will miss the bus. She will get so engrossed in the beauty of the flowers that getting her out of the garden will be a big challenge! The entire garden is divided into multiple sectors, each with its own special variety of flowers.
Comments
Post a Comment