Saturday – September 11th
It was a beautiful sunny morning and we checked out of the Van der Valk Hotel. Nearby, just north of Utrecht and near the hotel, we found a two-star “Driving Tour” in the Michelin Guide of the Loosdrechtse Plassen. This is an area of lakes called the “Water Garden of the Netherlands” which were created by flooded peat bogs with a history reaching back to the 14th century. There are castles, farms, splendid villas, and yacht yards. Apparently the word ‘yacht’ is a Dutch word. The circuit roads go around the huge lake and we drove through the towns of: Breukeleveen, Loenen, Vreeland, Oud Loosdrecht, and Sypesteyn. We had driven most of the circuit roads yesterday in the rain on our way to Utrecht, but we wanted to see it today in the sunshine.
Earlier in the trip, a small icon of a wrench and a mechanic appeared on the dashboard. We assumed it meant that it was time for the car to have an oil change and we ignored it. This morning another larger “wrench” icon appeared on the dashboard during our drive around the Loosdrechtse Plassen. I was worried about the car and our liability, and since we were so close to the Hertz office at Schiphol Airport, we drove there to tell them about the icons. The young manager was called and he assured us that the car was just overdue for an oil change and would be alright for the weekend. He put his signature on our contract and we drove off, feeling relieved of our responsibility if the engine seized-up because of lack of oil.
On our way to south Delft, we decided to stop at Leiden again. We wanted to see the town and the beautiful architecture of the buildings and the museums, without the market which was there the last time. Oops! It was another Saturday and we forgot the routine of European markets. Since it was a bright and sunny day, the market was overflowing with people and bicycles! There must be more bicycles than people in the Netherlands. A bicycle parking lot in Leiden:
Markets are fun and we enjoyed this one again. It’s interesting to see that there are sections of the same goods for sale in these markets. I suppose it has to do with the longevity of the sellers who have probably been at a particular site for many years, perhaps generations. For example, there is one section where all the stalls sell fish, another section for clothes, another one sells cheese, another for bread. I guess that makes it easier for the locals who do their weekly shopping here.
Leiden is a lovely university town with wide canals and beautiful architecture. On market day there are lots of people and activities. The people are courteous and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual, especially on a warm sunny day!
We ate a good sandwich lunch in the square of the Town Hall Restaurant. The Town Hall is actually used as a restaurant in the summer and tables are set in the outdoor area of the old historic building.
We continued south toward Delft, our destination for the night. We had enjoyed staying there at the beginning of this journey and we thought it would be fun to return there for our last weekend in the Netherlands. We had made a reservation at the Hampshire Hotel – Delft Centre on the Internet the night before.
There is something to be said for “familiarity” when you’re away from home. It feels good to know where you’re going and where you’ll be staying for the night. The Hampshire Hotel is modern and comfortable and the people are friendly and nice. It was also a good base because it is centrally located. It is a short walk into Delft centre for restaurants, shops, etcetera, and a few minutes drive to the main highways.
It was Saturday “antiques” market day in Delft and also the national holiday of Open Monument Day, when all the museums and monuments are open free of charge to the public. The little streets were crowded with people.
Huge bleachers were set up filling the entire Markt square in the center of town. There was going to be evening entertainment of military marching bands and demonstrations of WWII military trucks, jeeps and artillery. They were still selling tickets, but neither Jeff nor I were interested.
We looked for an outdoor cafe for dinner and found the Waag behind the Stadt Huis, which was the old “weighing house” for gold and silver from 1770. The temperature was a bit cool, but we had an enjoyable outdoor supper. For the first time we noticed that people were eating dinner early (before 9:00 PM) and realized that they were planning to go to the military show at eight.
After dinner, we were slowly walking back to the hotel and enjoyed the excitement of the crowds of people who were rushing to go to the show. It was a little strange to see men in WWII uniforms sitting at cafes and milling about. Their old American vehicles were parked along the street. We felt like we were in an episode of Masterpiece Theater or Foyle’s War. I suppose Delft might have looked like this during or right after the war. A sad thought…..
Delft is a beautiful town with interesting streets and canals to explore. It isn’t overly touristy, despite the tourists, and I could see returning to Delft again in the future.
