June 19, Hoek Van Holland & Den Haag (maria)

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It is cloudy, windy and coldish when we de-ship in the Hook of Holland. I am still feeling rather queasy and motion sick when we take the 30 minute tram ride into the bustling Den Haag train station where a surprise awaits us! We are warmly greeted by the “King of Holland” in full Orange football regalia with oversized orange bejeweled sunglasses. We had been feeling peckish and decided to grab some poffertjes (tiny pancakes) from a local dining establishment (Burger King). The "Orange King" overstays his welcome and is eventually ushered off the premises by the manager. We head out to find our tram which will take us to the Bel Air Hotel (where according to their website, children are not welcome.)

We freshen up at our hotel and then decide to visit the M.C. Escher Museum (1898-1972) housed in Het Paleis, the former 1896 residence of Queen Emma, great-grandmother of current Queen Beatrix. We walk by The Binnehof, the seat of Dutch political power since 1588 when William I rallied the Dutch to begin their revolt against their Spanish Habsburg rulers. At the museum, we all enjoy Escher's art work and the very unusual lighting fixtures by Hans van Bentem . Afterwards, we have a lunch of (old cheese, not young cheese) sandwiches, a nap and then we are ready to watch more World Cup soccer.

In the late afternoon, we tram up to the seaside resort of Scheveningen (the name is pronounced just like it is spelled..., NOT) to see the lovely KurHaus Hotel (1885) (especially the conference rooms where Dave taught a course for Shell executives a couple of years ago). At this seaside resort there is also a pier with a bungee-jumping pavilion at the far end; a boardwalk/promenade with lots of cafes and restaurants; a pretty cool sand sculpture and a very, very turbulent North Sea. **Todays observations: It rains every single time we step outside; sometimes a little sometimes a lot, but basically the weather is miserable; the Dali Lama (or one of his henchmen) is at a conference/gathering in the hotel; Dutch elevator buttons are located quite high up on the walls.

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Photos

KurHaus Hotel
Scheveningen