From there we continued on to the Mayenne in the Loire Valley to the tiny village of Asse le Berenger which Colin’s cousin Linda lives and runs a chambre d’hotes.

We are spending a few days here, exploring the area. Yesterday we went to the Medieval village of Sainte-Suzanne dating back to the 11th century. Perched high on a hill, the pale cream sandstone castle, it’s keep and ramparts dominate the landscape and can be seen for many miles.

Just outside of Rouen is the Abbaye St Georges de Boscerville in St Martin. The old Abbey is gone, a few building stones remain. The church is still intact as the town of St Martin adopted it as their parish church. The old gardens of the Benedictine monks has been re constructed. The monks grew medicinal herbs and fruit trees to create medicinal concoctions.
A tower has been renovated at the top of the hill which provides you with a fabulous view of the church and surrounding valley

We then made our way to Rouen situated on the Seine. Rouen is lovely ancient city with beautiful gothic buildings and ½ timbered houses. Claude Monet has famously painted the facade of the Cathedral many times. Richard the Lionheart’s heart is in the cathedral. There is a Benedictine Abbey and a couple of other beautiful churches, one that is known for it’s beautifully carved doors from the 16th century. There’s a fabulous clock. Joan of Arc was sentenced to death in the cemetery of the Abbey and burnt at the stake in Rouen in 1431. There is a modern church, monument to commemorate her death and it is shaped like a flame. There is a terrific museum that tells her whole story.

Sunday. Our next destination was the tiny village of Giverny to see Claude Monet’s house and garden. The house and garden are open from March to November and attracts 500,000 visitors. There was a huge crowd of visitors during our visit as well. The house and gardens are beautiful and the famous bridge over the lily ponds is beautiful, it’s just a shame we had to share it all with so many people.

Me in the tasting room at Moet & Chandon

Saturday This morning we drove from Dijon to Epernay in Champagne. We drove the scenic, winding road, through rolling hills and farmlands with crops from wheat, corn to bright yellow sunflowers. We passed through many tiny sleepy little villages to reach Epernay in the Champagne area. Fields of corn and wheat were soon replaced with rows and rows of vines. Arriving in the town on Epernay you approach along the Avenue de Champagne where Moet & Chandon and Pol Roger champagne houses are located, amongst elegant mansions.

We did a tour of Moet & Chandon. You begin the tour with a short film and then you are taken down to the caves (cellars) where there are 28 kilometres of caves housing millions of bottles, just of Moet & Chandon. There are 3 levels of caves at a constant temperature of 12 degrees.

20,000 hectares of vineyards surround Epernay and along the avenue 200 million bottles of champagne are ageing in 120 kilometres of caves carved out of the chalk soil.

We learnt that champagne is first wine and is bottled with sugar and yeast to ferment in the bottle. The longer it is left, the better and more expensive it is. When it is ready to drink it is tipped neck down and twisted every day for 5 weeks to collect the sediment. The neck of the bottle is then frozen and the cork removed and the ice containing the sediment blown out. It is then resealed with more sugar and more champagne. It does not age any further and must be consumed within 2 years.

Dom Perignon and Moet and Chandon are produced at the same place, but Dom is much more expensive. DomPerignon invented champagne.

We arrived in Dijon about 2pm. Dijon is best known for it’s mustard. There are many shops selling a large variety of different types/styles of mustard.

Dijon has one of the best preserved medieval centres in France. It is all within easy walking distance. The main church has a tiny brass owl attached to the wall. It is said to bring you good luck and good fortune when rubbed. The owl has been rubbed by so many that it has a very shiny smooth surface. Atop the church is a tower with a clock and two intricate brass figures.

Dijon's Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne was home to the Dukes of Burgundy, and dates back to the 1300’s. Across from the Palais is the Place de la Liberation, which is lined with restaurants and cafe’s and in the centre are several fountains spurting jets of water that attracted lots of children on this hot afternoon. All of the buildings are in a pale cream sandstone with grey slate tiles.

Late this afternoon we arrived in Colmar about ¾ of the way along the Route de Vins. Colmar is a maze of cobblestone streets and centuries old Alsatian buildings,1/2 timbered houses in pastel colours and a very pretty canal area called Little Venice.

Ribeauville and Riquewihr are the most beautiful and most medieval towns along the route and attract the most crowds. Both are nestled at the base of rolling hills covered with vineyards and have narrow cobblestoned streets festooned with colourful displays of bright flowers, ½ timbered houses in pale blues, greens, yellow and orange overhang the cobbled streets.

Today we have meandered along the Route de Vins stopping and many of the picturesque villages dotted frequently along the route. We have seen several huge stork nests high on the top of church spires or chimneys. Each nest has several storks and we have seen many circling the towns.

Bugatti Museum, Molsheim.

We left Strasbourg mid morning and drove to Obernai on the Route de Vins, stopping first at the town of Molsheim where the Bugatti Museum is located. It was Bastille Day and most places, including the museum where closed.

We moved on to Obernai. Obernai is a picturesque walled town with cobblestone streets and multi coloured ½ timbered houses that overhang the lanes and jut out at odd angles, occasionally leaning slightly. We walked along the ramparts that cover nearly 2km.

There are many interesting buildings, there’s a jewish synagogue and the well of the six buckets. There’s a hill not far from town with a memorial to soldiers at Alamein. Standing on the hill, amongst the vineyards you have a magnificent view of the town nestled at the base of the hill.

We have spent many hours walking the cobblestoned streets. We took a boat ride through the canals and up to where the EU Parliament buildings are. We have visited the cathedral several times to see the various figures in the astronomical clock. It would take 19 years to see every single thing that happens in the clock.

We visited the Cave Historique Hospices Strasbourg. The historic wine cellar under the hospital that contains barrels of wine dating back to the 1400’s.

Petite France is absolutely stunning. Situated around the canal, the houses are ½ timbered old tanning houses dating back to 14th and 15th centuries. They are tall, usually 3 or 4 stories and in the days when they were used as tanning houses the top floor was open to dry the hides, some still have open spaces at the top. The houses are crowded together, jutting out over the cobblestoned road at odd angles, some lean a little due to their age. They are in many shades of blue, green, pink and yellow. They have white or brown wooden shutters on the windows, black lacy wrought iron balconies with boxes of brightly coloured flowers. In the slate roof are usually two or three floors of small dormer windows. Large wooden doors at ground level often open up to reveal pretty courtyards.

The old town of Strasbourg is stunningly beautiful. There is a river that winds it’s away around the city and is contained by a dam and several locks. In the heart of the old town stands the majestic cathedral with it’s wedding cake spire towering above all else. It is of a deep rose pink sandstone.

Inside the cathedral is the astronomical clock. It stands 12 metres high. Created in the 13th century it has many intricate miniature statues, paintings, animal sculptures, the 12 Apostles, a skeleton and four ages of man ie baby, youth adult and old man. There are seven gods in chariots defining the day of the week. You see a different one depending on the day of the week. On the hour some of the figures move, the old man or one of the other 3 comes out and hits the bell of the skeleton. At 12.30 every day an enormous crowd gathers to watch more of the figures. During the procession of the 12 Apostles the cock crows three times. The Apostles procession is before the figure of Christ whom they salute and who blesses the crowd after the last one has passed. The angel cherub upturns the hourglass and the old man (or one of the other 3) appears and rings the bell.

It is all very impressive. Prior to seeing the procession you watch a short film telling you the history of the clock and it details what each of the figures will do during the procession.

The clock tells the position of the planets, the day of week, sunrise, sunset, the date, the phase of the moon, dates of lunar eclipses and of course the time (both local and official).

We went into the cathedral and watched the clock several times perform it’s intricate movements.

The hidden organ pipes. The only organ of its kind in Europe.

Sunday. We left Nancy and our first stop was the little town of Luneville. The houses are all of a pink sandstone from Vosges ranging in colour from a very pale pink to a deep dusky rose pink. The main attraction is the sumptuous Chateau on the hill overlooking the town. There is a fabulous garden at the rear of the Chateau. One of the most beautiful formal gardens in the entire region. The house and garden were modelled on Versailles, It was built in 1702 for the Duke of Lorraine who left Nancy and chose Luneville to settle with his court. It was then occupied by Stanislas the next Duke of Lorraine who also had the ornate gilded square in Nancy built in his honour.
Luneville is also known for it’s beaded embroidery. The craftswomen are called Luneilleuses and have practised their craft since the 14th century. The craft is still taught at a school in Luneville.

There are a number of very special houses and buildings in Luneville. There’s the Treaty House where the Treaty of Luneville was signed by Napolean’s brother. There’s a rich merchants house with ornate sculptures. St Jacques church, a very pretty church with a bright yellow interior which is a contrast to the often sombre darkness of the Gothic churches. The church also has the only organ in Europe with hidden organ pipes. Instead of seeing the pipes you see the beautifully decorated facade.
There is a synagogue and a Joan of Arc Church. There are also prestigious earthenware factories reproducing old and classical pieces that are highly sought after

Sarreguemines.

Saturday. Today is market day in Nancy and many of the inner city streets are close to traffic as hundreds of market stalls take over the area. Thousands of people visit the markets which stretch for miles in several directions.

We went for a peaceful drive into the countryside and visited the pretty town of Sarreguemines famed for its pottery. They have some quirky pottery sculptures in the middle of roundabouts around town.

Sound and light show, Place Stanislas, Nancy.

Our next stop was the beautiful city of Nancy. It has a magnificent central square, Place Stanislas laid out in the 1700’s. It is quite dazzling with it’s opulent buildings, gilded wrought-iron gateways (4) and rococo fountains. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nearby smaller squares are just as opulent. Nancy even has it’s own Arc de Triomphe built to honour LouisXV. It has a lovely park, parc de la Pepiniere which is a formal garden and a very pretty rose garden.

At precisely 10.45pm each evening Place Stanislas comes alive with a spectacular sound and light show projected onto the impressive Hotel de Ville

Today we drove to Nancy via Metz, pronounced Mess which is the capital of the Lorraine region.
It is a very pretty city, situated of on the river Moselle. Lots of the buildings date from the period when Metz was part of the German Reich. The German border is not far from here.
There is a fabulous looking gothic cathedral, inside is very dark and sombre but the stained glass windows are outstanding.
We took a small train around the city with an audio commentary in English to get a quick over view of the city.

Our next stop was Diekirch with a brewery of the same name. We were not here for the beer but rather the outstanding war museum, the Musee National d’Histoire Militaire, said to be the countries best war museum and we would certainly agree. They have a huge collection of assorted military vehicles, bombs (which I hope have been defused), uniforms, memorbillia, photos, letters, drawings. The collection of weapons, guns etc is amazing. The museum has been well thought out and there are many huge dioramas paid for by veterans of the war. We were very impressed. We loved the museum in Bastogne but this one has even more to offer

There is a picturesque castle high up on the hill overlooking the town. It is a 12th century castle that was home to the Counts of Vianden. It has been restored to it’s former glory and you can wander the many rooms. I actually preferred the Chateau de Bourschied, however both castles are breathtakingly beautiful perched high up on the craggy mountain tops.

Leaving Esc h-sur-Sure we drove through an ever changing landscape from crops and pastures to tiny villages nestled in at the base of a sheer limestone cliff. High up on a hill along a winding road we reached Chateau de Bourschied, a 1000 year old castle with a commanding view over the entire valley. As you round the bend in the road the sight of the castle takes your breath away. It’s a ruin, that’s its charm. You can pick up a free audio guide in English that tells you the history of castle. We spent about an hour listening to the audio and wandering around the castle.

Our next stop was picture postcard beautiful Vianden. The very steep narrow cobblestoned main street is lined with picturesque houses and restaurants. They are painted in bright orange, yellow, greens and creams and wooden shutters on the windows. Brightly coloured flowers adorn the doorways and windowboxes above have blooms cascading down from them.

Thursday 8/7. Today we drove to Esch-sur-Sure a tiny picturesque village near Luxembourg Centre. Esch is perched precariously at the base of a sheer cliff with a fast flowing river. We climbed and climbed many steps carved out of the slate mountain to reach the statue on the hill and from there walk on to the old ruined castle, a real crumbly dating from 925. The views of the steeply sloping village and the valley below were sensational.

Reluctantly we said goodbye to the Netherlands We drove towards the Ardennes The first town we stopped at was Dinant. What a contrast to the Netherlands. Dramatic limestone cliffs rise upwards from the huge fast flowing river and the town of Dinant clings to the base of the cliff. At the top of the cliff sits an imposing fortress la Citadel which is reached by a cable car. Colin went up for a look around and took some photos.

From Dinant we drove to the tiny village of Annevoie to see Les jardins d’Annevoie, beautiful private gardens and a chateau. The gardens have many ponds and water features and fountains all fed from a natural water source that has been supplying water continuously for more than a hundred years.

From there we went on to Bastogne where a major scene in the Battle of the Bulge took place. We went to visit the Museum there which once again was an outstanding museum. They have a large collection of military vehicles and machinery and the museum has many interactive displays, lots of memorbillia and a lot of film footage of civilians who survived the war, most of whom were small children at the time, it was interesting to watch and hear what people said of their memories of that time. It makes it all very real for you.

We through a number of small villages and towns on our way to Luxembourg. We passed many beautiful chateau, citadels perched high up on the limestone rock face.

We are in Luxembourg Wow, it is stunningly beautiful. Today we spent the entire day walking and walking.

We walked from our hotel down into the park that goes under the viaduct, the Petrusse Valley and winds it's way across town and we eventually walked up the hill into town.

We then went and visited the Casemates, the tunnels and the dungeon of the old castle and walked miles (it felt like) through the tunnels and down spiral staircases and up spiral staircases, quite a workout but the views from the old cannon holes are breathtaking.

We then took a 2 hour guided walk with a local that is run by the tourist office. On our tour we saw the Palace of the Duchy of Luxembourg, the many buildings of the European Union, some of the oldest houses in Luxembourg dating back to 15th century that are now restaurants and many other historical sites. We visited the Cathedral of Notre Dame which has a painting by Reubens amongst it’s treasures.

The remainder of the day we spent walking to as many places as possible. Along the corniche, Europe's most picturesque balcony, and the views are certainly stunning.

We have walked through the old quarter, through the Grund, up impossibly steep narrow winding cobblestoned roads, through the Clausen area and around the city centre.

We went to the excellent History of Luxembourg Museum that guides you through each of the centuries. It is very well done.

We left den Bosh early in the morning and drove to Maastricht arriving there about midday. There are 52 churches in Maastricht and the grandest of them all is Sint Servaas Basilica. It is a magnificent church with a fantastic Treasury which houses 2 floors of beautiful valuable treasures. There is a collection of Faberge eggs, gold vials which contain the bones of Saints, gold chests, beautiful pewter, silverware and glassware and ancient robes and tapestries.
Within the church is the grave of the bishop who died there in 384 and it is his name, St Servaas that the church or Basilica is named after. Emperors, kings dukes and counts prayed there. Important people liked to be buried there. Ceremonies, processions, pilgrimages, royal marriages and disasters happened within the walls of this basilica since 384. Probably the oldest church we’ve been in.

Outside the church is ornately decorated with gargoyles and intricately carved religious figures.

Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands and has many beautiful old buildings and nearly 2000 monuments. The city is in two halves separated by the river Maas. There 3 bridges spanning the river and we have walked over each of them.

We walked to the top of the hill, yes there are hills in Maastricht to Fort Sint Pietersburg and the Sint Pietersburg tunnels. The views from the top of the hill are stunning.

The Helpoort (Hell's Gate) is another historical landmark and the past fortifications have shaped much of the present day city of Maastricht. We walked all along there and there is a long line of cannons.

Our next destination was ‘s-Hertogenbosh or den Bosch, another medieval fortified city. The town derives its name from the description des hertogen bos the duke’s forest, the Duke being Hendrik the First of Brabant.

den Bosch is a very pretty city. It has many canals criss crossing the town. Lovely narrow cobblestoned streets to wander along and follow the route of a canal. There are hundreds of cafes, restaurants and bars spilling out onto the sidewalks.

Sint Janskathedral is stunning and is rated as one of the best in the Netherlands, lovely Gothic stained glass windows, a magnificent organ and a statue of the Madonna.

The large market square, triangular in shape is surrounded by many beautiful old buildings and there is also a very good museum.

We also visited Zaltbommel, even older than Wouldrichem it dates from 850. It too is a walled city with ramparts and canals on the outside and inner canals. The town wall dates from 1316. It too has a cannon guarding the entrance gate. The Sint Maartenskerk church dates from the 1400’s and unfortunately it wasn’t open. A shame because it has interesting murals painted on the walls.
Zaltbommel also has lots of pretty houses and cobblestoned streets to wander

Today we visited the ancient and very picturesque little village of Wouldrichem located on several very busy rivers the Am, Meuse, Maas and Merwede. Wouldrichem is a fortified town and is surrounded by a medieval wall which we walked around. The entrances to the walled town have two cannons on each side of the entrance. There is a quaint fishing harbour with traditional Dutch fishing boats showing the towns centuries old history of salmon fishing.. There’s a working windmill, some museums, art galleries and lovely cobblestoned lanes to wander. Pretty houses with lots of window boxes with flowers and large pots of flowers outside every door. As you wander around here you can easily imagine yourself back in olden times.

Today we went to Arnhem, Oosterbeek and Nijmegen. Arnham is famous as the bridge too far, Montgomery,s famous operation Market Garden. The bridge has been rebuilt but is as it was then.

From Arnham we went to Oosterbeek about 5kms from Arnhem and it has the Airborne Museum which is fantastic. It is housed in the house that was the headquarters of the British during the battle. The museum covers about 3 floors in total and the lower floor is devoted to one huge diorama of the battle. As you walk about you are in this diorama and with the sound effects and film footage it feels as if you are really in the middle of this terrible battle.

Our final destination for the day was Nijmegen situated on the Rhine. What is very unusual is the fact there are actually some hills in this town. I believe the only place in Holland that is not completely flat. Nijmegen was bombed flat during the war and has been rebuilt since then. There are some old buildings but they have been completely renovated.

By the time we arrived in Nijmegen it was nearly time for the Brazil versus Holland match and most shops and businesses had closed for the day and the whole town, decked out in orange had gathered at bars and cafes to watch the match on the big screen.

Holland won. Hup Holland.

Behind the Domtoren is a small vey pretty monastic garden walled off from the street so it is a quiet haven. Further along the road is the Pieterskirk, a Romanesque church which dates back to 1048. It is a really interesting ancient church which had been badly damaged in storms in the 1600’s and has been restored.

After leaving Utrecht we drove to the tiny hamlet of Haarzuilens to see Kasteel de Haar, an absolutely stunning castle. A real Cinderella castle with turrets and towers and a moat and big iron gates. It is gigantic and is situated on a huge estate with stunning gardens.

We took a guided tour through the castle. The inside is lavish with highly decorated walls and ceilings and many stained glass windows. In one room where these huge light fittings made of wrought iron with horses and knights in armour. The fittings each weigh 500kilograms. This was the sort of lavishness throughout the castle.

The castle is privately owned and lived in during the month of September every year. It is closed to the public when the family is in residence. The castle is owned by the descendants of the Baroness Rothchild.

Today we drove to the tiny village of Doorn to see Kaiser Willhelm II’s house and museum in vast grounds in the countryside.
From there we drove to Utrecht. Utrecht is one of the Netherlands oldest cities. The 13th century canals have a wharf below street level. No other city in the Netherlands is like this. Nowadays the wharf area reached by stairs is taken up with cafes and restaurants right on the waters edge. The Domtoren dominates the skyline. It’s a 465 steps climb to the top from where you can see as far away as Amsterdam. There are 50 bells in the tower.

Monday. We left Groningen and drove towards the German border through the towns of Assen and Emmen to Kamp Westerbork. Kamp Westerbork was a WW2 concentration camp. There is a museum there where you go first. The museum is excellent. They have a large collection of personal items from the 100,000 Jews that went through this camp. They have suitcases with a few personal effects. That really brings the experience to life. They have many photos displayed on the walls, film footage of survivors talking years later about their experiences. Unfortunately that is all in Dutch but you can get an idea from it all.

From the museum it is about 3km to the actual camp. Most of it was torn down in the 1970’s but has been re-created in part. There barbed wire fence has been put back. Parts of the concrete buildings remained. The rest has been marked out to show where the various buildings were. Outside the fence the camp commandant’s house is intact. There was an area where the people were taken and loaded on the trains. There they have placed 100,000 blocks to commemorate the people who were sent to their deaths. It is very moving indeed.

We then set off into the countryside in search of Hunnebunen or Monoliths. We stopped in the tiny village of Borger to get a map of where to find the Hunnebunen. Borger is a very pretty little village with lots of thatched roof houses.

We drove down narrow winding lanes and then walked down little tracks between rows of potatoe plants on farms to find the collections of pre-historic rocks.

Our next destination was the town of Zwolle. Zwolle was much bigger than we expected. We had our trusty tom tom to assist us in navigating the narrow little lanes and one way streets into the historic centre in search of the tourist office.

It was on our way out of town that we had trouble. The Tom Tom took us up a one way street the wrong way. It was only seconds to realise we were going the wrong way but suddenly there appeared a policeman on a bicycle to tell us we were going the wrong way. He said follow me and he rode his bike ahead of us and directed us all the way through the little streets out to a main road. That was so nice of him. We have found the Dutch people to be very friendly and very helpful.

From Zwolle we went to the tiny fishing village of Urk. Urk used to be island along with Schokland who for hundreds of years eked out and existence on a narrow island in the Zuiderzee. Schokland was eventually swallowed up by the Noordoostpolder just like Urk and you now drive over some bridges to reach both places.. In Urk some of the locals still wear traditional costume. We didn’t see anyone dressed traditionally but we did see a man working on his boat wearing clogs.

This morning we left Alkmaar and headed for Gronigen. Our first destination was the Afsluitdijk, a 31km enclosing dam, a 4 lane highway dividing the North Sea and the Isselmeer lake connecting the provinces of Friesland and Groningen to the mainland. At each end of the dam are giant sluice gates to control the ebb and flow of the water between the lake and the sea.

We stopped at the viewing tower and cafe on the mid point of the dam.

Our next stop was the town of Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden is a modern city, but with a ancient mostly 16 century city centre, with many canals and city walls (looks like a diamond) and some great museums. . Leeuwarden is the capital of the beautiful Province of Friesland.

We continued on driving through a number of small villages with very pretty houses.

We then went to Lauwersoog in the Lauwersmeer National Park. Lauewersoog is a recreational area and marina. People gather here to swim sunbathe and sail on the boats.

We then drove on into Groningen where we spent are spending the night. Groningen is university town. It has a lovely university main building dating back to the 1600’s, many fine buildings and museums and for the first time in Holland no canals in the inner city, only one large canal surrounding the outskirts of the city.

We then went to see Bergen aan zee. Being such a beautiful day thousands of other day trippers were doing the same thing and there wasn’t a parking spot to be had anywhere so we ventured on further to Egmont and Egmont aan zee where we managed to find somewhere to park and were able to see the town of Egmont and then the beach which was packed with people swimming and sunbaking on the vast sandy beach.

We then drove to Bergen. Bergen is a very pretty village not far from sea. Today there were two markets. One market selling flowers, fresh foods and clothing stalls and another market in the grounds of the ruined church. This was quite a bizarre market. To our surprise this market was selling coffins and elaborate cloths to drape over them. Religious candles, clothing for the deceased and film companies to make videos,.presumably of the funeral. Couldnt quite work that out.

We drove to Hoorn, once a sleepy fishing village. It is located on the Isselmere, a huge sea that is connected to the North Sea but controlled by tidal gates as the town is below sea level.

Driving through the countryside along tiny one lane roads where there is nearly always a narrow canal alongside you. The richly fertile vibrant green pastures are criss crossed with tiny canals. Cows, sheep and horses graze together. The landscape is dotted with windmills. Larger canals carry a stream of boats. Families and couples out enjoying this very warm and sunny weather.

We took a trip to Edam, another famous cheese town. It is a very compact and pretty town with the river Ye. The houses that line the side of the canal are exceptionally pretty. Some were once merchants houses and are very grand with long neck gables or stepped gables. The town began in 12thcentury and was originally called Yedam after the river Ye. It became a prosperous town from it’s shipbuilding.

Walking along the old streets and quiet canals where boats sail lazily by, it is easy to imagine what it might have been like in centuries past.

Friday. We arrived in Alkmaar. Alkmaar is THE cheese town. The town square is transformed every Friday morning into an ancient cheese market. Great wheels of cheese are laid out in the square, the Waagplein. The are collected and taken to the Waag (the weighhouse), The cheeses are sold by dealers on a clap of hands and strong men carry these wooden “slings” full of cheese at a running pace with staps on their shoulders.

Around the outside of the cheese market are many little stalls set up selling many Dutch specialities, cheese of course, Stroop wafels, dutch pancakes and hering. Hering is eaten smothered in raw onion.

After the market is gone and all the stalls have packed up the Waagplein is transformed with sidewalk cafes, where patrons sip coffee and snack on broodjes (sandwiches on rolls) to the sound of church bells.
There are more than 400 monuments in Alkmaar. The Grote Kirk (cathedral) is no longer a church. It became too big and too costly so it is now a museum/art gallery with ever changing exhibitions. The Waag weighhouse is a beautiful turreted building with the figure of a soldier standing guard almost at the top of the tower. There are many other beautiful old buildings dating back to the 12th and 15th centuries

Today we went to Gouda. Gouda of course is famous for cheese. We saw the cheeses laid out in the market square, people dressed in traditional costume and cheese wheels being loaded into horse drawn carriages and in the Kaaswaag weighhouse they were weighing cheese on gigantic scales. In the old days, the cheese farmers brought their cheeses to the market. The cheese was weighed and the weighing master gave the farmer a note that read the weight of the cheese. The farmers and tradesmen did business by clapping hands. We saw this re-enacted today.

We visited the De Sint Janskerk or St John’s church. The church is especially famous for its stained glass windows “the Gouda Windows”. They depict scenes from biblical and national history. They date from 1555. There are more than 65 windows and they are stunningly beautiful.

The outside of the church has a clock and under the clock is a series of figures and a door when the hour strikes the door opens and two figures slide out bow to each other and then disappear back behind the door.

Gouda is also famous for syrup waffles, or Stroopwafel. About 3 centuries ago the first syrup waffle was baked in Gouda.

There are a number of museums, churches, the beautiful town hall, a working windmill and some Almshouses or hofje (houses for the poor) all within easy walking distance, making a very compact and pretty town to visit.

After Gouda we went to visit Leiden. Leiden is Rembrandt’s birthplace. It has the Netherlands oldest university. It is also where the Pilgrims first sailed to America aboard the Mayflower.

Orange coloured water in fountain.

Yestereday we took a tram ride from Delft to the beach at Scheveningen which took about 15 minutes. The beach itself is a nice sandy beach. There are loads and loads of cafes and restaurants right on the beach.

During WW2 the word Scheveningen was used as a code word because the Germans could easily learn Dutch but there was no way they could pronounce Scheveningen like the Dutch.

We then took a tram ride from Scheveningen back to den Haag. We saw the Palace and the Dutch Parliament and numerous monuments and buildings. It is a prettier city than I expected. It is full of flowers. There are huge pots everywhere filled with bright flowers.

The dutch are obsessed with everything orange for the World Cup, they wear orange clothes, orange flags are draped everything and in den Haag the fountains were spouting orange water.

We left Amsterdam this morning and drove to Delft. Delft is a picturesque little town famous for the blue and white pottery, Delftware. Also famous for Johannes Vermeer the artist born in Delft and buried in the Old Church, Oude Kirk along with all the kings and queens beginning with William of Orange.

We visited the 13th-century Old Church, the 15th-century New Church and browsed the many shops selling Delftware. We wandered around the town through the market squares and along the canals to the Botanical Gardens.

Say cheese!!!

Our last day in Amsterdam. We walked to the Anne Frank house Museum, and hooray hardly any queue. We have checked it out every day and the queues have been horrendous. We thought we might have to miss it. I am so glad that we went though. It was very moving indeed. We were able to see the secret annexe and all the rooms where the 8 people hid for several years. We saw Anne Franks real diary or diaries, she wrote several. We watched several short films with interviews with the people who helped hide them andtghe lady who had cared for them and had saved the diaries. a Anne’s father who survived returned in the 1950’s to the house and he helped to set up the museum and publish her diary. The secret entrance behind the bookcase, the room where Anne lived and decorated the walls with posters and postcards, some of which are still there.

We then went to the floating flower market on Singel. There are many shops selling tulip and other bulbs as well as fresh flowers.

We did a lot of walking today. We saw the narrowest house, barely wider than the front door. The reason so many of the old houses are so narrow is the tax that was imposed based on the width of the house, so the houses were as narrow as possible to pay less tax.

We visited a cheese shop and tasted some of the hundreds of cheeses on offer. The variety, shapes and colours amazed us.

We wanted to go and see the Old Church which dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest church in the Netherlands but it was closed today. Instead we visited St Nicholas church.

We also visited the hidden church. It was a Catholic church during the time of the Reformation when you weren’t allowed to be a Catholic. The church was hidden, a bit like Anne Frank’s house, behind another dwelling and reached by a secret staircase.

We went for a walk through the VondelPark Amsterdam’s equivalent to Central Park NY. It is very picturesque. It has many lakes and waterways and a large rose garden. Today was the sunniest day since we’ve been here so the park was full of people enjoying a lovely sunny day.

I took a lot of photos today of the stone tablets that adorn the entrances to a lot of the old houses. The stone tablet is in picture form and most are dated in the 1500’s and 1600’s when few people could read and write so a picture tablet told visitors what your business was.

We took the hop on hop off canal boat tour today.

We also spent several hours in the Van Gogh Museum. The museum houses about 200 of Van Gogh's painting from his earliest paintings right through his lifetime. There are also some Monet's, Henri Toulouse Latrec and many more. It was exceptionally good.

We then went on the various routes of the Canal boats finishing with the orange route and the worst boat driver of them all.

He banged the boat into the dock several times when trying unsuccessfully to park, hit the sides of the canal and at one stage another boat.

At one point he tied the boat up at an unofficial stop and went to the toilet.

I was very glad to get off.

We are in Amsterdam. We are staying in the de Jordaan area in a houseboat on the canal. It is really lovely. It is everything I had hoped for and more. There are lots of houseboats moored along the canal. It is so peaceful here. Leafy and green. The occasional boat sails past and there is a family of ducks making a nest in a tyre on the boat next to ours. They are building the nest out of twigs and bits and pieces foraged from the canal. It is interesting to watch them collect the things for the nest. The de Jordaan area is very pretty. Narrow streets alongside the canals and little lanes with houses whose windows have boxes of pretty flowers and the doorways have climbing roses draped around them.

A lot of restaurants, cafes and bars line the streets spilling out onto the sidewalk. Planter boxes line the streets filled with flowers and shrubs.

Minature cars and bicycles are the main form of transport. There's more than 600,000 bicycles in Holland.

Thursday. This morning we went to the Frites Museum. The museum tells the story of the fry from its humble beginnings as a wild potato in South America to the fry of today which the Belgians claim they invented. It has been discovered that potatoes were cultivated 8000 years ago. Potatoes were at one time, just like chocolate, reserved for the very rich. Then of course, they were food for the very poor. The museum was very interesting. We learnt that potatoe juice is very good to drink if you have a tummy upset and is also very good for gout and arthritis. You finish off your visit to the Museum with freshly made Frites and mayo or mustard.

We visited Gent today, a beautiful medieval city with cobblestoned streets and crisscrossed with canals. The historical centre is an easy walk with all the sites close together. There is the Castle of the Counts, an imposing medieval fortress right in the middle of the city. Nearby is St Michaels Bridge where you can stand and see all three towers in a row.

The magnificent Belfry with it’s golden dragon atop and four gold topped turrets towers over the city. The carillion once announced important visitors to the city and executions. Now it chimes every ½ and on the hour and also announces festivals throughout the year.

St Bavo’s Cathedral is Gent’s oldest church. It has magnificent stained glass windows and it’s interior is mostly marble and very dark oak. Lot’s of statues and lavish Tombs of Gent bishops. There’s a Rubens painting and also The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a famous painting I haven’t heard of.

We weren’t able to see inside St Nicholas’s church. It is undergoing renovation which I later read began in 1960!! And they are still at it.

Belgium chocolate shops adorn the city and it wasnt long before we gave in to temptation and bought some chocolate.

Bruges is also famous for lace making and there are lots of shops selling handmade lace and I took this photo of a lady creating a lace doiley.

Last Sunday we stayed in a hotel right opposite St Pancras station and the following morning we caught the Eurostar to Brussels. The train departed England and in no time we were in the tunnel. About 20 mins later we popped out into the French countryside. The train whisked us to Brussels and we arrived there in about 2 hours. Very efficient. We changed to a local train and were soon at the airport to collect our lease vehicle.

A little over an hour later we arrived in Bruges and checked into our B&B, Maison Printaniere located about 3kms from the old town of Bruges.

Bruges is beautiful. In the 5th century waters from the North Sea submerged the whole town. 200 years later when the water subsided the land was crisscrossed with canals. The town itself dates back to 892.

Bruges has 25 churches and 47 almhouses, houses for the poor which date back to 16th century. The almhouses are grouped together with a pretty central courtyard garden.

The city has narrow cobblestoned lanes lined with beautiful old buildings, houses, churches and lots of statues and monuments. Horse drawn carriages take visitors through the streets.

We took a boat ride along the canals and under the many low bridges, some so low that even in the low electric boats we had duck our heads.

Swans and ducks glide by as you sail silently along the canal looking up at the buildings, shops and step roofed houses lining the canals.