Blogs from Netherlands, Europe - page 5

We boarded the tiny tram again and set off along the tracks which followed the woods. In the distance we could see a windmill or a bakehouse and yet another farmhouse . Sometimes people got off the tram and wandered around before catching the next one . At other times they sat there going round and round . On our way round we were busy reading the literature which told us we were passing the Tower Mill saved from demolition in Delft . We alighted at Lint- Tuinen as did a number of other families . There was in this part of the park quite a number of different dwellings. A tin chapel rescued from Heerenhoek, a prefabricated bungalow donated by Norway . Inside of the prefab along with other houses felt like a trip to ... read more

It's almost been a year since I wrote my last blog. At that time Covid still dominated our lives. Now it has become a background irritant. Something to be aware of, but no longer ever present. I had hoped it would have reached this stage earlier. I think many people hoped the same. I had plans to finally re-start my travelling in January, but a third (or was it a fourth?) wave put a lid on that idea. However it is not as if nothing happened during this time. In fact some pretty big events transpired. Jenni quit her job, and found a new one in Hagen, which is up north, closer to me. So, she not only quit her job, she also moved. From pretty, fairy tale like Schwaebish Hall in the south, to a ... read more

It was an early start today. Our German cruise director is maniacal about punctuality. We headed out to Alkmaaar - a small town that was the center of the early Dutch cheese trade. First though, a stop at several windmills a bit north of our destination. I was surprised to learn that about 70% of windmills in the Netherlands were used for pumping water to reclaim land (30% for grinding grain or anything else that needs to be pulverized). Basically, dikes were built and, slowly over time, all the water was pumped out of lowlands and marshes to create farmland. Makes sense but I just never thought it through. It is remarkable that over 25% of the country was reclaimed from the sea in the last 800 years using this and, eventually, more modern methods, Alkmaar ... read more

Sunday was about the two other famous museums in Amsterdam: the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum. The Van Gogh is structured as a narrative which takes you through his development as an artist. Fascinating, engrossing and ultimately overwhelming in it's detail. I had heard that many of his famous works are elsewhere which seems to be true. Much of what is on the wall is "developmental"; i.e. he was working on his approach and technique. Many of these pieces seem weaker than those he is known for. Nevertheless, there is plenty of "good stuff" like "Wheatfield with Crows" with that distinctive thick palette and bold color. The Rijksmuseum which is the size of an modern indoor arena has a vast collection but we were there to see the "Dutch Masters" (Vermeer, Rembrandt et al) and the collection ... read more

Our longest day today at 61 miles and heading north west all day. There were light rain showers all morning but not too bad. There was a mixture of woodland and farms with large fields of crops. We passed through Limberg?? Which looked like a very pretty town. We crossed the Maas River using a small ferry that was only big enough for people and bikes. The owner told us to go inside as it was wet. This actually meant stand under the tiny canopy. Soon after leaving the hotel we left Germany for the Netherlands and criss crossed the border a few times and also passed through Belgium. Yoghurt break was in a church yard at Rotem and lunch was sat on a bench next to a canal. Both were quite quick stops as we ... read more