Pier Scheveningen 23.4.26
There are several visits to make today before we catch a late flight home. At this time of year the seaside can be a very mixed and so it proves when we visit Scheveningen which is the seaside resort adjacent to Den Haag. There is a wind blowing in from the sea and whilst I walk to the end of the pier it is probably not a good day at the seaside, even though it is bright and sunny.
ICJ Den Haag 23.4.26
On our way to the coast we stop briefly outside the above building which is now the International Court of Justice where war criminals have been prosecuted in recent years. These days however the rule of law does not seem to stretch so far. The building is known as the “Peace Palace” and was constructed in the early 20th Century as a home for the Permanent Court of Arbitration and was initially funded by Andrew Carnegie – at a time when wealthy entrepreneurs redirected their wealth for the public good.
Cheeses 23.4.26
Our next visit is to dairy making local cheese. Obviously we are not able to take cheese home but we are advised that they have sold significant quantities to UK travellers and there have been no reported instances of interception on return to the UK. We are not willing to risk it. I suspect some others do. The lady telling us how they make cheese is (or more probably was) an American who married the farm owner. They make quite a few different variations on cheese and tasting samples are consumed.
Zaanse Schans 24.4.26
Our final stopping point is Zaanse Schans, an industrial history museum, which preserves and maintains a number of windmills plus other craft activities along with buildings which have been moved to the museum from other locations in the country. Our first destination is, however, a location to get some lunch as we are travelling back later and will not have much opportunity to eat anything significant.
Not the Windmills of Old Amsterdam 24.4.26
The Zaan district was the oldest industrial area in Western Europe commencing in the 18th Century with around 600 windmills in operation. Trade in the 17th Century which forms the Dutch Golden Age drove the investment and the construction enabling the entrepreneurs to produce ever more products. The invention of the crankshaft converting the horizontal wind pressure into a vertical saw motion enabling more wood to be cut than was possibly manually. This enabled ship building and so led to a significant merchant navy – 26 shipyards turning out over 100 ships a year. This required manpower and that led to growing national and then international trade. They also originated fire contracts and insurance.
Preserved Houses 24.4.26
It is fair to say that we were not looking forward to the return journey. Most of it went well. Of course we ended up at T4 which with the car in pod parking in T5 is less than fun. So it is one train to T2 and then another to T5 and the hike to the pod parking terminal. It goes reasonably well but it does take some time. I do ensure we get the free inter-terminal tickets from the machine which eases the pain slightly, they are allegedly 4 miles apart so I suppose the time is not unreasonable.
Holiday Summary
Just a quick roundup – a busy holiday, beautiful flowers, Den Haag is a lovely city and a chance to see some of the country’s history. A good holiday and a revisit to Den Haag is highly possible.
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