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Post by Oz-T on Mar 5, 2015 11:03:48 GMT
Tomorrow's activities: I take Mrs Oz on a ride she wasn't expecting... We see some art masterpieces in a very unexpected location .... And we visit the home of a Dutch/English king ...
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 5, 2015 23:02:35 GMT
Day 6 – De Hoge Veluwe Park & Apeldoorn
Planning a self-tour itinerary is not really that difficult, and it can be fun. But if you don’t have unlimited time you do have to put some time into finding methods that don’t waste your days. For that reason, we knew we could not afford to wake each morning and waste time deciding what to do for the day. So I started off with a rough itinerary many weeks before starting this trip, and whilst it was constantly being tweaked and modified, the broad itinerary stayed intact. What really appealed though was our ability to swap our plans around a little and to add bits and pieces as we felt. Today’s activities were a case in point. After a relaxing sleep I was soon in the kitchen, preparing an omelet. That’s my regular weekend duty when we’re home and Mrs Oz likes the way I make them. So after a leisurely breakfast, we prepared some sandwiches to take for our lunch because we would be in a huge park by midday. Our destination: De Hoge Veluwe Park. The national park is located 50km away, between the cities of Apeldoorm and Arnhem. Geologically, the Veluwe is a ‘moraine’, formed 200,000 years ago when an Ice Age glacier pushed land aside. After the glacier melted the land was swampy with plenty of wildlife. It’s now an unusual mix of forest, heathland and sand dunes (the largest in Europe). Head in far enough and you’ll see deer and even foxes. The national park is 55 km² in size and when you get there you learn that cars aren’t generally permitted entry. The park itself was not the only thing that brought us here – there’s an art museum located in there and we’re told that it’s 6km (4 miles) in from the front gate. Now that sort of walk doesn’t concern us, but we’d need to walk the same distance to get back and that would take a lot of time out of our day. The attendant at the gate gestured toward the bicycle racks behind the ticket office and said that they’re free for people to ride throughout the park and that’s what everybody does. This sounded fine to me but Mrs Oz had gone pale – she wasn’t keen to get onto a bike for the first time since she was a kid. I reassured her that she’d get the hang of it pretty fast and that riding a bike is one of those things that you never forget – like riding a bike. She frowned. Park interior (internet image) As unplanned as it was, here we were riding bikes in the most prolific cycling nation on Earth. And it was fun, assuming you’re asking my opinion and not that of Mrs Oz. She kept worrying about falling off or getting in the way of other cyclists who were sailing past without much visible effort or discomfort. Eventually, the pleasant bicycle ride (or frightening ordeal if you sought a different opinion) was over and we arrived at the museum. We parked our bikes where a thousand others were stored and Mrs Oz was looking more relaxed with the prospect of returning to pedestrian mode. The park itself dates back to 1909 when it was the estate of wealthy businessman Anton Kröller and his wife, Helene Kröller-Müller. His trading business made enormous profits which funded the estate and Helene’s huge art collection. And that’s what we are here to see: the Kröller-Müller Museum. It contains the second largest collection of van Gogh paintings (after the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam). If you like the work of this great artist and plan to visit the Netherlands, this museum will be the obvious pairing with the Amsterdam collection. While there’s a definite favouring of van Gogh, he’s not the only famous artist represented here; there are also Monets, Renoirs, Gauguins and several others. "Wheat stacks in Provence"; Van Gogh 1888 "Terrace of a cafe at night"; Van Gogh 1888 Leaving the museum we headed not for a carpark, but the bikepark. Most of the bicycles belong to the park so it doesn’t matter that you hop onto a different one to what you rode in on; they’re all pretty similar. So we repeated the journey with Mrs Oz tentatively pedalling along the flat path and cursing me for constantly circling her with one hand on my handlebar and the other videoing her with my smartphone. Yes, I did cop some flak for that, but the funny video was worth it. Small section of the bike parking lot Returning to the exit gate (taking four times longer than the locals did), we placed our bikes in the storage racks and walked back to the car (with me having to endure a lecture about how I should never coax her onto a two-wheeled vehicle ever again). Damn, there goes the Segway idea I had been contemplating. We ate our sandwiches and some fruit for lunch, and then drove off, with Mrs Oz comfortable with commuting on four wheels again. Our next destination was quite close: the city of Apeldoorm, just 13km north. The city dates back to the 8th century but it remained an insignificant place until the 17th century when they built Paleis Het Loo (the ‘wooded palace’) for King William III. I had a bit to say about King William III in my Britain & Ireland Grandeur travel tale back in 2013 – he invaded England and deposed King James II, ending the reign of the Stuarts. William was born as Prince of Orange, a title deriving from the principality in the Avignon region of France. Yes, an unusual name, and Bill probably grew up being thankful that watermelons weren’t growing there. He wasn’t the first Prince of Orange; his great-grandfather, William I (also known as ‘William the Silent’) also held that title. I stopped wondering how he got the name ‘William the Silent’ when I discovered that he had a wife and six daughters. Anyway, William III was a Dutch Protestant who married his cousin, Mary II, the daughter of King James II, who was a Catholic. The English weren’t all that keen on Catholic monarchs so they invited William over to be king instead. The overthrow was called the ‘Glorious Revolution’, although it wasn’t too glorious for King James. Here’s where it gets a bit messy: Imagine being booted off the throne by your nephew who is also your son-in-law, who then jointly reigns as king with your daughter (who is also your niece and queen in her own right)? The next time you feel like complaining about family squabbles, spare a thought for poor King James. But back to Apeldoorm. We found Paleispark and left the car to walk through the grounds of this huge 10,000 hectare estate. William originally intended this to be a hunting lodge but it became more of a palace after he became king of England, Scotland and Ireland. He also saw himself as mainland Europe’s primary defence against his arch enemy, France’s Louis XIV, who was seen as a military threat and even worse, Catholic. Somebody had to stand firm as a Protestant and William decided he’d not only do the job, but needed a suitable palace to do it in style. And grand it certainly is. The palace itself is large and ornate, and the gardens spectacular. We walked around to an area that used to be the royal stables. Even the horses lived in style if this was any guide. We sat at a cafe here and had a coffee whilst peacocks strutted by. As we made our way out of the park we looked to the left and saw deer grazing, some 300 metres away. Setting the camera to digital zoom I was able to get this closeup: We then drove back to the resort and cooked dinner, with satisfaction that we had seen things today that weren't on standard guided tours. But most of all, Mrs Oz was satisfied that she had extracted a solemn promise from me that she would not have to ride a bicycle again on this trip. I lay awake for some time, trying to think of a loophole, but without success.....
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Post by chech on Mar 5, 2015 23:44:27 GMT
Okay...where's the video?
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Post by purvis on Mar 5, 2015 23:49:44 GMT
Love your excursions off the beaten path.. I'm surprised after the bike episode that Mrs. Oz was still speaking to you. The biggest trouble with taking guided tours is that you really don't see the country properly but only the highlites. Anxious to read your next instalment. Purvis
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 6, 2015 0:43:23 GMT
Alas Chech, the video is now in a locked vault that I am too scared to access for fear of certain bodily parts being forcibly separated from where they're meant to be. And yes, Purvis, she was speaking to me quite a lot after the bicycle incident. She totally relied on both me and Bruce the GPS to find her way everywhere, so I sort of got away with that one.
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Post by 1jhwks on Mar 6, 2015 0:45:01 GMT
I was thinking the same thing, Chech. I haven't been on a bike either since I was a kid.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 8, 2015 5:42:00 GMT
Tomorrow, we travel to the largest city, Amsterdam....
We visit the secret annexe that hid Anne Frank and her family for two years...
We stroll past the canals, and I have reason to see red...
A visit to two museums reveals masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age...
And I understand the importance of not confusing a coffee shop with a cafe...
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 9, 2015 5:35:38 GMT
Day 7 – Amsterdam
The only (minor) disadvantage of staying at cheap accommodation in the country is the long drive to see some of the sights – and today would be one of those days. But our day trip to Amsterdam was well planned and the motorways get you around so quickly that it wasn’t much of a problem. The distance was 100km and we did it in an hour, arriving at 8:30am and deciding to leave our car in a public carpark instead of driving around for ages looking for non-existent free parking. One of the first things you notice about Amsterdam is water: you’re never far from it. Unlike Venice where they constructed buildings in the water (by thrusting wooden piles into the silt to form foundations), the Dutch brought the water to the buildings by digging canals. And there’s 100km of them in Amsterdam, most of them constructed during the Golden Age in one of the world’s greatest examples of town planning. Or should that read ‘town plumbing’? We were soon at Dam Square, one of the more famous locations in Amsterdam. It originated as a deliberate blocking of the Amstel River and the term Amstelredamme soon became Amsterdam. Dam Square (or Dam Rectangle if you want to be technical) became the first crossing point between the two sides of the river and a large marketplace developed, especially since ships could navigate all the way up to the dam to unload their wares. Dam Square is damn big and the most prominent building is the Royal Palace. It actually started out as the Town Hall in the Golden Age, but was later appropriated as a palace for Louis Bonaparte. Royal Palace, Dam Square; Amsterdam His brother Napoleon had appointed him King of Holland in 1806 and Louis warmed to the idea, despite being a very indecisive man – he kept changing the capital from Amsterdam to Rotterdam to The Hague, and might’ve even chosen Timbuktu if he hadn’t lasted only four years. Brother Napoleon had plans to invade Russia in 1812 and needed armies, something Louis wasn’t prepared to give him – so he fled to Austria, leaving his five year old son to become king. The kid must’ve been too busy with Lego during kindergarten instead of learning statheood and he only lasted nine days before Uncle Napoleon wrested control. Fleeing Holland he ended up in Italy where he died from measles at the young age of 26. We couldn’t linger at Dam Square because we had arrived early to avoid the queues at Anne Frank House which is near the corner of Prinsengracht and Westermarkt. Alas, the queue arrived earlier than we did and more than a hundred people were there already. Knowing it’d only get worse; we joined the queue and waited an hour until we eventually got into the building. There’s a free WiFi signal that can help ease the boredom in the queue if you have a device with you. Inside, there are many displays which tell the story of how the Frank family avoided capture by the Nazis for two years by hiding in a secret annexe of the building. During this time Anne kept a diary which was later discovered and published by her father, the only family member to survive the war. Front exterior, Anne Frank House Some of the displays in the museum are video based and you wait a short time until the English language version starts. Photography is not allowed. Toward the end of the tour you walk behind a reconstructed bookcase that hid the entry to the annexe. The stairs are very steep as you ascend to the living quarters and are able to see where the Frank family lived. On the wall are newspaper cuttings of Hollywood movie stars that Anne stuck to the wall - she emerges as a typical teenager, but thrust into an extraordinary situation. Upon leaving the building I noticed that the queue had doubled in size so the lesson is to get there early; it’s a very popular tourist attraction. We found a nearby store that sold discounted entry to museums and we purchased tickets to the Rijksmuseum (national museum) and the van Gogh Museum. At €30 each, the tickets carried only a small discount, but it gave a priority entry so we could avoid queues at the van Gogh Museum (we had to commit to an entry time). Canal scene, Amsterdam My city map was helpful as we used it to find our way southward to the Rijksmuseum, the most popular museum in the country. People go there to see magnificent artwork and the main drawcard is undoubtedly Rembrandt. The Dutch Golden Age brought with it a new style of art because the Calvinist Protestants banned religious paintings that were so prominent in Catholic churches and cathedrals. Artists then turned to other subjects such as portraits of ordinary people, landscapes, animals and still life. These genres flourished thanks to some incredibly talented painters, the most famous being Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Rijksmuseum Rembrandt was born to a reasonably wealthy family so he was able to pursue an art career whilst still a teenager. It wasn’t long before his talent became known and he was soon commissioned by the Prince of Orange to produce paintings for the royal court. In 1631 he moved to Amsterdam and began to paint portraits, something he proved to be very skilled at. Painting became a thriving business for Rembrandt; he was not only selling his works, but also earning an income from tutoring art students. But that didn’t mean he became rich; Rembrandt lived beyond his means and was constantly spending too much. Rembrandt; self portrait The Rijksmuseum is an absolute treasure trove of art from the Dutch Golden Age; you can see more Rembrandts here than anywhere else. And there are paintings by Vermeer, Hals and many others. The Night Watch Gallery houses Rembrandt’s enormous painting of the same name, although it’s technically called “Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq”. It’s a bit difficult to photograph because it’s so large and when you stand back, people walk in the way. And you also get the inevitable shine from the room lighting. But it’s an extraordinary work of art. Rembrandt's Nightwatch So is ‘The Milkmaid’ by Johannes Vermeer, an artist I particular admire, and whose works I used to copy in pencil portraits as a teenager. It’s therefore an amazing feeling to stand before the actual paintings that I never thought I’d see. Vermeer's, "The Milkmaid" Van Gogh, Self Portrait Rear of the Rijksmuseum After leaving the Rijksmuseum we walked behind it and down to the nearby Van Gogh Museum and the queue was enormous. Fortunately, our prepaid tickets had an entry time allocated on them and that got us into the express lane and into the building in just one minute. Inside were van Goghs as far as the eye could see. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow photographs on the day we were there. A stroll back along Amsterdam’s canals was pleasant – and with a few unusual sights. First, there’s the red light district. Here, the women sit inside the windows under a fluorescent red light and usually smile at passers-by. There’s no attempt to lure men inside, although I suppose that would be futile if he’s with his wife as I was. We pass by a row of windows, each with a lingerie-clad woman sitting and waiting for business. We tried to glance, rather than gawk, and taking a photo seemed entirely inappropriate so the camera never came out. The photo here is an internet image to give you an idea. Most of these windows are in the De Wallen area but it’s quite crowded and 99.9% of the people there are just having a look, with plenty of groups of drunken young men clowning around and making jokes about what they’re seeing. A quieter area is in the De Pijp area along Ruysdaelkade where we walked. The same sort of red-lit windows appear, but it’s quiet and less tacky. The women give a nice smile as we pass, with me holding tightly to Mrs Oz's hand to make it clear that I'm with her. The second unusual sight in Amsterdam is the coffeeshop. If you go there for a cup of coffee, you’ll probably end up with something you hadn’t expected: marijuana. So the rule here is that you go to a cafe for a pot of tea, and a coffeeshop for just pot. As someone who has never once puffed tobacco, the product in these coffeeshops didn’t interest me one bit, although I did take a photo as we walked past one. Coffee Shop (where you don't buy coffee) We strolled along some of the canals and looked at the shops.... Clogs for sale And plenty of tulips I also found it interesting what they put in soda drinks these days.... Soda drinks, for an all time high Canal scene, with bicycles. We had a quick dinner (burger) in Amsterdam before returning to the carpark and driving an hour back to our resort.
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Post by purvis on Mar 9, 2015 7:25:58 GMT
Have been to Amsterdam three times and each time the redlight district was part of the tour. On one occasion one of "the ladies" was sporting a black eye which says that not all is well with these women. Never did get to see Ann Frank's home . Lovely museums but much of the Dam Square district I found a wee bit seedy. The only time I saw as many bikes was in Delft . Enjoying your tour tale. Purvis
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Post by chech on Mar 9, 2015 22:42:43 GMT
So, did you see Van Gogh's Doctor Who painting?
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 10, 2015 22:02:31 GMT
No, but I did see how he painted his domestic animals...
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 10, 2015 22:56:02 GMT
Day 8 – Rest DayAfter seven days and thousands of kilometres of travel, it was nice to be able to do something we never do on guided tours: rest. We planned the day around staying at the resort, starting with a decent sleep-in, a leisurely breakfast, and long walks around the park land. It’s a pretty environment, and extremely quiet after the weekend crowds had dissipated. We weren’t the only guests here, but it sure felt like we had 100 acres to ourselves. Set in a forest, this was nice and peaceful. We drove the short distance to the Wezep shops to buy a few groceries and I had some fun working the recycled bottle machine. The Europeans go to extreme lengths to recycle and they have machines in the supermarket where you feed in your empty plastic water bottles and get a discount voucher in return. At the checkout, they apply this discount (only a few cents) to whatever you’re now purchasing. The afternoon was spent at the resort and I dedicated some time to planning our itinerary for the next day and beyond. I found a helpful website that showed maps and travel times and was able to take screenshots on my i-Pad for use later on the holiday. It was also an opportunity for me to look at our fuel usage on this hybrid car because I’d been keeping records of everything we spent. The result was very good: 4.7 litres/100km (or 60 mpg). The 200km round trip to Amsterdam had cost a mere €15 in fuel; now I see why they like these part-electric cars. This would be a good moment to talk about water management in The Netherlands, because the impression I had was that the place was full of dam walls, with little kids sticking their fingers in any holes that appear in the dikes. No, that’s not quite what this is about. The majority of the dikes are merely levees, retaining water behind long embankments. And many of these aren't new; as far back as 1,000AD dikes were built by monasteries and farmers to ensure rivers and lakes didn't flood surrounding areas. When water needed to be pumped out of a low-lying area, they built windmills to work the pumps. Water management became a huge activity in the low-lands. Eventually, the Netherlands was filled with dikes and drainage systems. But none of these gets anywhere near the scale of the Zuiderzee Works. To explain this, look at the following picture. The map shows a section of the Netherlands with North Holland on the left, and Friesland at top right. Between them was a large, shallow bay, named Zuiderzee. This covered the area marked as IJsselmeer, as well as the purple area. The bay used to be a lake 2,000 years ago but climate change in the Middle Ages caused sea levels to rise, submerging land in the process. Then, in the late 1920s work began on building a 32km land bridge across the water (shown above as an orange coloured line). A road was constructed on this, so you can actually drive across. After five years, the dam was completed, leaving an enclosed body of water that they renamed IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake), although it was salty. The next phase involved pumping the water out, and as the water level fell, land became visible, notably the purple areas of Flevoland. And the salt levels fell because they pumped sea water out into the North Sea and it was replaced by fresh water from the IJssel River. More retaining walls were built to fortify the reclaimed land (called "Polders"). Eventually, some 1,500 km 2 of land was reclaimed from the sea, with most of it put to agricultural use. We were staying not far from the edge of the polder (near the main road between Harderwijk and Zwolle on the above map). From the motorway near Harderwijk I could see the shallow water on the right as I looked across to Flevoland. A century ago, that land was completely below water. No wonder they call the Zuiderzee Works a wonder of the modern world. Throughout the Netherlands this sort of land and water management is replicated, making vast inland areas at sea level habitable without fear that a flood or the sea will come crashing in to destroy farms and buildings. We had a relaxing day off from sightseeing; which was just as well. Tomorrow, we will be driving to the capital and taking in some magnificent sights of South Holland....
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Post by purvis on Mar 11, 2015 3:31:56 GMT
Thanks for your latest tour tale. I guess what I like the best about both your's and chech's tales is that you not only describe your tour but you take the time to give the history about the areas you are writing about. I have always referred to this area as Holland as do most folk but your explanation of the difference of Holland and The Netherlands was educational as your explanation of the reclaiming of the water to make what most of us consider "Holland". I really didn't like the subject of history when I was in school but now with your's and Chech's help and my several trips to western Europe have become enthralled with the subject. Thanks once again Purvis
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Post by californian on Mar 11, 2015 7:44:23 GMT
Just love the way you travel Oz T, is there any chance that you and Mrs Oz can take a small group of us wanting to see more but a little bit concerned about being on our own? We can rent a minivan, have you deal with Bruce, Mrs Oz do her fine driving, I could cook, do the shopping, laundry, whatever needs to be done...I am sure others would pitch in as well... What do you say?
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 11, 2015 10:54:50 GMT
Thanks for your latest tour tale. I guess what I like the best about both your's and chech's tales is that you not only describe your tour but you take the time to give the history about the areas you are writing about. I have always referred to this area as Holland as do most folk but your explanation of the difference of Holland and The Netherlands was educational as your explanation of the reclaiming of the water to make what most of us consider "Holland". I really didn't like the subject of history when I was in school but now with your's and Chech's help and my several trips to western Europe have become enthralled with the subject. Thanks once again Purvis Thanks Purvis. I always found history boring at school, so that's definitely not the way I ever want to convey it. History should be interesting and fun - that's the way people are more likely to want to learn from it. The world is so rich in history, especially Europe, and there are so many aspects that the average person doesn't ever hear about. When I research it, I keep uncovering interesting bits and pieces, many of which have a funny angle. Sharing that here is what I like to do, so if it's entertaining anyone, that's all the better.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 11, 2015 10:59:18 GMT
Just love the way you travel Oz T, is there any chance that you and Mrs Oz can take a small group of us wanting to see more but a little bit concerned about being on our own? We can rent a minivan, have you deal with Bruce, Mrs Oz do her fine driving, I could cook, do the shopping, laundry, whatever needs to be done...I am sure others would pitch in as well... What do you say? What a splendid idea, Californian! "Oz-T's Adventure Holidays" has a nice sound to it. As I explained in the beginning, I'm not trying to talk anybody out of guided tours, but I am certainly happy to show people how easy it is to conduct your own self-tour (although it's definitely easier as a couple instead of solo). I had been wanting to share this experience for many months and now on this independent forum I'm able to do so. You can probably imagine how frustrating it was to refrain from discussing this great trip we had.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 11, 2015 11:05:13 GMT
Tomorrow, we head toward the capital, The Hague... And catch up on some Witt history of the Dutch Golden Age.... Check out some Chinese pottery that's not actually Chinese... Visit a distinctive medieval city hall .... And sample some splendid cheeses ....
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Post by chech on Mar 11, 2015 13:35:42 GMT
Did you say hello to Mladic while in The Hague? I love my Little Red Prius...very hilly here but I get 5.1 L/100km averaged over the year. So nice to spend less than $50 a month in gas.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 11, 2015 21:05:49 GMT
Hmmmm... if I happened to see Ratko, I doubt that I'd be saying something polite like 'hello'. That trial seems to be indefinitely stalled.... Well, now I know what it's like to drive a Prius, as it's similar to the Auris. But they can be so silent in supermarket carparks, we had to constantly be aware of pedestrians who didn't realise there's a car right behind them.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 11, 2015 22:46:35 GMT
Day 9 – The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam & Gouda
This was the second of our two major driving trips whilst in the Netherlands and we set off early, following most of the roads that we’d taken to Amsterdam. We branched off toward The Hague and drove into the city at just past 9am, using the GPS device to locate a suitable parking station. Not only is The Hague the capital of the Netherlands, but also the capital of the province of South Holland. It began in 1230 when the Count of Holland built a hunting lodge – which was soon converted into a palace when his son, King William II inherited it. Unfortunately for William he only enjoyed the place for eight years before dying in battle: he became isolated from his army and lost. After trying to cross a frozen lake his horse crashed through the ice and he was captured and killed. The Hague developed and expanded over the centuries and eventually Louis Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) granted it city status. When the Netherlands was merged with Belgium after the Napoleonic wars, Brussels and Amsterdam alternated as the capital, but the government actually resided in The Hague all through this. Those Hageans must’ve been laughing, watching both of those cities pretending to be the capital when they had it in the bag all along. But it’s not the largest city. So here’s how to make sense of all this: The Hague is the capital of The Netherlands. The largest cities (in order) are The Amsterdam (where The Dam is located), The Rotterdam and The Hague. I may have added an extra ‘the’ or two, but you get the idea (even if it never caught on in The London, The Rome or The Paris). After parking we walked toward the city library where there was a tourist office to guide us. With some helpful advice and my own maps, we began our walking tour of The Hague. Before long we were near the Plein area and then the statue of Johan de Witt, one of the most influential political leaders in the Dutch Golden Age. At the age of just 28 he was appointed to the role of ‘Grand Pensionary’ - which in today’s terms would be akin to prime minister. He held that position of first statesman of the Dutch Republic for 19 years, presiding over immense economic growth as Holland expanded its commercial activities around the world. And he was a clever mathematician too, writing books and pioneering mathematical theories. Johan de Witt A Republican, de Witt resisted the House of Orange from gaining power and this led to his downfall. He and his brother were set upon by an Orangist lynch mob and were assassinated in 1672. And it was allegedly none other than William III who had helped incite the mob, and who seized power as a consequence, at the age of 22. The bodies of the de Witt brothers were stripped and strung up, whereupon body parts were hacked off and eaten by the mob. This resonated throughout the world: a year later when the Dutch briefly recaptured New York from the English, they renamed it New Orange (no, I’m not kidding), as a dedication to William. Instead of calling NYC the ‘Big Apple’ maybe it should be the ‘Big Orange’? Anyway, we continued our walk toward the Hofvijver, a pond in front of the Binnenhof. the world’s oldest parliament building still in use. The site dates back to over 700 years. While we were there, police suddenly cordoned off the central area for a motorcade to exit – I assume that this was the Dutch prime minister. Hofvijver and Parliament; The Hague Parliament sector; The Hague Near here is the Mauritshuis, originally a residence built in the 1630s but now a major art museum. Mauritshuis; The Hague And it’s where I wanted to see some magnificent paintings, including some Rembrandts and Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ (sometimes called the ‘Dutch Mona Lisa’). Alas, the museum had been closed for two years of renovations and was about to reopen in three weeks. Rather than admit to my own poor planning, the only option was to hurl abuse at the prime minister but I missed my chance at that too, just ten minutes earlier. Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring"; (internet image) We browsed through the city a little longer before returning to our car and driving toward the city of Delft a short 11km away. The city got its name from the Delft Canal that the village was built beside. By the 1300s it had grown to become an important city. In 1572 William I (William the Silent) moved here. With city walls, Delft provided a suitable base for William to resist the Spaniards (although I suspect it had a dual benefit of keeping out that nagging wife and six daughters who never let him get a word in). The canals of Delft; South Holland Delft is a pretty city with its waterways and easy to stroll around. Many shops display the distinctive porcelain products known as Delftware. This goes back to the early 1600s when the Dutch East India Company traded extensively with China, bringing back superb porcelain products that were of such high quality that they were very expensive. When the Ming Dynasty collapsed in the mid-1600s it interrupted the supply of porcelain to Europe, so the enterprising Delft craftsmen copied the designs, thus creating a booming industry. Now you know how the Chinese got the idea of copying somebody else’s products and mass producing them for world export. It was done to them first. Delftware The walls and gates that fortified Delft have been torn down over the centuries, apart from the Oostpoort (East Gate) (Built c. 1400) that still stands. It’s quite an attractive area with the canals. Oostpoort; Delft Leaving Delft, we continued 16km south toward Rotterdam, the country’s second largest city and the world’s second largest port. Similar to Amsterdam, this city began as a dam, in this case on the Rotte River; hence the name Rotterdam. The network of navigable waterways running into Rotterdam made it a natural place for a trading hub and it soon became known as the ‘Gateway to Europe’. Roads, rail and even air services emanated from Rotterdam’s port and waterway advantages. No other place so easily links the European interior with the North Sea and beyond that, the whole world. Rotterdam was attacked by Germany in 1940 and given no chance to surrender before it was extensively bombed. The devastated city was eventually rebuilt after the war to become the largest port in the world before Shanghai passed it in 2004. Had there been more time we would have driven into Rotterdam instead of bypassing it. We then headed north-east toward the city of Gouda, some 25km away. Gouda began as a settlement on the Gouwe River in the Middle Ages and after a bit of the usual Dutch canal building, a decent harbour was established. However, poor old Gouda suffered setbacks after each period of prosperity. They got hit with the plague at least four times, and got caught up in wars and recessions. By the 1800s it was one of the poorest cities and the Dutch even used the term ‘Goudaner’ to mean ‘beggar’. Canal; Gouda But the one thing that endured throughout Gouda’s existence is its cheese, which is made in the surrounding region, rather than the city in which it is traditionally traded. We parked and walked into the old town centre where we were fascinated with the most incredible building, the Stadhuis (City Hall). Located in the Central Markt, this Gothic sandstone building is over five centuries old and is a reminder of Gouda’s wealth when it was part of the huge cloth trade. Nearby is the Waag – a cheese weighing house. Stadhuis; Gouda Stadhuis; Gouda We dropped into a cafe and sat with our coffees, chatting to the owner for awhile. He explained that locals pronounce the name as ‘Hoo-da’ and he directed us to a nearby cheese shop. Soon, we were inside that shop, sampling the various cheeses – and there were hundreds of varieties of Gouda. We purchased a generous sized portion which we snacked on for the next two or three days and it was absolutely delicious. Cheese shop; Gouda We strolled around the canals; taking in the pretty scenes... Canal; Gouda I kept distracting Mrs Oz by pointing out these sorts of sights, whilst trying to steal the cheese from her bag. Yes, my hand did get a bit red from being smacked often, and I never did get to sample the Gouda cheese until after dinner that night. Canal; Gouda. But the day was nearing an end and we had to get going. So it was farewell to this pretty city of Gouda and back onto the motorway for the 120km drive back to our resort where we cooked a nice dinner. And I was let loose on that cheese....
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Post by purvis on Mar 12, 2015 3:17:32 GMT
Enjoying your tour tales. I picked up a small cat figurine in Delft which now sits surrounded by 3 Royal Doulton cats and everytime I dust the table they sit on I remember Delft . Your explanation of the history of the area is very enlightening and educational. Thanks Purvis
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 12, 2015 9:10:50 GMT
In tomorrow's instalment, we travel to a Dutch city rich in history, but not on the regular itineraries of the guided tour companies...
We delve into the history of one of the world's most powerful commercial trading conglomerates...
We see what happens when you have a lot of coins to count ....
And we reflect on a Canadian hero's extraordinary exploits...
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Post by tiffany on Mar 12, 2015 12:10:28 GMT
I finally got caught up on your tour tale, and it’s bringing back a lot of memories from when I was on the Best of Holland tour a few years ago. I really enjoyed Holland, especially Amsterdam, and I hope to go back again someday.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 12, 2015 21:02:58 GMT
It's a great country, Tiffany. And with plenty more things to see when you go beyond the regular tour group destinations.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 12, 2015 21:49:58 GMT
Day 10 – Rest DayAfter the previous day’s big trip to The Hague, Delft and Gouda, we considered that a rest day was in order. In two days we would be departing the Netherlands and having twelve consecutive days of driving and sightseeing, covering a lot of territory. Recharging the batteries made a lot of sense as there would be no chance of this for the remainder of the tour. And I had to show some respect for Mrs Oz; even on guided tours the driver gets a couple of days off. I was hoping she wouldn't also be expecting a tip when this was all done. We slept in and did a few walks around the resort, filling in our afternoon with researching our maps and travel books to fine-tune our itinerary for the next two weeks. Day 11 – ZwolleAfter a leisurely breakfast we drove north to the city of Zwolle, another destination that wouldn’t figure on any commercial guided tour. As a self-tour, this is how you get to see aspects of a country that lack the touristy ‘wow’ factor but are still nice to see. Just 10km north, Zwolle is a city that is very old, tracing back to 800 AD. The name derived from ‘suolle’ (hill) which sat in the middle of where four rivers converged. The higher ground provided a dry area, surrounded by waterways that resemble a moat. These rivers made Zwolle an ideal commercial centre as it was easy to send ships straight down the river and out into the North Sea. Rivers surrounding the city of Zwolle In 1294 Zwolle joined the Hanseatic League, a confederation of towns and merchant guilds located along the Northern European coast. These commercial traders were big money businesses and banding together made a lot of sense. They even had their own courts and military to protect their trading activities that stretched from parts of Russia, the Baltic, Poland, Northern Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia and even to London. The term ‘Hanseatic’ derived from the German name ‘Hansa’ (guild). Members of the Hanseatic League became what we would today call a trading bloc and they didn’t need any prompting to resort to bribery, blackmail, boycotts or setting up monopolies to further their commercial interests. But they also provided benefits: they intervened where necessary to prevent wars, knowing that conflicts were bad for business. But when it suited them, Hansa entered wars to coerce trading privileges, such as the war on Denmark in the late 1300s. Here’s how it unfolded: Valdemar IV was the King of Denmark who was a bit of an authoritarian. For example, he attacked the Swedish town of Visby in 1361 because he had heard that they had sung songs, mocking him. A total of 1800 men were killed defending their city. But Valdemar hadn’t realised how this would invite reprisals – Visby was a member of the powerful Hanseatic League. He made things worse, attacking Hanseatic boats that had access to lucrative herring fishing areas. Enough was enough, and eventually, the Hansa sent a fleet and an army to invade Denmark, capturing Copenhagen and pillaging it. Valdemar fled into exile and only returned four years later after he had backed down and gave the Hansa full access to operate their commercial activities. Valdemar IV of Denmark The Hansa was indeed powerful, but if it’s too good to be true, you can bet that somebody else will want to join the party. The Hansa group’s success created plenty of rivals, all eager to break the trading power, and internal problems led to it falling apart in the late 1500s. It finally petered out in the 1800s, although its name endures to this day and you will have heard of it: the largest airline in Europe is Lufthansa, borrowing the German word ‘Luft’ for ‘air’ and ‘Hansa’ from the medieval trading conglomerate. We crossed the Ijssel River (that all important waterway that replenishes the lake with fresh water) and located a parking station on Kamperpoortenbrug, just inside the city centre. Then we walked toward the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren (Tower of Our Lady), locally known as the Peperbus (peppermill). It’s a former church and its high tower stands out from afar, signalling to locals that they’re approaching Zwolle. For a small fee you can ascend the tower for great views around. The Peperbus; Zwolle, Netherlands Further into the centre we get to the Grote Kerk (‘Great Church’), and it used to be even greater before lightning hit it on three separate occasions, demolishing its tower. We went inside for a look, although I admit to first checking the sky for any thunderclouds. Grote Kerk; Zwolle Walking through the church, we found that we were able to access a room behind the altar which was laid out with furniture and paintings, looking just like it did 400 years ago. Outside, we strolled through the town square. Town Square; Zwolle The citizens of Zwolle are nicknamed the ‘Blauwvingers’ (Bluefingers) and as usual, there’s a great story behind this. In 1682 the church tower collapsed in a fire and the city didn’t have the money to rebuild it. The only solution was to sell the church bells to the neighbouring city of Kampen (another member of the Hanseatic League), and Zwolle held out until they got top price. A problem arose when Kampen took delivery and discovered that the bells were too damaged to ring properly. I bet the guy in charge of purchasing at Kampen copped a lot of flak for not inserting a guaranteed chime clause in the contract. So what to do? Unable to find any loopholes or decent lawyers, Kampen had to pay up, but there was nothing to say this had to be done happily. So Kampen got as many copper coins (worth a couple of cents each) as they could and paid Zwolle with a mountain of them. Distrusting Kampen, the Zwolle folk sat down and counted every single copper coin, a task which turned their fingers blue, and hence the nickname. Walking past a bakery in Zwolle, I was able to see their specialty: finger-sized biscuits with dark icing at the tips. Ahhh, capitalism always wins the day. We went inside and had our morning coffees whilst looking out on the town square. Blauwvingers Following my map, we walked south until we reached Sassenpoort (‘Sassen’ = gate), a former gatheouse and now a national monument. As a defence, hot oil could be poured on anyone intending to invade the city here. So rather than take any chances, I walked through rather quickly. Sassenpoort Gate House. Just to the south-east of the old town is a street named Leo Majorlaan, which ought to be a pilgrimage destination for Canadians. It commemorates Canada’s Sergeant Léo Major who single-handedly liberated Zwolle from Nazi occupation on the night of 13 April 1945. He entered the city at Sassenpoort and ran through the streets, firing shots and tossing grenades. The German soldiers thought they were under attack by a huge Canadian force and many fled. Major attacked groups of German soldiers, killing many and capturing nearly a hundred in ten separate raids and handing them over in batches to the Canadian/French troops stationed just outside the city. By dawn, the Germans had retreated and Zwolle was liberated. A remarkable and heroic effort by a distinguished soldier with several other brave feats to his record. We made our way back to the car, walking beside the waterway and taking in the sights. Almost everything alongside the rivers that surround this city make for excellent photos. Zwolle is a pleasant city and well worth a visit, especially since you’re unlikely to ever see it on any guided tour. We drove back to Wezep to buy food to cook for dinner, and then back to our resort for our final night there.
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Post by chech on Mar 12, 2015 22:57:42 GMT
Wow...I have to admit I've never heard of this Major guy. Wonder if someone has written a book on his feats. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 12, 2015 23:19:17 GMT
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Post by purvis on Mar 12, 2015 23:41:47 GMT
Wow...I have to admit I've never heard of this Major guy. Wonder if someone has written a book on his feats. Hmmmmmmmmmmm..... Chech: I went online and found a great bio of this man. He was a private from a Montreal regiment. He has returned to Zwolle 7 times since the end of WW2. Just type in his name and get a great read. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Mar 13, 2015 11:59:50 GMT
Our tour director told us about him when I did the Best of Holland tour. She said he’s the reason that people from the Netherlands love Canadians so much, and that Canadians will always be welcome in their country.
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Post by Tonnet on Mar 14, 2015 22:02:48 GMT
Purvis, not to forget the real story about the tulips in Canada and the involvement of the Dutch government.
There are lovely connections between Canada and The Netherlands!
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