Holland here we come

[cyberyacht]

Looks a good spot for an ex-yottie if a little congested. Bit like rafting up eight deep on Lymington Quay I would imagine.

 

[TrudeandDall]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time TrudeandDall This sounds very much more like us.
Could I trouble you to ask if you just rocked up at a jacht haven or booked ahead

We found that during the week you will always find a place on a Jacthhaven so we just arrived and were happy with out stand. Friday and Saturday nights get busy, so you need to get there early or expect a back row seat.... If this is the case just watch for the leavers in the morning and move to the front row. We love the Netherlands, the people are so friendly, the environment ( especially in the polders) is wonderfull and for cycling there is abloslutly no where else like it in the world.
Were in France now, much warmer, and wild camping is back on the menu so it’s time to adjust to a different van experience..
Enjoy your time in the Netherlands..........

 

[MR BLO]

Summer arrived in Holland today 27C. So did we retreat to the beach and the cooling waters of the Markermeer ? No we decided to go for a longer bike ride instead. First stop was Monnickendam for a coffee and cake(s). Wow what a choice and such great value, it was impossible to narrow down so I had two…Appel strudel tart and an almond cookie. Delicious

Monday is laundry day in Monnickendam, with several of the pretty alleyways full of bloomers and pillow cases billowing in the warm breeze. Did not feel right to take a photo of someone else’s (not so) smalls so you will have to take my word on it.
Several interesting pieces of architecture on show here. Firstly many of the smaller towns and villages are entered over a traditional lift bridge. In Monnickendam we entered the parish via something considerably more grand. And the local shutters are different to anything that I have seen before.

After coffee we strolled to the seafront (well it was 90 years ago) which is a lot more traditional than Volendam. Nice to see traditional boats still being used as they were designed too.

Lunch beckoned so we took to our saddles once more and cycled onward along the causeway to Marken.

Now coots are my favourite birds. Solitary and snappy. So I was somewhat surprised to see a flock of at least a thousand birds bobbing around offshore. Maybe one for the twitchers to elaborate.

Marken is extremely picturesque brimming with beautiful traditional houses and farms centred on a pretty port area, few cars and cobbled streets.

There’s a small car park where it’s possible to overnight plus use the toilets and showers in the harbour (EUR0,50 a time) directly opposite the local supermarket.

We had arrived just in time to get the best seats in the house for dinner directly on the quayside. The Markermeer may be a fresh water lake but the moules were absolutely first class (served with vegetables steamed in the bisque) washed down with a crisp local pils. Then it was back to the bright lights of volendam by ferry.

and onward back to the van to play football down the beach with Dave. Today was definitely a proper holiday day.

 

[MR BLO]

Don't forget the bitterballen with your beers and thr local weed with your coffee
I love the Netherlands and am very jealous have fun

Gave these bitterballen a bash last night brysee and they were Bob on particularly with the cumin mayonnaise.

 

[MR BLO]

Looks a good spot for an ex-yottie if a little congested. Bit like rafting up eight deep on Lymington Quay I would imagine.

Quite similar except that most of these would struggle in a stiff shoreward breeze on a flood tide. They would need the copilot to be able to walk on water as well as flap their arms

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Grianan]

I’m loving your blog …. I have to admit that I’d never been tempted by Holland before but I certainly am now!

 

[MR BLO]

We awoke early so Archie and I made for the beach to try and make the first footprints of the day.

We succeeded. We also succeeded in beating all of them blasted Italians to the service point. Then it was off to (old) Zeeland. The day had started great but by the time we reached Rotterdam it was persisting down but we carried on regardless to our destination of
Brouwersdam Zuid Noordzee. With the weather as it was we had our pick of the best spots to park up for a late breakfast.

No sooner than the breakfast dishes were washed, the sun came out and spirits raised. Kelly read a book and would prepare lunch while Archie and I did man things like kick a ball, fly a kite or splash in the surprisingly warm sea.

After a lunch of all things Dutch that we had managed to buy, we washed up and had a final kick around before making tracks toward Domburg. Despite hitting a road closure that caught the locals out as well as us, and forced a 60minute detour, the sunshine kept our spirits high.
There does not appear to be any aires or wild camping spots around Domburg but it does make up for this with a plethora of small campsites in the vicinity, but unfortunately they all seemed full or didn’t allow motorhomes. So after finding no room at several inns (apt because they are quite religious in these parts) we decided to head in land.
We are now pitched up in Ons Buiten who had a single pitch available. The site is run by naked veganists. Swimming after 5pm must be performed in the nude, Archie was mortified . The site is very pretty with lots of natural areas and a focus on natural play and well being (& being butt naked at certain time and certain places).

We did find one resident on the site that was not a vegan. Ruby the pig might appear all sunshine and sugar but she likes the taste of human flesh as I found out.

I now think I know the Dutch for don’t feed the animals.

 

[DBK]

Great trip report, many thanks. Like a few on here I've lived in Germany while serving in the Forces and the Netherlands were just a place to drive through, as was Belgium, to reach the Channel ports.

I've since discovered there are bits of Belgium worth visiting and your account is convincing me the Land of Tulips has much to offer too.

 

[lorger]

As DBK says we mostly just catch the ferry from Rotterdam, we have done Amsterdam and a few destinations in Belgium but mainly just for the night before heading home. We’re heading over in September so if the forecast is good we may get stay in Holland, keep up the photos.

 

[Arnside037]

We transitted through the Netherlands last month on the way to Denmark, and stopped at Zwoller jacthaven and found it quite pleasant. On the return transit it was Enkhuisen ... another pleasant surprise was the Zuidersee museum (bit like Beamish). It made it much more interesting as it was all unplanned. Go with the flow....

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Dutch 68]

Gave these bitterballen a bash last night brysee and they were Bob on particularly with the cumin mayonnaise.

That’s just not on, bitterballen and kroketten are served with mustard never with Mayonaise lol, if you want to experience the Dutch snacks properly ask for a patatje oorlog and a frikandel speciaal met sate saus

 

[Dutch 68]

We awoke early so Archie and I made for the beach to try and make the first footprints of the day.
View attachment 795360
We succeeded. We also succeeded in beating all of them blasted Italians to the service point. Then it was off to (old) Zeeland. The day had started great but by the time we reached Rotterdam it was persisting down but we carried on regardless to our destination of
Brouwersdam Zuid Noordzee. With the weather as it was we had our pick of the best spots to park up for a late breakfast.
View attachment 795362View attachment 795364
No sooner than the breakfast dishes were washed, the sun came out and spirits raised. Kelly read a book and would prepare lunch while Archie and I did man things like kick a ball, fly a kite or splash in the surprisingly warm sea.
View attachment 795365
After a lunch of all things Dutch that we had managed to buy, we washed up and had a final kick around before making tracks toward Domburg. Despite hitting a road closure that caught the locals out as well as us, and forced a 60minute detour, the sunshine kept our spirits high.
There does not appear to be any aires or wild camping spots around Domburg but it does make up for this with a plethora of small campsites in the vicinity, but unfortunately they all seemed full or didn’t allow motorhomes. So after finding no room at several inns (apt because they are quite religious in these parts) we decided to head in land.
We are now pitched up in Ons Buiten who had a single pitch available. The site is run by naked veganists. Swimming after 5pm must be performed in the nude, Archie was mortified . The site is very pretty with lots of natural areas and a focus on natural play and well being (& being butt naked at certain time and certain places).
View attachment 795380View attachment 795386
View attachment 795388View attachment 795389
We did find one resident on the site that was not a vegan. Ruby the pig might appear all sunshine and sugar but she likes the taste of human flesh as I found out.
View attachment 795390
I now think I know the Dutch for don’t feed the animals.

You are now close to Veere and it’s lake, Veere is very pretty and worth a stroll

 

[MR BLO]

That’s just not on, bitterballen and kroketten are served with mustard never with Mayonaise lol, if you want to experience the Dutch snacks properly ask for a patatje oorlog and a frikandel speciaal met sate saus

War fries are on our list for a must have before we leave Dutch 68.

 

[MR BLO]

You are now close to Veere and it’s lake, Veere is very pretty and worth a stroll

I toyed with Veere but am swayed by Middelburg. My thought process was that Volendam, Monnickendam and Marken were all pretty ports (like Veere) and that Middelburg would be something different. Is that the wrong decision ? Thinking that we will stay here again tomorrow night and then maybe head to Brugge. So only time to visit one - Kelly is not the fastest on a push bike.

 

[Dutch 68]

I toyed with Veere but am swayed by Middelburg. My thought process was that Volendam, Monnickendam and Marken were all pretty ports (like Veere) and that Middelburg would be something different. Is that the wrong decision ? Thinking that we will stay here again tomorrow night and then maybe head to Brugge. So only time to visit one - Kelly is not the fastest on a push bike.

Middelburg is ok but a lot bigger, Veere is a lot nicer in my opinion and cycling wise more interesting , you can cycle parts around het veerse meer , beautiful cycling, if you have enough time, on your way to Brugge , Antwerp is very pretty, the Grote Markt and surroundings is beautiful , go and find the vlaaikens gang, one of the narrowest streets in Antwerp , also the Pelgrom pub in the Pelgrim street is extraordinary , a massive old cellar running under multiple houses, long benches, lots of candles, great medieval atmosphere, great beer and seafood too in Antwerp

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MR BLO]

We are stopping in the small village of Oostkapelle, 2 minutes walk from our pitch. With the weather remaining so nice and so late we nipped into the Jumbo supermarket (in name rather than stature) before grabbing a beer in one of several local restaurants. The place was rammed.

So another run of penance this morning through the village and off to the beach. The roads were deserted which meant no dodging bicycles. And I know that I keep saying it but the place is so clean. It’s beginning to make Zurich look like a toilet.

Holland likes a sculpture or statue and is good for it too. This one I am sure that I have seen before or something very similar somewhere else. If this was in the UK it would probably have a traffic cone one one of the heads.

The mist was rising off the dunes in the early morning sunshine. There was a herd of Alpaca in the distance (assume domesticated) and lots of tiny birds hoovering up the early bugs.

Once over the dune the pristine sand of the beach stretched as far as the eye could squint into the sun. Pastel coloured beach huts aplenty and activities for the children as well as recycling and waste stations every hundred yards or so.

The run back was not as lonesome. I was joined by a family of deer on the verges and gardens of the road above.

Back at the campsite for a brew and the hedgerows are alive with birds. It’s looking like the start of another glorious summer day.

 

[MR BLO]

It was like the Tour de France today in the Blowers house(van)hold. First up was breakfast in Dromburg. The non-athletes had French toast with bacon and banana, drowning in maple syrup whereas I had natural yogurt with bacon and banana, drowning in maple syrup. Dromburg is like the Skegness of Zealand except :

1. It’s pretty
2. It’s civilised
3. It’s clean
4. It’s not full of chavs and Itinerants
5. It’s got loads of great places to eat

Like many Dutch seaside resorts the (fabulous) beach is the other side of a Dijk and I think that’s the secret because the resort is spread over the entire town rather than an esplanade of candy floss, kiss shag me quick hats and crab nets.

Told you it was like Skegness
Fuelled on pure sugar it was off to Middelburg. After an uneventful (&flat) cycle we arrived in what is quite a major town. It’s hard to draw parallels with the UK because Middelburg remains distinctly Dutch and different to anything that we have in the UK. Just look at the town hall for instance. Not quite the 1960’s painted steel and asbestos crap that we get back home is it?

We made a beeline straight for the Abbey. It’s 200 steps to the top of the tower would help burn off a few more of the breakfast calories and hopefully provide a good view on such a clear day.

At €4 each it’s a little pricier than the gym but far more worthwhile. We could see the church by our campsite in the distance too. Think I could also see that I had left the Heki open.

Thé Abbey was bombed in 1940, and has been restored back to its glory. It forms part of the local government buildings so is very much in use today. We did not have time to look around the museum today but the modern architecture with the old worked well.

My favourite part of the abbey was the courtyard followed closely by the organ. As always with churches I am in wonderment about how they were built. Everyone talks about the pyramids but compared to the architecture of a great cathedral there is no comparison, in my book anyway.

Coffee time was looming so we followed our noses to the old town. First though we had to pass what must be the worlds most photographed florist shop. I won’t share any photos from inside but to say that it is a theatre of colour would be an understatement. Wow!

Round the corner into the decorated Korkerkhof strasse home to a B&B for people with vertigo.

Middelburg has a lovely waterfront but strangely the town does not make the most of this without a cafe or restaurant in sight.

So we made our way back toward the centre of town via the back alleyways where we dined on Bolus, a local cinnamon bun. De-lish-us! This proved once and for all that the Dutch keep a clean back passage.

There is a a huge amount of door porn in Middelburg but my winner by use of teddy bears is :

Time was ticking so it was off to Veere to track down a late lunch, which we did at Suster Anna’s pancake shop. I swear that we will all return home diabetic. At this point I went to take a photo and realised that my battery was dead
So you will have to take my word for it that Veere is extremely pretty. After our pancakes we headed to the quayside for a coffee. There were some stunning visiting yachts in the haven (all they were missing was two large diesels) and plenty more in the meere. We ended up sleeping our lunch and breakfast off on the beach before returning to base in time for Archie to get a swim before naked time.

 

[Grianan]

Really enjoying your trip Mr BLO. It makes enjoyable reading when I get home from work. Loving the doors too …

 

[MR BLO]

Really enjoying your trip Mr BLO. It makes enjoyable reading when I get home from work. Loving the doors too …

No trip is complete without some rudimentary door porn

 

[Dutch 68]

It was like the Tour de France today in the Blowers house(van)hold. First up was breakfast in Dromburg. The non-athletes had French toast with bacon and banana, drowning in maple syrup whereas I had natural yogurt with bacon and banana, drowning in maple syrup. Dromburg is like the Skegness of Zealand except :

1. It’s pretty
2. It’s civilised
3. It’s clean
4. It’s not full of chavs and Itinerants
5. It’s got loads of great places to eat

View attachment 795725
View attachment 795726
View attachment 795727
Like many Dutch seaside resorts the (fabulous) beach is the other side of a Dijk and I think that’s the secret because the resort is spread over the entire town rather than an esplanade of candy floss, kiss shag me quick hats and crab nets.
View attachment 795728
Told you it was like Skegness
Fuelled on pure sugar it was off to Middelburg. After an uneventful (&flat) cycle we arrived in what is quite a major town. It’s hard to draw parallels with the UK because Middelburg remains distinctly Dutch and different to anything that we have in the UK. Just look at the town hall for instance. Not quite the 1960’s painted steel and asbestos crap that we get back home is it?
View attachment 795731
We made a beeline straight for the Abbey. It’s 200 steps to the top of the tower would help burn off a few more of the breakfast calories and hopefully provide a good view on such a clear day.
View attachment 795735
At €4 each it’s a little pricier than the gym but far more worthwhile. We could see the church by our campsite in the distance too. Think I could also see that I had left the Heki open.
View attachment 795734
Thé Abbey was bombed in 1940, and has been restored back to its glory. It forms part of the local government buildings so is very much in use today. We did not have time to look around the museum today but the modern architecture with the old worked well. View attachment 795732
My favourite part of the abbey was the courtyard followed closely by the organ. As always with churches I am in wonderment about how they were built. Everyone talks about the pyramids but compared to the architecture of a great cathedral there is no comparison, in my book anyway.
View attachment 795736View attachment 795737
Coffee time was looming so we followed our noses to the old town. First though we had to pass what must be the worlds most photographed florist shop. I won’t share any photos from inside but to say that it is a theatre of colour would be an understatement. Wow!
View attachment 795738
Round the corner into the decorated Korkerkhof strasse home to a B&B for people with vertigo.
View attachment 795739View attachment 795740
Middelburg has a lovely waterfront but strangely the town does not make the most of this without a cafe or restaurant in sight.
View attachment 795741
So we made our way back toward the centre of town via the back alleyways where we dined on Bolus, a local cinnamon bun. De-lish-us! This proved once and for all that the Dutch keep a clean back passage.
View attachment 795744
There is a a huge amount of door porn in Middelburg but my winner by use of teddy bears is :
View attachment 795745
Time was ticking so it was off to Veere to track down a late lunch, which we did at Suster Anna’s pancake shop. I swear that we will all return home diabetic. At this point I went to take a photo and realised that my battery was dead
So you will have to take my word for it that Veere is extremely pretty. After our pancakes we headed to the quayside for a coffee. There were some stunning visiting yachts in the haven (all they were missing was two large diesels) and plenty more in the meere. We ended up sleeping our lunch and breakfast off on the beach before returning to base in time for Archie to get a swim before naked time.

I am pleased that you managed to enjoy a bit of both, gorgeous isn’t it? Gosh a Bolus, that’s at least 29 years ago I had one, if you have half a day left make your way to Bergen op Zoom, it’s not that far and has a lovely old centre, make sure to visit “ het markiezenhof” it’s a old palace which is stunning, the peperbus church on the nearby Grote Markt is beautiful too, and do not forget to go to bakery Groffen, and ask for a few of their speciality koeken, chocolate met nootjes is the one to have, people come from a 50 mile radius to get those, they are that special

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MR BLO]

Breakfast in Holland, lunch in Belgium and supper in France.
We enjoyed an early breakfast - BBQ’d curry wurst and boeren rauwkost sandwiches shared with the ducks (the bread not the sausages). No idea what the boeren stuff is - recommended to us by a lady in jumbo - but it is the best accompaniment for sausages.

Kelly and Archie went for a morning swim whilst I packed the van albeit slowly. Out for my run of penance this morning I managed to take a tumble avoiding a speeding car and proper turned my ankle and twisted my (already dodgy) knee. Not the best start to the penultimate day
Décision was where to go next. Heads for Antwerp, tails for Bruges. Best of three, decision made it was off to Bruges for lunch. We took advantage of the quiet motorway to get a wriggle on via the Westerscheldetunnel. The EUR7.95 toll shaves 90km off the journey. At 6.6km long it’s the longest tunnel that we have taken the van through and one that has a surprisingly steep decline and incline to navigate under the sea.
Not far out the other side we hit Belgium. There is no sign to signal your arrival, the road simply transitions from the tarmac equivalent of velvet to something not far short of a ploughed field. Oh how I cussed my Alko super-low chassis
We parked up on the Bruges equivalent of the North circular, it’s free, donned walking shoes and headed into town (less than 20m to centre).

Bruges it has to be said is a very scenic city. In fact it’s almost an architectural, historical and door porn overload. Entering via one of the city gates we first followed the canal and then cobbled streets in search of lunch and a photo opportunity. Archie helping me with a sense of scale today.

Bruges has unlimited photo opportunities but the problem is that apparently everyone else seems to know about the place so it was rammed. Couple that with Wednesday being recycling day and it was quite hard to capture any great shots. But it is a beautiful place and one where Kelly and I will revisit without Archie who was by now becoming a little tired of architecture.

Lunch consisted of a Belgian stew. Very hearty and heating when it was already 24degC. We were passed by lots of horse drawn carriages which normally gets my blood boiling with the state of the horses. But in Bruges every one seemed well cared for and not just a money making machine.

Kelly and I had a go at mimicking a statue - we won’t make it as street artists.

Then time for door porn - there’s a lot on offer in Bruges (usually with someone sat on the step eating a waffle ).

But Kelly was starting to get tired of my door obsession……

….and The cobbled streets took their toll on me knobbled knee, so after a quick conflab we decided to strike for France. On the way back to the van it was proven that the Fiat 500 IS the Toad of choice in Europe.

And now we are here - can you guess where it is yet?

Right time for supper. Any recommendations ?…..

 

[claude et maude]

Absolutely love Bruges and so easy to get to (when you live 45 mins from Le Shuttle….hmm, do the French call it The Shuttle?!). We are going again first weekend in September and probably once more for the Christmas markets.

Really enjoying this thread, it’s put Delft on my list to visit next year.

 

[gus-lopez]

lovely thread & thanks for posting.

Oh & in case you didn't know this

Here we experienced the local dislike for Visa, being charged EUR1,00 per transaction .

called 'surcharging' is totally illegal anywhere ib europe or the uk.

When you pay for something in the EU using your credit or debit card, traders usually cannot charge you an extra fee - also known as "surcharging" - just for using a particular card. This rule applies to card purchases in shops and online, made within your home country or in another EU country.
However, credit and debit cards issued by three party schemes (such as American Express and Diners Club) and business or corporate credit cards, where your employer is billed instead of you, are not covered by EU rules on payment services, and you can still be charged extra for using these cards.



https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/pricing-payments/faq/index_en.htm

 

[MR BLO]

Thanks for the info gus-lopez
We will have a chat with our back tomorrow to see what we can recoup if anything. The charges have added up to nearly EUR100 on this holiday. We tend to keep some cash for tips and card for everything else.

 

[MR BLO]

Absolutely love Bruges and so easy to get to (when you live 45 mins from Le Shuttle….hmm, do the French call it The Shuttle?!). We are going again first weekend in September and probably once more for the Christmas markets.

Really enjoying this thread, it’s put Delft on my list to visit next year.

Delft is lovely. Just big enough not to be boring but not so big that it’s swamped.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Coolcats]

Well done for the early morning run and it looks you are having good weather.

Your pink-footed geese are Egyptian geese I think. They are an introduction and pretty widespread in Europe, often semi-domesticated like those ones.

Egyptian Goose Facts | Alopochen Aegyptiaca

Related to the shelduck, this pale brown and grey goose has distinctive dark brown eye-patches and contrasting white wing patches in flight. Read more

www.rspb.org.uk

Lots of Egyptian geese at Alton water reservoir

 

[Bertilak]

We did 2 weeks at Whitsun and escaping the coronation... We found a) there are wild camp places, via SfS, though it seemed it was mainly Germans using them. b) there are a few official Aires, though without any facilities. There is an official class of "green" or eco campsite, possibly equivalent to CLs, which have a max fee €18 (?) but a max capacity of 15 units. Thus it pays to get there early or book, and go out on your bikes. The facilities will still be immaculate. Marinas are similar price but without the capacity limit, but often with vehicle gates, so you have be there before they go home, or ring up. There are then "holiday campsites" that can be anything, and any price, from hidden in the dunes to full resort style.
Have fun!

 

[Treeeev]

And now we are here - can you guess where it is yet?
View attachment 796178

I know, I know, but I’m not telling (that’s the front of my van )

Cheers

Trevor

 

[TheMachMan]

Great thread. Door Porn, I’m not alone!

 

[MR BLO]

I know, I know, but I’m not telling (that’s the front of my van )

Cheers

Trevor

Bonjour Treeeev bienvenue à Gravelines

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}