The overnight ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, with Stena Lines, is very comfortable.  We cooked & ate our supper sitting in the queue (advantages of motor homing!) – we were almost the last on and, you guessed it, almost the last off!  With new Brexit rules for not carrying meat or dairy into Europe, our first stop was a supermarket to stock up.  Lovely fresh food and marvellous vegetables and fruit  – no surprises there, as it’s all grown here! 

Our route took us around the perimeter of Rotterdam with its enormous shipping port.  Molly took to driving on the right with no problems (‘tis useful having a Canadian driver!) and the ring roads took us to the east. 

Joining the quieter back roads, we were quickly immersed in the pretty countryside  – beautiful green fields, tree-lined avenues, cattle and/or sheep (mostly Jacobs) grazing peacefully in the fields.  But what really stands out, of course,  is the flat terrain.  Alongside each and every field is a canal, in some cases just an irrigation channel, in the case of towns and cities they can be the width of a river!

A quick history lesson for those of you who’ve forgotten (like me!)  The Netherlands (the word means “low-lying country) lie mostly below sea level. The Dutch built dykes to hold the water and used the canals for travel and irrigation.  The freshwater in the canals comes from the River Rhine, which originates in Germany and has its delta on the Dutch coast.  Abundant rainfall levels help to keep the canals full.  Sluices are opened towards the sea when flooding is threatened.  Easily irrigated agricultural land stretches as far as the eye can see. 

In an attempt to find the Windmill Museum at Kinderdijk, we found ourselves being led 2 km away to park Molly.  We settled for a pleasant walk in the sunshine, where we viewed the windmills from afar, but came across lots of wildlife. 

Our first stop (2 nights) was at a peaceful campsite in Otterlo in the province of Gelderland.  The Kroller Muller museum was the magnet that drew us to this gorgeous little town.  Situated in the middle of 5,500 hectares of the Hoge Veluwe National Park, this gem is the brainchild of Helena Kroller Muller who, along with her husband, collected 11,500 pieces of art in the early 1900’s.  She realized her dream of sharing her collection with the public by opening the museum in 1938.  It holds the second biggest collection of works by Van Gogh, alongside many other well-known artists.  Even to our untrained eyes, it was very impressive. 

One of highlights was actually getting there.  A 25-minute walk from the campsite took us to the park entrance, where 100’s (yes, I mean 100’s!) of white bikes are provided free of charge.  There are several bike stations around the park, where you leave one bike and pick up another as you leave.  Very simple bikes – no gears, no brakes – but remember this is FLAT land, and there are cycle paths EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THE MOTORWAYS.

Well laid out, smooth, two-way cycle paths.  EVERYONE uses a bike – for the dentist, for the shops, to visit friends, for a night out.  All manner of clothes grace a bicycle!  Only the keen racing cyclers wear lycra and partake of a helmet.  It is very normal to ride alongside your friend, chatting away, hair billowing out behind you.  Dogs ride along in a specially adapted dog carrier which goes on the front of the bike.  (you could put a child in there too!)

Thanks to a Camping & Motorhome Club recommendation, we moved to Gaasperplas Camping on the outskirts of Amsterdam.  A convenient 10-minute walk from a Metro station, then 25 mins on the Metro took us to Central Station in the middle of Amsterdam city.  Despite its checkered history – prosperous 17^th century, economic decline in the 18^th century, re-emergence of wealth in the 19^th century, growing inequalities & emancipation, along with war and repression in the 20^th century – Amsterdam is now a truly vibrant city.  Pretty canal bridges are adorned with flowers, fascinating architecture (see more below) wherever you look.  Bicycles and trams are the main mode of transport, and we needed ‘eyes in the backs of our heads’ to avoid bicycles coming from behind, in front and to either side.  BICYCLES HAVE RIGHT OF WAY here, and it takes some getting used to. 

The average age in Amsterdam is just 38 yrs, and it shows.  Youngsters flood here for employment, and in pursuit of freedom.  The Dutch live their lives with the firm belief that everyone can just be themselves and do as they wish.  No doubt the cultural leniency towards sex and drugs adds to the appeal!

 On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the streets were full of live music – a different beat on every corner – people enjoying conversation with friends – and the sound of MANY different languages being spoken as the city enjoys a booming tourist trade.

The beautiful old canal houses were built on poles sunk many metres into the sandy marsh – as long as the wooden poles stay wet, they won’t rot. Hmmm? Lots of properties have funny angles as they tilt to one side or the other.  Many were built with their facades leaning forwards to enable pullies to move furniture to the top floors without the platforms knocking the front walls.  Canal houses were always very narrow, as owners had to pay very high taxes on the waterside walls – hence the houses were always tall and deep, spreading a long way backwards and always with a garden – growing food has always been encouraged.   Highly ornate gables signalled the opulence of the owners.

Though the city was never bombed during the war, it did suffer terrible repression.  Some 80% of the Jewish community were killed by the Germans – approximately 120,000 people.  The impressive Holocaust Memorial ensures that those people are never forgotten.  Every individual is named on a brick which is cleverly displayed under huge curving mirrors.   We will always think of Amsterdam as being vibrant and forward thinking, and yet its history must never be disregarded.

Our proximity to Amsterdam, meant that we were able to take a day visiting Floriade.  This enormous International Horticultural Show which takes place every ten years in a different place in The Netherlands, allows the Dutch to show off their agricultural prowess and more importantly, their forward thinking.  The 850-metre cable car ride gave us a birds-eye view of the 60 hectare site in Almere (about 20 mins by train to the east of Amsterdam).  Within the theme of ‘Growing Green Cities’, we were shown various innovations and solutions, which inspired us to enrich our own garden, and try to live a greener way of life.  The site itself will become a ‘green city’, with eco houses built on large plots to allow owners to ‘grow their own’.  In the meantime, we enjoyed some beautiful gardens with lots of vibrant colour. 

We are now heading north and east through The Netherlands to the border with Germany. See you next time . . . .