Category: Netherlands

Netherlands 23.4.26

24 April 2026 / admin

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.

Netherlands 22.4.26

23 April 2026 / admin

Noordeinde Palace Den Haag 22.4.26

We stay local today with a guided walk around Den Haag. Close by the hotel is a statue memorial to the late Queen Wilhelmina and to be perfectly honest if I had any hand in commissioning or approving this monstrosity I would feel that I was disrespecting the history of her reign and the individual. Why can we not be nice about Royal family members? I have not included a photograph of the monstrosity, even more amazing it is almost opposite the main royal palace (above) where the King works.

Lange Voorhout Den Haag 22.4.26

Our tour takes us along the above attractive tree lined avenue to the Hotel D’Indes and then along past the Houses of Parliament (currently closed for reconstruction) and into the City Centre itself. Mainly traffic free and yet still busy.

Netherland Parliament Den Haag 22.4.26

At the end of the tour we can enter the Palace Gardens (and indeed others walk around them – I am at the limit of my walking time). Given we can no longer even enter Downing Street in London the contrast is enormous and I feel reflects badly on our country where there are so many restrictions on where we may go.

Anatomical Theatre Den Haag 22.4.26

We pass amongst other places the Anatomical Theatre where for several centuries surgeons learnt about the body with full dissections taking place several times per annum. The building was constructed for the Surgeons Guild to allow knowledge to passed on and for skills to be developed.

Plane Filling II M C Escher Den Haag 22.4.26

Following the end of the tour we retrace our steps to enable Jackie to acquire a new cabin suitcase to enable easy travelling as it has wheels and it less cumbersome than the bag packed for this trip. Once Jackie is back at the hotel and after a break, I emerge again to visit Lange Voorhout Palace which now houses a museum dedicated to Maurits Cornelis Escher, an artist whose mind perhaps worked in a slightly unusual way. Much of his output was dedicated to transformations where birds turn to fish and similar, he is also known for the impossible where a 2D representation of 3 D items enables things to be achieved which are physically impossible. Although from the Netherlands he did spend a long time in Italy.

In the evening we dine at BlueBloods which is a short walk each way and we are able to get a very decent steak.

Netherlands 21.4.26

22 April 2026 / admin

Colours Keukenhof 21.4.26

Another day and an important one – the coach reappears – a good five minutes walk away as it cannot reach the hotel – and we climb aboard for a trip of about an hour to Keukenhof which are gardens laid out to show off the wares of Dutch Bulb growers enabling people to walk amongst a mass of flowers – at their best – for a period of about six weeks – which is the only time the gardens are open.

There are also specialist displays inside some of the buildings but we only tried one of these – with a display of orchids – but at some point in the past we have (for once) been somewhere better – we just cannot remember where!

Flowers galore Keukenhof 21.4.26

We cover much of the site – but to do all of it requires more walking than either of us can manage – a trip we should have done earlier. Pain killers for my pain can sometimes work and sometimes not. It is not clear sometimes why something has worked or why even having taken something the pain appears.

Tulips Keukenhof 21.4.26

Although the site is pretty busy it remains possible to get photographs without too many people in shot – but there are different colours and flowers everywhere, along with statues and other aspects to achieve variety.

Bluebells among the tulips Keukenhof 21.4.26

Equally impressive are the ordinary growing fields we pass on our journeys – both yesterday and today we pass fields of flowers in strips each of a single colour. Some strips have been picked and others are just reaching that point – all amazing bright colours. I have over 70 photographs so those included are just a small extract to indicate the variety which exists.

We dine in the hotel this evening. Not particularly worth recounting according to my memory.

Netherlands 20.4.26

21 April 2026 / admin

Amsterdam 20.4.26

Today was one of those days – with the problems starting on Sunday evening when we discovered messages advising that our KLM flight this morning was not flying. By the time we saw the messages we had also been advised that we would be flying BA a little later than planned. However KLM use T4 and BA uses T5; the parking booking needed changing and we are now heading for pod parking arriving so early inside T5 that security has not yet been unsecured (4:30am for future reference).

BA get us away more or less on time to deliver us into the next hell hole – Amsterdam Schipol. We head towards immigration and after several attempts I manage to register my passport and fingerprints on the new terminals needed to enter Schengen territory. It was so much easier arriving at Hoek of Holland by ferry in 1976. We are then split without any explanation into “Route 1” and “Route 2”. Both routes are placed into holding zones – apparently because one of the two downward escalators is not working so the people flow has to he regulated. After a while the powers that be decided we could not go that way and led across the terminal to another set of stairs which did not really indicate where route 1 or route 2 people should go. Eventually route 1 goes to machines which appear to scan passport (success), take a picture (success) and fingerprints – three attempts and then rejected and put into route 2 in which you get to meet a border guard.

Fill up the queues further along we are advised at high volume. Then all the difficult cases (4) are brought to the officer in the booth for which I am queueing – which for Jackie who managed to get through route 1 means increasing worry as I have disappeared into nothingness. Eventually I reach the officer and I am asked where I am going – well Amsterdam – I am here. I am advised that is not an appropriate answer as I am in transfers and MUST be going somewhere else. Eventually after some explanation that I have been sent this way it is accepted that I can go to Amsterdam! I emerge and find Jackie. However there are only signs for transfers to somewhere else and no indication that there is an exit anywhere. If anyone ever asks – do not fly to Amsterdam.

The tour guide is slowly collecting his flock and one of the last couple through obviously have the same sort of misrouting as I suffered.

Royal Palace Amsterdam 20.4.26

We are then dropped in central Amsterdam and although we have been here before, over 20 years ago I honestly do not recognise it at all. The station looks familiar as we used it a few years ago but the rest is not recognised. We walk a little way to the main square and then find a decent lunch in an adjacent restaurant before returning to the quay and taking a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam – again we have done it before but I do not really remember it. Back to the coach pick up. Only it doesn’t. It is reported that the coach is stuck in a tunnel under the City and cannot move. We sit in a local bar but after two hours I flip out and we decide to catch a train down to The Hague where we have a dinner reservation.

Amsterdam Canal Cruiser 20.4.26

The train takes around 50 minutes – smooth, a number of stops, double decker trains. Not high speed but frequent (every 10 or 15 minutes). Once in The Hague we take a taxi direct to our booked restaurant for an excellent meal before finding our Movenpick hotel – we are now very tired as it has been a very long day.

Service to Den Haag 20.4.26

The rest of the tour party made it to the hotel soon after 7 as the coach had finally been extricated around the time we set off; I just felt that not enough was being done – it seemed that a second coach could not be procured and it was all down to a lack of CCTV in the tunnel – but there are other ways of solving the problem and getting traffic moving.

None of the problems were the fault of Newmarket directly – KLM had a flight cancellation; Schipol clearly cannot cope with the new system, the failure by the local police to keep traffic moving

Rhine Cruise 26.7.19

27 July 2019 / admin

Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht 26.7.19

The reason why our boat sailed along without us yesterday was due to the distance to be covered to our next destination, which also sees us leave the Rhine behind and to take a sideways trip, almost back into Belgium to the City of Maastricht which is still just in southeastern Netherlands. This requires a trip along part of the river Meuse as the city lies either side of that river.

the name resounds because it was the Treaty signed here in 1992 which led to the foundation of the European Union. A significant mistake was made at this point by the Major government as other nations did not undertake a referendum which led to nigh on 20 years of unrest within the Conservative party which may never be resolved but almost certainly led to the later demands for an exit from the EU. A referendum at that point might have avoided the subsequent histrionics.

Restaurant Maastricht 26.7.19

Despite being post the Brexit vote, the local restaurants looked interesting – with simple messages conveying what to eat!

Hell’s Gate Maastricht 26-7-19

The city history goes back a long way and this gate dates back to around 1230 in the original walls around the city.

Maastricht lies at the joining of the Jeker and Meuse rivers and as we head back northwards we have Germany on the right bank and Netherlands on the left. I believe a cut off canal at Mook then takes us back to Nijmegen where we rejoin the Waal and we then head eastwards entering Germany where the river becomes the Rhine.

Rhine Cruise 25.7.19

26 July 2019 / admin

Windmills Netherlands Open Air Museum 25.7.19

Our destination in early afternoon is a berth at Arnhem where we berth to disembark for a trip to the Netherlands Open Air Museum. Scenic Ruby then departs and we later rejoin her at Nijmegen.

The Open Air Museum covers a significant area and similar to beamish Museum has a tramway running around much of the perimeter to enable access from one area to another. We have around 3 hours which means it is impossible to cover the entire site but we can at least gain some exposure to the collection of historic buildings which have been brought to the site from across the country.

The windmills above have different origins with the large one being a sawmill (originally in Numansdorp) whilst the smaller one behind was a drainage mill (from Gouda).

Dwelling Interior 25.7.19

Like Beamish and other museums the interior of the preserved houses have been suitably fitted out with relevant interiors.

NS Class no 285 25.7.19

A little wandering around found this locomotive at the goods shed which is adjacent to the tram depot.

Tram 25.7.19

The trams are also running so provide some rides as we progress.

There were a couple of coaches undertaking our transfer back to the Scenic Ruby but despite being requested to use the same coach someone failed to do this and we are significantly delayed on our return as the numbers when counted do not add up. We are counted numerous times and eventually the facts are sorted – no-one is missing but I have a feeling we end up delaying our boat’s departure. We do make the connection – just.

Rhine Cruise 24.7.19

25 July 2019 / admin

Delta Works 24.7.19

We marginally retrace our route overnight returning to the Netherlands, berthing in Veere on Zeeland which is immediately adjacent to the southern end of the North Sea. I take an organised trip to the Delta Works. Originally the plans were for sea defences which would protect the entire country by carefully controlling the flow of water to and from the North Sea. Eventually opposition and the vast costs limited some of the ambitions but the Delta Works was the largest outcome from projects which commenced following the North Sea flood of 1953.

In the South Holland area there are 4 million residents which the state sought to protect such that flooding risks were limited to particular risk levels which were then enshrined into law. Some of the original plans could not be progressed due to the potential loss of important buildings and also ended a plan for a new freshwater area as the harvesting of oysters would have suffered. However the works which have completed have still led to former sea water becoming fresh water as there is no longer open passage to the sea. Obviously the need to preserve life is highly rated and work is now under consideration to enable the likely coming increase in sea water levels can be ameliorated.

Delta Works Barriers 24.7.19

Conveying the size and scale of the barriers is almost impossible but hopefully this goes some way to achieving that.

This evening is the Captain’s cocktail reception and welcome dinner.

Rhine Cruise 22.7.19

23 July 2019 / admin

Eurostar 22.7.19

This was our first river cruise for many years – the last one was last century in Russia and it was a decent way to see sights and yet be insulated from most of the country’s drawbacks. This cruise also marks a return to Scenic with whom we travelled to Australia a few years earlier – we were well looked after then so hoped for a repeat of that experience. As this is being penned some years after the event I will not be doing a day by day record but will record a little more detail than on some holidays not covered at the time.

The start to the holiday was when we were collected at 03:20 to be taken to London St Pancras International – a very early hour indeed. What is more pleasant is that at the time the through service to Amsterdam was only just over a year old – to my mind the limited destinations available via Eurostar have limited passenger growth, along with the way passengers are treated with excessive luggage scans, pen herding and essentially not really believing that they are running a train service. All of which is experienced today!

The actual trip to Amsterdam is smooth and we are met and ushered onto a bus – which effectively takes us to the other end of the station where the cruise boat is moored. It is a long station so I suppose it is quicker than walking – but the weather was warm so it was preferable to be air conditioned for a few minutes.

For those who have not participated in a river cruise the point probably needs to be made that cabin sizes are not enormous – there is not the same space as on cruise liner (navigating locks would be impossible) so the cabin size can be disappointing. In these circumstances I retire to a corner or the bed and wait until Jackie has unpacked and then unpack my case so that only one of us is moving around the cabin at a time. It means I can listen to the concerns being expressed and readily note my sympathetic view.

The aim of the cruise is sea to source – well not quite. From Amsterdam and the North Sea to Switzerland with a diversion along part of the Moselle with the cruise ship navigating part of the latter.