Delft & Gouda light festival: winter in Holland
The Delft & Gouda light festival are two charming December events in Holland. They take place in the historical city centre and put their own unique local culture in the spotlight.
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When small town boys visit the canal parade
When small town boys visit the canal parade they get hyperactive and super excited. Maybe it is the surrounding. The story about Vermeer and his secret marriage. All of a sudden they fall silent and look serious. Not for long though.
Secret marriage in Delft countryside
We’ve just walked through the chapel and the group’s laughter and chitchats turn into a respectful awe. Now the three men sit opposite of me, hands supporting their heads, eyes looking straight at me. I tell them the story of protestant Vermeer and his marriage with the catholic Maria. Catholicism was forbidden in those days so they had to get married in secret in this village not far from Delft.
Back home in Dutch farmland
The handsome small town boys know how it feels to hide your true self and sigh. “North of New York is where I grew up, but it wasn’t like NY at all. Just farmlands. Nobody travels, everyone stays in their comfort zone.”, one says. He almost jumped up and down on the bike when we started the tour. Now he looks at the others and finds comfort in their expressions.
When Fields of Dreams meets the Big Apple
“Do you know the movie Fields of Dreams?, that’s where I’m from”. The guy who’s talking is quite the opposite of his friend. He took his time to take in the scenery while cycling. You can see he thinks before he speaks and right now he has a stern look on his face. A mix between melancholy and pride. He’s clearly goal driven: “When I was young I told my mother I wanted to live on Sesame Street. Now I live one block away from it”. They moved from small countryside villages to the Big Apple. Dreaming of a good job, meeting like-minded people and being accepted for who they are. They succeeded and are proud of themselves. So they should be.
Birthday celebration in and out of Amsterdam
These three beautiful men celebrate a birthday in Amsterdam. At their arrival they stumbled upon the first Pride parties. They’re all excited for this afternoon, when these small town boys visit the Canal Parade. An endless flow of questions runs through the air:
“Will the Canal Parade be like the one in New York , celebrated in different districts? Will it be as big?”
Juicy stories and good food in Vermeer's wedding town
They left big city Amsterdam and Pride to wonder through the countryside near Delft with me. Even if they would have liked to be at the Canal Parade the whole day, they don’t show it. Their attention is on me and that makes me feel real special. When one of them gets a flat tire, we’re all sad. I promise them beer and good local food. Their laughter and juicy stories can be heard from far away. Somehow, with some effort, we make it back to Vermeer’s wedding place. In my favorite restaurant we savor local delicacies and good beer. More stories, more questions follow. They miss their train back to Amsterdam. And the next one. And the next one. Then they decide to really make a move. Ready for Pride Amsterdam!
When small town boys visit the canal parade
When the small town boys visit the Canal Parade, they make a trip in Delft to visit the farmlands. I’m happy they did.
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Traveling to The Hague - tips to get to the highlights
The best thing about traveling to The Hague is the sights you see enroute. Starting your journey from Amsterdam you see the typical Dutch landscape passing by. You can take the car or even cycle. The best way to go to The Hague though is by train. Here's why.
The Hague is one of the top destinations in the Netherlands. Dive into the culture, history and nature on a daytrip to the city by the sea. Or stay over for a day or two. Celebrate the Dutch traditions and get social with a local. From spotting the royal family during King's Day or Prince's Day to visiting the Peace Palace or International Criminal Court on the International Day of Peace, all year through there are festivals and events for you to enjoy.
Driving to The Hague
Traveling to The Hague by car from Amsterdam or Amsterdam airport Schiphol is doable. Let's say you are staying near Amsterdam Museumplein and want to get to The Hague city centre, Houses of Parliament. In my opinion driving in the city centre of Amsterdam is a real hassle and I wouldn't recommend it, public transport in Amsterdam is easy and comfortable. The bike is a good alternative for the car as you have less parking problems. It's easy to get around by bike, but quite stressful. Look out for pedestrians, other cyclists and public transport. Pay extra attention near tramway tracks!
Ok, so you've found your way to Amsterdam Zuid by car. There you take the highway A4. If you follow this road, you will be in The Hague within 1 hour. The highway is often crammed though, traffic jams outside peak hours are not unusual. Check ANWB, the Royal Dutch Touring Club for updated traffic info or use Google Maps.
Tip for when you are coming to the Netherlands in spring: take a slight detour to the A44 for some fantastic tulip fields.
Staying on the A4? Look on your left side when you pass Leiden. You see a 3 mill cascade - 3 molengang in Dutch- . This area near Leiden is one of my favorite. It's one of the best examples of Dutch countryside: full of windmills and cheese farms.
North Sea Cycling Route to The Hague
Traveling to The Hague by bike sounds wonderful, especially when your an avid cyclist like me. I would definitely take multiple days to enjoy the bike ride to the fullest. The shortest cycling route from Amsterdam city centre to The Hague is about 60 km (37 miles) so technically you could reach the Houses of Parliament in one day. Then again, you are probably on vacation, so I would recommend taking a longer cycling route. Getting out of the Dutch capital is never easy and the first part of the route is not very exciting. Just keep pedalling. Head to Haarlem, a beautiful city with lovely historical centre and stay there for the night. The following day cycle through the dunes towards Zandvoort and just follow the coastline. The cycling route is part of the long distance cycling network, the LF1 North Sea route . You'll reach The Hague's beach resort Scheveningen. This is where you could find me guiding a bike tour!
Traveling to The Hague by train
Now I know many of you are on a Europe trip and have very short time to visit the Netherlands. You definitely want to visit Amsterdam and you might still have a few hours to see another city in Holland. Well, I could give you many tips on cities to visit, but let's focus on traveling to The Hague for now. From Amsterdam or Amsterdam airport Schiphol there is a direct connection by train to The Hague Hollands Spoor (HS station). It's easy, stressfree and comfortable. You don't need to book ahead and can get out of the train whenever you want. When you take the train from Amsterdam it will stop at great places such as Haarlem and Leiden. Do visit these cities if you have time! Take the intercity Amsterdam Centraal in spring and you'll be able to see the gorgeous flower fields between these two cities.
Within 1 hour you reach The Hague Hollands Spoor station. From here take a tram or rent a bicycle to get to The Hague beach 'Scheveningen'. The tram will stop at city centre Hague . You can also go for a 10 minutes walk to the highlights of the historical city centre: Houses of Parliament, museum Mauritshuis, royal palace Noordeinde, Lange Voorhout.
Enjoy your journey!
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On bison safari in Amsterdam National Park
“If I’m not back by 2PM, a bison probably ate me”, I jokingly said to my friends. A bison safari in Amsterdam National Park had been on my to-do-list for a long time. I just couldn’t believe that these prehistoric animals walked around freely in the Dutch dunes, I had to see it for myself. Today I would.
Strange events in the Netherlands
Where can you find some strange events in the Netherlands? These are my top 3 traditional Dutch festivals involving orange hats, herring for breakfast and single men holding hands.
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Family Bike Tour Delft Countryside
It was a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. I was waiting for my participants at Delft station. We would do a family bike tour Delft and surroundings. I looked at the big digital clock on the busplatform. They were late.
From Europe trip to daytrip Delft
The family of four was on a Europe trip and was staying in Amsterdam for five days. Dad wanted to make a daytrip to Delft, where he had studied when he was young. Back then he mostly stayed in Delft so he thought it would be a nice idea to explore the surroundings of Delft a bit. Besides, they had already been in the city for some time so a day outdoors would be nice. Mum and dad were quite looking forward to doing something which was relaxing and active at the same time. Their girls were excited, it was one big adventure for them.
"Sorry we're late, I was just amazed by the interior of Delft station. So much has changed here in Delft!"
The family bike tour Delft went downhill
"Sorry we're late, I was just amazed by the interior of Delft station. So much has changed here in Delft!" Dad said with a broad smile on his face. While he was still taking in all the changes, we walked over to the bikes. It took a while to get started; the girls felt a bit uncomfortable on bikes which were not their own. As soon as they were used to them and got a good cycling speed we were flying! Especially downhill. We get to that later ;)
Holland bridges & windmills
We reached Schipluiden right in time to see the draw bridge being opened. Manually. The whole family was impressed and even I have to say I was quite surprised that this bridge is still drawn manually. Mum quickly slipped into a shop selling only local products. Her interest inspired me to show the big greenhouse behind restaurant Indigo. Everything produced here is used in their dishes.
We went through the Schipluiden village. Through the 'ohs' and the 'ahs' I could make out the family bike tour Delft & surroundings was a success. Mum was clearly enjoying the houses, the water and the girls happily pointed out all the flowers and young birds. When we reached the river Gaag I told them the story of the flour mill De Korpershoek. The train bridge once used for transporting fruit & vegetable is now part of the cycle route. The 10-year old threw her legs in the air when she went downhill. This train bridge is a big hit!
I promised the girls a farmers' ice-cream which they rapidly finished. When mum saw the special swing on the playground she gets the whole family together. That swing is quite an attraction every time I have a family on tour in Delft.
The famous Delft bike ferry
We continued out family bike tour Delft area with polders on one side, the water on the other. When we reached my favourite bike ferry the girls look a tad bit scared. "Do we have to cross with that, mum?", they ask. Dad took the lead, giving the wheel with the chain a good swing. We jumped onto the ferry and mum, dad and the girls had a good exercise bringing us across. - I always take the pictures of the whole activity which in itself needs a lot of concentration :P -
After drinks & bites on the terrace boats with view on the wetlands & sailing boats at restaurant Vlietzicht it was time to head back and end our family bike tour Delft.
What the family said:
We had such a nice time with you. Thank you for a fun day!
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The City of Summer Festivals in Utrecht Region
Rain. Companion for life. It was not invited at the party of this small city of summer festivals in Utrecht region, but still it came. It didn't matter, people were enchanted by the street theatre and the international festival was a huge success.
Drums Brought Me To Woerden
Music attracts people like honey to bees. From afar I could hear the beats of the drum and it was as if my OV-fiets was put under a spell. I've never been faster in locating a moving music band. I was immediately engulfed in the group of spectators that were dancing on the upbeat rhythm of the samba band. Big raindrops came down, but we weren't bothered by it, summer music brought a tropical atmosphere in the city centre of Woerden
City of summer festivals 2016
In summer the small city of Woerden turns into a city of summer festivals. Hardly a weekend goes by without some food event, concert, or artistic performance. Yesterday, 25 June 2016, street artists from all around the world took over the city. Together they showed how diverse street theatre can be. Hendrik Jan de Stuntman was slightly confronting, Funny Hats was creative, Fjarno the Parno taught us something about commercial spirit, Le Ballerine brought a magical dance on stilts, while Parasolo used the stilts to tell us about friendship. Then there was Medusa's World full of fairytale like creatures and many many more amazing artists using movements, gestures and facial expressions to tell their story.
Final scene: the artist uses words to introduce himself.
"I chose this job because I like it. The real job is my life. I thank you for coming, in rain, in non-rain."
Luca Belleza, Italian street artist and master in threads and balloons.
City of Summer festival agenda
A wonderful day full of wonders in Woerden. Take a look at the city agenda to see which events and festivals are coming up in this summer festival city.
Supertip
Never visited the city of Woerden and its surroundings or are all your friends on holiday? Verita's Visit organises customised Culture & Cheese tours, an all senses experience full of food, culture, history and nature. With this activity and the small challenge you can do, you easily connect with locals and other travellers, so you can visit the food festival together afterwards. You can easily request more information or book by following the link above or sending an email to travel(@)veritasvisit.nl
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- The almost free rental bike in the Netherlands: OV-fiets
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The Village Feeling of a Dutch City
If you are still looking for a great summer destination I have a tip for you. Make a city trip in the Netherlands! Now, I know that many of you will be surprised that I give this suggestion given the fact that I absolutely adore the Dutch countryside, nature and . Well, I have to tell you a secret.
A non-touristy Dutch city in Utrecht Region
Many cities in the Netherlands are actually quite small. Take Woerden, a Dutch city in Utrecht region I recently discovered myself. It has around 52.000 inhabitants and it still has this village feeling. Visit this place on a Saturday, when the local farmers & cheese market takes place and you'll still be able to walk around without being crushed by groups of tourists. It really is a perfect example of village feeling of a Dutch city.
Starting point of Dutch countryside adventures
Woerden is also the capital of what we call the Green Heart, a nature area in the middle of the main cities of Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. That means Woerden is surrounded by nature. The typical Dutch landscapes of polders with the black-and-white cows are just around the corner. Go on a bike ride or a walk and you'll be amazed by the setting of the peaceful villages located near the river Rhine with their small cottages and homey feel. Best thing is that Woerden is also a short trainride away from Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden and Gouda. Should you miss the big city life.
Posts that are related:
- Woerden and its relation with the Rhine river
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- The City of Summer Festivals in Utrecht Region
