Five years ago, we (my wife and I) got the opportunity to travel to Europe for 15 days. We were part of a group tour organised by a famous tour operator in India. It was an experience worth penning down. And so I did, I kept a record of our day-to-day visits to new places, of surprises and disappointments as well as trivia. Here is an excerpt from a traveller’s notebook, a storehouse of memories.
August 9, 2012: Hotel NH Koningshof-Eindhoven (the Netherlands): This is the sixth day of our tour of Europe. We are in the low-lying countryside. The Netherlands literally means ‘low country’ and one fourth of its area lies barely one meter above the sea level.
The Netherlands, known for tulips and windmills, is also home to the world famous brand Philips .This morning we woke up around 6.30 am to an aura of a misty morning with a mellow sun gleaming through the canopy of conifers down to the green grass laden with dew drops. It was a serene beauty. After the breakfast we were all very keen to venture into the Dutch countryside. Our first destination was The Hague.
After almost two-and-a-half hour drive from Eindhoven, we crossed the bridge on River Meuse and entered Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Rotterdam had the distinction of the busiest port of the world from1962-2004, and only to be surpassed by Shanghai. We were enjoying Hindi movie songs with video clips on the LCD screen.
It was 10.30 in the morning. Within half an hour we shall reach Den Hague, The Hague, a tranquil city. The Hague is the official residence of the Queen of Netherlands, Queen Beatrix, and also the seat of the Dutch Government and the parliament.
To capture best video shots I occupied a seat just behind the coach captain. Before entering the city limit we stopped for a while at a traffic signal.
The surrounding had a beautiful landscape with parks and greenery all around. Our coach then took a right turn and we were off to Madurodam, which means miniature Holland.
At Madurodam, we felt like giants, like Gulliver in the land of Liliputs, amidst miniature windmills, canals, palaces, airport, power stations, sea ports, embankments, and others .We had a real taste of Holland at Madurodam.
After spending about an hour at Madurodam, we headed towards a typical cheese factory at the Jacobs Hoeve on the outskirts of Amsterdam.
We had glimpses of rural Holland on way to the factory. It was a real treat to watch the serene beauty. At the factory, there were real demonstrations of how the Dutch prepare their cheese. We tasted different varieties but they all tasted salty. Some friends purchased little quantities for their families.
Adjacent to the cheese factory, in the same courtyard, we enjoyed our Indian lunch arranged by Gourmmindia, a chain of outlets of Indian cuisine in Europe. The menu included some surprises for us- there were puri, raita, and pure mango juice too.
After lunch, we got into the coach for a visit to a windmill. After travelling some distance along very narrow roads, surrounded by lush green fields, cattle farms, canals with crystal clear water and the most beautiful cottages I have seen during my tour of Europe. Small boys and girls bypassed us paddling bicycles. I was delighted to have sighted a windmill in the midst of lush green fields and swamps. I never thought a windmill could be so large. All of a sudden a faint memory of the poem “Miller of Dee” by Charles Mackay, which I read decades ago, flashed into my mind.
We alighted from the coach for a brief photo-stop against the backdrop of the windmill. We clicked some memorable pictures. I was rather keen to find out how the windmill worked. But we were denied entry into to the premises.
After spending some time and enjoying the beauty of the typical Dutch countryside, we were off to Rattermans, a traditional Dutch shoe factory where we were given a live demonstration of how wooden shoes were made. We were told that wooden shoes are extensively used in agricultural fields. Traditionally wooden shoes are made from poplar wood. After curving, clogs are cured for about three weeks for painting.
After a short drive from the shoe factory, we reached Amsterdam. The entire journey to the city was a wonderful experience.
On the way, we came across beautiful waterfronts and canals with lovely little boats, small and beautiful houses virtually on the waterfronts.
Known for its night life, canals and museums, Amsterdam is one of the best tourist destinations in Europe. I was thrilled…
Amsterdam offers different types of a cruise from simple day one-hour to night tours. Amsterdam Jewel Cruises offer luxury saloon boats, with reserved private tables, where one can relax in the backdrop of well-illuminated canals and enjoy a la carte three-course dinner.
Canals of Amsterdam are not only major attractions for tourists but also a wonderful way to discover Amsterdam in its full glory.
A number of smaller canals spread out in different directions, creating 90 odd islands. Canals gradually start widening towards the sea. For years the city did not allow automobiles within the city limits! Amsterdam is still a paradise for those who ride bicycles.
When the tour manager went to the counter to collect tickets for the boat ride, we were having a virtual tour of the canal side. To our right, across the road, we could see the huge logo of Heineken, the world famous Dutch beer.
The one-hour cruise was a life-time experience.
We cruised along slowly along the canal. There were commentaries in English and Dutch describing important landmarks and I was rather very sad when we came near the iconic landmark of Amsterdam, the house of Anne Frank. Any tour of Amsterdam would not be complete without a visit to Anne Frank’s house. But that was not included in our itinerary. I was saddened by the thought of the little Dutch girl, who went into hiding to save her life during the Nazi occupation of Holland.
The Netherlands is also proud of her two master painters — Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt. In Amsterdam, there are two museums in their names. We were not so lucky to see their famous art works because like Anne Frank’s house, museums too, were not included in our itinerary.
Vincent van Gogh, known for his use of bold colours had about 900 paintings to his credit. Some of the world famous paintings of van Gogh are Starry Night, Sunflowers, Irises, Poppies and Wheatfield with corns. After an hour long grand tour of the canals we were back near the Heinekens, had a brief stroll and got into the coach for a long journey back to Eindhoven.
(Contributed by Parag
Ranjan Dutta)
