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Our Trip to the Netherlands April 2007

Matt and I arrived in Amsterdam April 10th, 2007 to find beautiful, sunny weather. We came expecting lots of April showers, but it never rained while we were there. Temperatures were quite warm, in fact they said they’ve never had an April like this before. We stayed at the Lion D’Or hotel in Haarlem, a quaint little town about 15 minutes by train from bustling Amsterdam. Haarlem is the namesake for Harlem, NY.

My observations of the Netherlands were that the people were very polite, nearly all spoke very good english (thank heavens because Dutch is a particularly difficult language!) The Dutch language has no resemblance to German whatsoever, as I was expecting.  I have read that the Dutch people are the tallest in Europe (good living, no doubt!), and we saw this to be very true. Matt, being 6′5″, saw many men easily his height on any given day, and saw several men much taller. They have perfectly erect posture and are in general a handsome people.  They tended to dress very fashionably, even in smaller cities.  Their clothes did not appear expensive, but so well put together and accessorized beautifully.

Oh the bikes! Streams of bikes, and when they were not on them, they were attached or parked at every conceivable spot. People dressed in their work day best, trench coats, wool suits, dresses, all riding their bikes to and from work, restaurants and market.  Moms or Dads with little toddlers sitting on special seats attached to the front or back of the bike, in any weather, presumably going to a sitter or daycare.  Inevitably there was a big bunch of beautiful flowers either being carried or plunked in the front basket on their way home from work.  The bikes we saw were generally old, as bikes are stolen with some frequency there and nobody wants to invest in a fancy bike. The terrain is quite flat, so multiple gears are not required.  Old couples would come out of their home, hop on their bike and go to the market or restaurant. I recall looking out a train window and seeing an impeccably groomed older woman with beautiful silver hair and a camel colored wool suit taking a leisurely ride down a country path with a smile on her face.  The Dutch people are said to be the most content in Europe, and the people in Haarlem the most content in the Netherlands.

The roads and sidewalks are all cobblestone, as you imagine. Every city has it’s town square which is the center of activity and social life.  An enormous church dominates each square, and quaint tables and chairs from restaurants spill out onto the street.  The squares are typically pedestrian and bike traffic only.  People stop at the markets to buy food and flowers, and frequently stop to meet friends for a drink on their way home from work.  After 5 or 6 pm, everything closes, and this is valued family and friends time spent leisurely catching up or just sitting and enjoying a little late afternoon sunshine. The beauty and quality of the food was unbelievable.  Fruits and vegetables that put ours to shame were being sold on every corner.  We particularly noticed that foods we might consider unhealthy, like cream, butter, gorgeous breads, cheeses and meats were in abundance. The food was always so visually appealing and satisfying that one was not tempted to overeat.  And of course with all the exercise they get on the bikes, nobody is overweight there.

And of course the canals were everywhere.  Since the Netherlands are below sea level, canals were in abundance in the city as well as along farm fields.  In Amsterdam, old tugs no longer in use were docked along the canals and served as houseboats. Once a houseboat is in place, it was not moved, as your “spot” was considered permanent. The canals rarely freeze over anymore.   The countryside was beautiful, with sheep grazing in the pastures. Along many of the train tracks were large garden plots that people living in the city would use to grow vegetables and flowers. Even from the train window, you could easily appreciate the sense of community  this instilled in people as they chatted to each other from their respective plots.  Most had a small shed, and it appeared that many people set up a little porches so they could sit and relax and visit with neighbors.

 Although I loved every moment spent in the Netherlands, without a doubt my favorite day was spent at the Keukenhof tulip gardens near Lisse. We took the bus to the city of Lisse and hopped off near the garden to see hundreds of acres of cultivated tulip fields.  To me, it was unbelievable and indescribable. It was a crystal clear sunny spring day with the bluest sky I have ever seen. In front of me were acres of tulips in rows of vivid reds, pinks, yellow, white and peach. The fragrance of the nearby purple hyacinth fields made me feel like I was in a technicolor dream.  A small, beat up old row boat was tied up in the canal and the farmer with his straw hat was working in the field - it looked like a painting by Vincent Van Gogh.  It was simply overwhelming!  When you order Dutch tulip bulbs, chances are this is where they come from. The plants are grown for the bulbs, not the flowers.  

We spent an afternoon in Delft, a charming small city where Delft pottery is made.  We spent a day or two in Amsterdam and went into every church and museum along the way.  My one regret, but good reason to go back, was that I could not visit Winterswijk and Aalten, where my father’s side of the family came from.  We were limited by time and the fact we needed to rent a car to get there, and could not arrange it over the weekend. We finished our trip in Germany.

                                             

                                                                              Tulip fields near Lisse

Next we entered the Keukenhof gardens, the world’s largest flower garden. There are seven million (!) flower bulbs planted, all spring flowering between March and mid-May.  For a flower fanatic like myself, this was a wonderland. Neither words nor our photos can do it justice. It was simply breathtaking.

                      

                                                 

 

 

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