Day 27: Last Day In The Netherlands. Visiting Gouda and The Hague

---

This morning we had to vacate our rental at !0am, and we just made it. There has been some comment about the energy levels of the more senior cohort of this touring party, but maybe the body clocks fire up at different times. I was ready early.

Enough said.

Gouda was our first point of interest for the day, en route to Dordrecht. We arrived here at dusk, and it is a black brick hotel, located next to the local McDonalds. It normally caters for travelling businessmen and has a humble conference centre and ‘work point’ attached. The rooms are OK and suit our intransit status. Just don’t pick it as a honeymoon destination; it won’t kick the marriage off at a high point.

It’s 9.15, my mates are relaxing with a chilled refresher in their hands, so I’ll l keep this brief. We arrived a bit later than the itinerary outlined, but a level off procrastination hits the leadership team ( Tim and Natalia ) every now and then , and instead of becoming The Proclaimers, we are The Procrastinators, and our hit single would be, ‘I could walk 500 miles, pass the same places many times, and end up at the starting point.’ Still, we did get around many places today, reached our KPI’s - I think staying in a business hosting hotel is getting to me, I’m becoming more of a wanker than I usually am ! - and have had a great trip in the Netherlands. I just wish we hadn’t workshopped the choice of a sandwich shop for lunch so thoroughly; it’s just a sandwich. Still, it was a very good sandwich, and Natalia paid, so that’s a Win-Win.

Gouda is a must visit place in the Netherlands. It’s s a bit more landlocked as far as the canal situation goes, but the gracious old red brick houses lean in towards the street to take you in their arms, and judging on the cheap house prices, that leaning isn’t about to stop.There are plaques that indicate that Gouda was occupied during WW2, but the infrastructure seems to reflect the older times, and it is peaceful just walking the streets, kicking through the autumn leaves, and enjoying the hospitality of the local shopkeepers, and the people who pass on the street. They are genuinely friendly people. But that seems to be the case through The Netherlands, and indeed Europe. Check out the pics for a bit more of a feel for Gouda,. We only spent a little over 2 hours there but we saw enough of the old town to get an idea of it.

The Hague was our last stop before Dordrecht, and it was a visit I had mixed feelings about. Political centres can be quite orderly, dry places, and unless you have a personal connection to them, a couple of days will do. They are generally well catered for and provide a trouble free lifestyle for those who live there, but aren’t generally suited to long holidays.

I will concede I was wrong about The Hague, mainly due to its history, architecture, and location to the coast, although we never saw the beach. While the others went to the museum to visit The Girl With The Pearl Earing, I wandered around town, on a route roughly supplied by Tim, and found myself standing with the Press at the entry door to Parliament. In order to get a good picture of the whole building, I used my 360 camera on an extension pole about 1.2 metres long.

The Press photographer turned and gave me a nod, and the reporter and he came over for a chat. They told me that I had raised alarm bells with the swarthy, vigilant looking security guy at the door, and they only turned to see what had attracted his interest. Rather than cause an international incident, I collapsed my camera and put it away. We talked about their work, and basically, they stake out the building waiting for an opportunity to walk out the door. It is interesting to watch the politicians ignore them, until they can’t , and then smile and probably give answers that don’t relate to the questions asked. They also have an aide recording the interview, so that the journalist can’t do any creative editing, and relay a different message than was intended. Today the reporter was offering the pollies a pair of scissors in an attempt to coax them to clip a small lock of hair off. Apparently this is a gesture in support of the women’s plight in Iran. Seems like a simple gesture, so it’s a shame the lady politician offered the scissors didn’t take it up. The Hague is blessed with eating options, but as in Utrecht, sandwiches are the norm. Gourmet sandwiches.

The Hague appears to have a good tram system to get around on, and a security guard i was chatting with at a museum near Parliament House told me he catches a train from Gouda, and is at work in less than 30 minutes. It’s efficient. The road system is more confusing if you haven’t visited before, but I’ve heard that said about Canberra in Australia, by visitors to the Nations Capital, and it’s probably the best road system in Australia for moving people around. Another thing they have in common is the promotion of cycling as a form of daily transport. The Netherlands has a comprehensive system to keep people safe, and the awareness and tolerance of cyclists is higher, probably because everyone knows some. Canberra has a system of paths that wind through the countryside, and will take you anywhere you want in safety, so except that the Netherlands is dead flat, Canberra wins in my opinion. For an outsider, Canberra is worth a visit. I lived there for 10 years and I think you get blase about the attractions that sit at our back door. The locals around here don’t appear to be in awe of their surroundings; we are.

Anyway, what else is there to say? The Hague is a modern city with old world charm. Most people speak English, you have to have eyes in the back of your head to avoid the cars and cyclists, and it is a multicultural hub that has a wide range of shopping options, weird creepy secondhand shops, thanks Natalia, and we had it all on a warm still day.

The Netherlands will fall into winter in the next few weeks and a visit could look very different. I‘m pleased and am grateful, although at times of tiredness may not seem to be, to have experienced The Netherlands.

Tomorrow we are visiting an area known for traditional windmills; I don’t know where, I just get in the car. And then we are in Brussels for the afternoon and overnight.

Catch you later.

---

Photos

Tiny Houses, Gouda
I stretched my arms out and they are longer than this house is wide.

The Old Weigh House, 16th Century, Gouda
It’s off to school they go.

Choices.. Gouda
Half the cheese range in this shop

Pannenkoe Pancake House, Gouda
It’s a pretty drab exterior, but inside is like a fairytale.

The Kamphuisen siroopwafels shop.
This is the original manufacturer of the caramel syrup waffles I am addicted to.

Temporary Update Of A Hague Icon
An Improvement IMO.

Mauritshaus Building
This lovely building at the entrance to Parliament House has operated as a museum for the last 200 years

High Security Entrance To Parliament House
They let anyone in.

Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs
Being Interviewed by a political reporter from editieNL Television. The politicians interviewed were handed a pair of scissors and were asked to trim a small lock in support of women in Iran. The two men did it but the female interviewed wasn’t having a bar of it. So much for the Sisterhood.

Hot Off The Press
This guy donated a lock of hair to show support for the Women of Iran.
Politicians are the same everywhere; pretty good at gestures.

Not a bad backdrop. Parliament House with the city in the background.

The Girl With The Pearl Earring by Vermeer
Natalia and Sue are checking whether the original is as good as Natalia’s photo