Gallivanting Grandma

September 1 – Wednesday: Sunny & cool

Bruges is a beautiful city and it’s very exciting to be here again. Jeff and I visited Bruges seven years ago, but I wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t see very much of it at the time. Last night, we drove into the medieval city through one of the huge gates. There’s something exciting about entering ancient portals and carefully driving down narrow cobblestone streets. As the guide says, “To step into the old town is to be transported instantly back to the Middle Ages…..” UNESCO recognized the cultural importance of the historic center by awarding it World Heritage status. About 25,000 people live in the “old center” and about another 100,000 people live outside the historic district.

One of the Canals in Bruges

We drove as far into the heart of the city as we could and then luckily found a parking place. It was a little after 6:00 PM and we had to find a hotel for the night. We had parked very close to the center market place and when I looked around, I remembered the location of the hotel we had stayed in seven years ago.

Entrance to the Navarra Hotel

I couldn’t remember the name, but I knew where it was! As we walked there, Jeff remembered it also, and we inquired about a room. Luckily, The Navarra Hotel had a double room for us! It’s a nice, comfortable hotel located just off the central Markt square and near everything. The room is large, by European standards, with a very large modern bathroom. Breakfast and free WiFi are also included.

Street View of the Navarra Hotel

We settled into the Navarra and then went out to walk around a little and to find dinner. The city glowed in the evening light. We chose a small simple restaurant, called Dell’ Arte, near the hotel, and we were surprised by how good our dinner was. I had “chicken waterzooi” which was a delicious thick chicken and potato soup. Jeff had cheese croquettes, Flemish beef stew, Belgium pomme frites and home made ice cream. Afterwards we walked back to the hotel and collapsed!

Wednesday Market

It was bright and sunny and cool this morning! Breakfast was another European treat with excellent coffee! We were eager to go out and enjoy the sunshine. The temperature was cool but refreshing!

Today was Bruges’s Wednesday Market Day and the Markt was full of vendors selling meats, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, chickens, flowers, etcetera.  I wish they had markets at home; they’re a lot of fun!

We decided to just walk and explore the city without any agenda or plan. Then we could enjoy the city and admire the great variety of architectural styles of the buildings and, of course, take photos!

The Fish Market (Vishandeler)

We meandered around and eventually reached the outer moat in the northern part. There really is a water-filled moat surrounding the old historic city. Just outside of the moat is a “ring road” for cars.

Another Canal With a Tourist Boat

Interspersed along the ring road are several huge Medieval “gates” which cross over the moat and allow entry points from the outside. I imagine there must have been a wall originally around the entire city.

Typical Houses in Bruges

There are a lot of tourists in the center of town, but fewer tourists venture out toward the moat. All the streets have cobblestones and bikes and cars clatter along noisily. There is also a series of canals running through the city, so taking a canal boat is a popular tourist activity. For us, just walking the streets and looking at the buildings, and taking photographs, kept us occupied for hours. We stopped twice for cold drinks of iced tea and small snacks, and to rest a while. Bruges is a fun place that we both enjoy a lot!

Near the outer moat there are windmills in several places.  They are on high hills and are made out of wood.  The windmills were probably used to grind grain to make flour.

One of the Windmills Near the Moat

As we returned toward the central Markt, Jeff wanted to buy some chocolate at his favorite chocolatier, Dumon.  He bought 250 grams of dark chocolate-covered orange peels and a small box of assorted chocolates. Then, at about 4:30, we returned to the hotel to rest and take a break and try the chocolates. Dumon chocolates are out of this world!! They are very very delicious….

Later we wanted to go to dinner. I wanted my favorite Belgian meal of “moule et frites” – mussels and fries. I did some research on the Internet and found a highly recommended restaurant, but when we went there, it was closed on Wednesdays. We found another restaurant nearby and I had my mussels, but the sauce was a bit too plain. Oh well, tomorrow I’ll try the other restaurant.  All in all, it was a good day…..

Dumon Chocolates – Yummmm….

August 31^st – Tuesday  19 degrees Celsius/66 degrees Fahrenheit

The sun was shining this morning with big gray & white clouds rolling by.  Holland is so flat that the sky is huge, like a giant dome overhead, that spans from horizon to horizon.

Dutch Windmill

We checked out of the modern Hampshire Hotel in Delft, after breakfast about 10:00 AM, and drove southeast toward Rotterdam. Our destination was Kinderdijk, which means “children’s dike” in Dutch. This is the place where there is the greatest concentration of windmills in all of Holland and they are accessible to tourists.

View of World Heritage Site: Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is a small modern village just east of Rotterdam where a group of windmills were built to pump out sea water to protect the surrounding land from flooding.

One of the Windmills Built in 1740

According to their brochure people dug the two canals “on their hands and knees” in 1366 to 1369 to discharge excess rain water.  Windmills were later constructed to cope with rising water levels.  The existing windmills were built between 1738 and 1740 to pump out the water.  This is now a UNESCO World Heritage site because the area remains almost unchanged from its original state.

Kinderdijk Windmills

Nowadays, there are modern pumping stations have taken over the function that the windmills used to perform. Kinderdijk has 19 of the old windmills and they form “an impressive symbol of the struggle of the Dutch against the encroaching water.”

Reflection of Windmills

We walked up the canals and took lots of photos of the windmills. We had noticed big dark clouds rolling toward us and when we started to walk back to the car, it started to rain.  We huddled under a linden tree along the canal with a group of tourists because it rained heavily.

Modern Water Pump Station

We were used the rain pattern of starts and stops, so when it let up a little we went back to the parking lot.  We decided to drive east toward the coast of Holland to see what was there.  We avoided Rotterdam because it’s supposed to be a huge shipping port and industrial city.

Oil Refineries Near Rotterdam

Near the Atlantic Ocean, we took the road which goes south through the flat farmlands along the coast. We drove through many many miles of flat farmland.

Flat Dutch Farmland

Our Michelin guide stated that there was a 3-star site along this road and we were curious. This was the Oosterscheldekering or in English the “Eastern Scheldt Storm Serge Barrier”.  This is the largest of a series of 13 dams which were designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding.

We finally reached the Oosterscheldekering and we were amazed!  It is 9 kilometers long and is described as one of the man-made construction wonders of the world.  This is the modern structure which the Dutch use to control the Atlantic Ocean.

Oosterscheldekering Barrier

On our 15 year old map of Holland, there was a picture of a ferry which ran between the peninsula at the end of the road we were on, to the Dutch mainland near Belgium. We had thought that perhaps we might go to Bruges, Belgium (they call it Brugge) if there was time. We arrived at the ferry terminal, in the town of Vlissingen, at about 4:00 PM to discover that the ferry did NOT take cars: only people and bikes! Is there a lesson to be learned about travelling with old maps?! The new Michelin Guide also made no mention of the ferry. We took a break and had something to eat and drink at an outdoor snack bar and tried to plan what to do next.

The People & Bike Ferry in Vlissingen, Holland

We were very discouraged because it was a long ride back to the mainland and around and out to Bruges, Belgium. I decided to ask at the ferry terminal if there was another ferry for cars which goes to the other side, otherwise it would have taken us many hours to drive around.

Chalk one up for the Dutch! What is more reliable and safer and quicker than a ferry? Answer: a tunnel! Of course! The woman at the ferry ticket office suggested the tunnel which was only 10 minutes away. This tunnel was NOT on our 15 year old map…..

The Tunnel

We breezed through the 6.6 kilometer tunnel which went under the water of the Westerschelde between the two peninsulas jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.  The tunnel ended in the town of Ternenzen, Holland.  Then we followed the signs and road markers to Belgium.

One of the Medieval Gates into Bruges, Belgium

We arrived in Bruges about 6:00 PM. We were tired, but happy that we had made it! Now all we had to do was find a hotel, relax, have dinner, and rest up after a long tiring day…..

Monday August 30th – another windy chilly rainy day!  59 degrees with huge dark clouds rolling in from the west.

I miss the bright sun and warmth of Turkey…..

Breakfast at the Hampshire Hotel was excellent with freshly ground Italian coffee. It had all the usual fresh breakfast buffet offerings, including tomatoes & cucumbers similar to Turkish breakfasts.  However breakfast at the Hampshire Hotel was elevated to a new high level with two chilled bottles of Prosecco standing in a large silver bowl in the corner of the breakfast counter. Champagne glasses stood brightly next to the bowl. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the nerve to try some, but I promised myself I would indulge tomorrow morning. We’ll see…

Delft Market Square Looking at the New Church

It was very windy and the rain starts and stops intermittently every few minutes.  I wanted to finally see the historic city of Delft which is famous for its beautiful tiles and porcelain.  It is also the city where Johannes Vermeer was born and lived his entire life.  There are two major churches and are the famous landmarks in the city of Delft: the Nieuwe Kerk and the Oude Kerk.

The 12th Century Old Church

The New Church was built in 1381 and contains the crypt of the Princes of Orange.  The Old Church is the oldest church in Delft and was built sometime in the 1200s and has a memorial stone dedicated to Johannes Vermeer.

We walked around for a while and had a warm cup of coffee in a cafe which was decorated with old music posters of John Coltrane and Elvis Presley.

A Coffee Shop Selling Coffee, Tea, & Pastries

We stopped into one of the three shops that manufacture real Delft pottery.  A man was glazing some pieces and it was interesting to see the unfinished work.  The woman in the shop told me how to tell real Delft pottery from the many imitations and she said that all the shops in the main square sell imitations.

“De Candelear” Delftware Ceramics Factory

In the afternoon we decided to take a drive to the city of Gouda to find some cheese. The traffic was moderately heavy and the land is very flat.  We reached Gouda in about 30 minutes and found a garage near the ” Markt Centrum”.  We walked to the main square of the city and saw the picturesque Stadhuis in the center.  This is a lovely Gothic town hall which was built in the 15th century.

The Gouda Stadhuis (Town Hall)

Towering over the city are the spires of the huge Sint Janskerk (St. John’s Church).  The guide said that the original church was built in the 13th century but was destroyed by fires three times over the years.  Each time the church was rebuilt, it was extended so that today it is the longest church in the Netherlands.  Saint John’s Church is famous for its stained glass windows which were made in the 1500s, but the church was closed.  We walked around the large church and explored the neighborhood.

St. Janskerk Behind Buildings in Gouda

We had been hoping to find a shop that sold Gouda cheese, or even a cheese maker in Gouda, but there were no cheese shops in the main square.  It was getting late so we decided to return to Delft.  Tomorrow we’re moving on to another city.  We don’t know where, we’ll decide later.  I will continue to write about this trip and post it when I have access to the Internet.  The weather forecasters predicted more sun than rain tomorrow, so we’re hoping for a better day.

Sunday, August 29 – overcast, windy, raining & cool:  I had slept well despite the clanging of the old church bells during the night. The dull sound reminded me of the church bells on Christmas Eve in Florence several years back.  The old bells clang the hours and mark the services.  They have brought glad tidings and bad news to the townsfolk for hundreds of years.

Interior Hallway of Johannes Vermeer hotel

We were very pleasantly surprised by the abundant breakfast at the Johannes Vermeer Hotel.  Like most of Europe, breakfast is free with a night’s lodging and it varies from country to country and hotel to hotel.  I think it’s a very humanistic gesture to send out the hotel guests into the tourist world with a full stomach.  Johannes Vermeer outdid himself with excellent coffee, croissants, cheeses, meats, eggs, yoghurt, and fresh fruit.

The Breakfast Room at Hotel Johannes Vermeer

Over breakfast, we had an excellent conversation with an Australian couple who were in Delft to try out hotels for a future Dutch boat tour that the man was developing.  He said they were touring Holland by inter-connecting canals in a small boat but were stopping at hotels each night.  Next year he is planning to charter a larger boat and invite Australian tourists (for a fee) on the journey.  He said it will be a “good retirement job”.

We decided to stay at the Johannes Vermeer Hotel because we wanted a hotel to serve as a base to visit other cities with easy access to the major roads in this part of Holland.  The Johannes Vermeer was a lovely little hotel for one night but was centrally located in Delft and accessible only on foot. It would have been very difficult for us to carry our suitcases up flights of circular staircases.

Gift Shop at Escher Exhibit

We had noticed a modern hotel on the street leading into Delft near the parking garage, so walked there to inquire about a room for two nights.  The Hampshire Hotel, we learned, had opened in April 2010 and many of their 92 rooms were available.  We took a very comfortable large double room for 99 Euros per night.

Except for the Britney Spears quotation painted on the wall over the bed, the room was perfect.  I feel a bit guilty for preferring a crisp, clean, quiet, modern room, but with breakfast and free WiFi, I’m getting over it!

We got our little silver Honda Jazz out of the garage and drove 15 minutes to Den Haag, “the Hague”, in English.  This is the business and commerce center of Holland.  There was little traffic because it was Sunday but we still had difficulty finding the “Centrum” without a map or guidebook.

We finally found a garage near the Tourist Information Office, parked the car, and bought the much needed Michelin Guide to Holland and a book of maps of the small country.  We then had a cup of coffee in the adjoining coffee shop, and since it was a rainy day, decided to go to a couple of museums that Jeff knew about.

Binnenhof – Knights’ Hall Within Dutch Parliament Buildings

The first was the Mauritshuis which was a converted Dutch mansion and exhibited an impressive collection of Dutch paintings.  There were three floors around a large center staircase and one could imagine the lifestyle of the former occupants.  It was a relatively small collection, but exhibited almost a dozen Rembrandts and two of Johannes Vermeer’s best paintings. One was a glowing view of the city of Delft, where Vermeer had lived his entire life.  The other painting was the popular Girl With the Pearl Earring. Both are magnificent paintings and worth the visit to see them.  The Rembrandt paintings included several which we had not seen and reflected the range of Rembrandt’s talents and interests.  No photography was allowed inside the museum and it was raining too hard to take photos outside.

It was pouring rain when we left the Mauritshuis and we expressed our good fortune to find waterproof rain jackets the day before at the street market in Leiden. We consulted our Den Haag city map and found our way to the other museum: Escher in Het Paleis.  This is a permanent exhibit of the works of the world-famous Dutch graphic artist, M. C. Escher housed in the 200 year old winter palace of the current queen’s great-grandmother: Queen Mother Emma.  Yes, there is a royal family and a present-day queen of modern Holland, Queen Beatrix.

Photograph of One of M. C. Escher’s Works

Everyone recognizes Escher’s work even if they don’t remember his name.  The exhibit dominated the entire house and described Escher’s art from his youth to his popularity “with Americans” in the 1950s and 1960s.  He died in 1972 but his works are just as fresh and interesting and innovative as when he created them.  On the top floor were computer simulations and hands-on experiential activities for visitors based on Esher’s graphics.

M. C. Escher’s Drawings

It was still very windy and raining hard when we left the Escher exhibit and we walked back through a park to the garage.  I have just one word about European parking garages: OUCH!!  They’re too small for any normal-sized automobile, so DO NOT enter any indoor garage with a car larger than an American Honda Civic or you will not be able to park, fortunately this Jazz is a small car.

Interior Staircase of the Winter Palace With a Modern Chandelier

We drove back to the Hampshire Hotel and settled in for the evening.  Another advantage to the hotel is their dining room.  We didn’t have to walk in the pouring rain to find a restaurant with good food.  I had a delicious Dutch lamb dinner and Jeff was finally able to enjoy a good hamburger!

Saturday, August 28^th – cloudy, windy, and cool outside:  We stayed in one of the Schiphol Airport business hotels Friday night so that we wouldn’t have to deal with Amsterdam bike traffic and we could leave the area easily with a rental car in the morning.

We had reserved a rental car over the Internet last night and the little silver Honda Jazz was waiting for us when we got there.

We loaded up the car and found the highway south to the lovely city of Leiden. It was only about 30 minutes from the Amsterdam Airport.  Leiden is a vibrant college town full of young people on bicycles and Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands.  It was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt.

Typical of Dutch cities, many of the streets in Leiden are lovely canals with walking and bike lanes along the canal. We found a parking lot near the “centrum” of town, parked the car, and walked around.

The narrow streets were filled with market stalls so we surmised that it was Saturday Market Day, like in France.

The sun peeked out from behind clouds and the temperature felt warmer.

We kept seeing shops and stalls selling Turkish food and spices.  I thought I must be dreaming.  There seems to be a population of Turkish people in Holland.

Jeff and I have been looking to replace our Swiss travel rain jackets and we were happy to see that one of the stalls had inexpensive fold-up rain jackets.  Jeff bought a gray/black one and I bought an oversized bright red one.  It matches my red umbrella!  We also bought some snacks for lunch.  We walked around for a while and had fun seeing the crowds of people and the goods for sale.

We left Leiden at about 2:30 to go to the famous city of Delft, Holland.  We were armed with one of Jeff’s 15 year old Michelin maps of Holland, no Dutch vocabulary, and my infallible sense of direction!  How could we go wrong?  We got a little lost leaving Leiden but finally found the A-4 highway to Delft.

We finally found Delft and after unsuccessfully following “Centrum” signs, which led drivers around the periphery of the city.  Then we found a parking garage near the center of town so we were able to get rid of the car.  This was one of those unbelievable spotlessly clean modern garages that are well lighted and safe.  We felt good about leaving the car and our luggage in the garage and went out to explore the famous city of Delft tiles and Delft porcelain.

Delft is another lovely Dutch town with beautiful canals and lovely old brick buildings. In the center marketplace just outside the huge “New” church, was another Saturday Market.  This one had antiques and collectibles.

After walking around for a while we thought we should find a hotel for the night.  We happened upon a “tourist office” and inquired about hotels.  The woman said she would call the hotels for us to see if they had rooms available.

The first one we chose was the Hotel Johannes Vermeer.  It had been an old cigar factory and was converted to a hotel in 2000.  It was on one of the smaller canals, had free WiFi, and sounded good in the brochure.  The woman called and they had a double room for 89 Euros per night.

We walked to the hotel and the young man gave us the keys to two of the rooms and told us to choose whichever room we liked best.  The first was on the fourth floor at the top of two twisting circular staircases and looked like a cozy garret. The second room was much larger with a seating area, a very large bathroom with a skylight and on the third floor – only one circular staircase.  We chose the second room.  Both rooms were the same price!

We were hungry and went out to find a restaurant for dinner.  There seemed to be more ethnic restaurants in Delft than at home.  We found Chinese, Indian, Spanish Tapas, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican, French, and Turkish restaurants.

Then Jeff spotted the Spijshuis De Dis – Dutch Culinary Art Restaurant across the Beetenmarkt Park.  The restaurant was warm and cozy with attractive decorations and the people were very friendly.

I had a wonderful vegetarian casserole with eggplant, zucchini, nuts, raisins, and onion. It was delicious!  Jeff had beef stew with roasted potatoes.  It was a relaxing and pleasant dinner.

As we left the restaurant, it began to rain again.  Unfortunately, the small quaint historic hotel is on a no-cars narrow canal, so we had to walk to the garage to get our over-night bags from the car to take to the Johannes Vermeer Hotel.  The rain got heavier as we walked quickly through the quiet streets of Delft.  It continued to rain on the way back to the hotel. We were both wearing our rain jackets from the morning market.  We accomplished our goal, climbed up three flights of stairs, and were in for the evening.  It had been a good day…..