Holland 2009

To all seven of us setting out on our holiday, Holland represented an unknown quantity. Yes we knew it would be flat and that they drove on the left and that Amsterdam had, shall we say, a more colourful side to it. But outside of the obvious, it was a trip without the benefit of experience and knowledge. However, the cabins on board the ship were excellent and allowed us to begin our holiday feeling refreshed. As we could not get into our accommodation until the afternoon, we decided to turn this to our advantage and stop off in Gouda for breakfast. Riding, literally through the market square along pedestrian streets,
albeit very slowly, we parked up and made our way to the Grand Café. The first thing which strikes one is the amount of bicycles cruising around, many carrying several children at a time. It was all very Dutch, so peaceful and civilized. Being Gouda, cheese was a big seller. Luckily we found the Café very easily. It was very evident that our lack of Dutch would not be an issue as the waitress' all spoke wonderful English and soon we were enjoying a superb apple and cinnamon cake with freshly made coffee. Our breakfast set us up tremendously for the rest of the morning as we explored the delights of the vibrant market accompanied to the sounds of the church bells.

Our next port of call was further north at the medieval town of Elburg. Parking up and accompanied by warm sunshine we strolled leisurely along the main street bedecked with fishing nets and full of people intent on having a good time. That certainly included us! This was our lunch stop, but on reading the Dutch menu left us wondering whether we would be ordering ‘blind’. We need not have worried as again the waitress translated the menu into English and we could order with confidence. Arriving at three we checked in at our accommodation and drove along narrow roads deep into the forest and soon were unloading all our luggage in our two houses. Peter and Angela were in with Mike and Amanda, Paul was in with Michael and Alison. The houses were next door to one another which made visiting very easy. The first consideration was food. Paul had spotted a supermarket in Ommen, our nearest town, which was only a few kilometers away. So with empty panniers we headed in that direction and soon our trolleys were emptied and our panniers full once more.

With a good meal inside us we were ready to plan the next day. It was decided to visit the little country town of Giethoorn. Sunday dawned bright and sunny as we headed along tree lined roads which were never very far from water, in the shape of a canal or a lake. It made a very picturesque scene as gradually we came ever closer to our destination. Even with the undoubted advantages that Sat-Navs offer, Giethoorn took a little finding. Parked up in the local hotel we made our way on foot towards a narrow little road which led to a bridge and a delightful landscape of thatched cottages reflected in mirrored canals.

After a little negotiation a boat was soon hired and with Captain Amanda in charge at the helm we were soon making waves to cries of “Right hand down a bit, no not that right, the other one!!” We all had a great laugh as we explored Giethoorn, a town criss-crossed with beautiful houses and waterways. Two hours later saw us back
at the hotel enjoying cake and tea. Our final stop was Blokzijl (and yes it really is spelt like that). What a truly delightful village. Surrounded by beautiful houses reflected
in the stillness of the harbour and with attractive looking boats moored to the quayside, we absorbed the charming atmosphere of Blokzijl. What made it doubly attractive
and worth a visit was that it served the biggest ice-creams in the world!

A lot of Holland’s attractions are closed on a Monday; therefore it was decided to head north-east to the coastal towns of Harlingen and Makkum. Harlingen seemed almost asleep as we strolled along near deserted streets again lined with beautiful canals. We were again bathed in sunshine as we watched the colourful barges manoeuvre themselves in and out of the harbour, whilst huge modern-day ships powered their way across the entrance. Eventually we found the main street which had more zing to it and more to the point, excellent fresh fish and chips!

Compared to Harlingen, Makkum was much smaller and much more lively, but no less attractive. Tree lined roads with the now obligatory canal running down the centre reflecting the wonderful outline of the old brick cottages made us want to linger. Luckily, there where plenty of places to sit and absorb the atmosphere, whilst watching the world go bye. We split into two groups for the return journey, the first group travelling via motorways; the other took the country route to see if there was a lot of difference in time. The answer proved to be only about twelve minutes in favour of the main roads group, but in terms of quality of riding you needed to be on the country roads as the main roads can be quite busy.

We had heard of a restored medieval town called Bourtange in the North-East Holland that simply had to be seen. The Sat-Nav took the strain out of travelling, but as we drove literally through a farm you had to wonder if it had lost the plot! Bourtange was completely surrounded by moats set out in a most elaborate pattern and the only way in, was across small bridges. Inside, the cottages were encased by a high rampart built to defend the town from the Spanish in the 18th century. It gave a very intimate feel to this charming old town.


As we were very near to the German border we felt duty bound to have a ride over and to take lots of snaps on the border itself. Returning to Holland brought us to a very old abbey in Ter Apel. Built entirely from small brick it was so clean though, that it looked like new! Inside it had a wonderful calming atmosphere. It was easy to imagine the monks living here so long ago. That evening we all got together for a barbecue which was great fun. Peter manfully coaxed the fire into life and cooked a huge meal as we relaxed in the warmth of the evening, enjoying each other’s company whilst drinking some very good Spanish wine.

Wednesday saw us heading south to Arnhem. At one point having stopped to discuss the route to the Airborne Museum, Michael was about to ride off into the distance when Alison pointed out that be had forgotten to out his helmet on! At the museum itself, the static exhibition upstairs gave an excellent picture of the battle for the bridge here. However, but for the girls needing the facilities downstairs we would have missed an absolutely fabulous part of the museum. It consisted of lots of rooms which recreated the battle itself. The noise and visual displays were mind-blowing, you really felt the need to duck at times to avoid being killed, it was that good.

We had more luck at the war cemetery where we were given a guided tour by an elderly veteran who was 14 when the battle for the bridge at Arnhem was taking place.How fortunate was that? Some of the stories he told of how individuals died were heart rendering, especially when you were standing by the grave side and saw how young the soldiers were.

By Thursday the effects Holland had began to permeate the psyche. This was evident by everyone, (except Michael and Alison) hiring bicycles for the day and having a great time gallivanting along the beautiful wooded cycle paths which abound and visiting the lovely little villages nearby. Michael and Alison meanwhile, were busy collecting browny points, crossing the 20 miles of causeway which spans the Markermeer (Marker Sea) to Enkhuizen to experience the fabulous open-air museum there.

Paul was the only one of us who managed to visit Amsterdam. It was a long day but Paul made great use of his time by visiting Anne Frank’s house and the Van Gough museum as well as walking the beautiful streets which of course led him to that most colourful of districts in Amsterdam, but that, as they say, is another story. On his return Paul’s first words were how wonderful the Bungalow Park (where we were staying) was, how restful it made him feel, and how lucky we were to have found it. All the others agreed, and said that our stay had been a great success, one which left us hungry to experience more of the delights
Holland has to offer.