It was another bank holiday weekend in Ireland so Michael and I took the opportunity for a short break in the Netherlands. We arranged our flight to Amsterdam for the Friday evening, which was possibly a mistake on our behalf. Dublin airport was very busy (which was to be expected) and our flight was considerably delayed. Many of our fellow passengers were in “party mode” and were hitting the bar pretty hard. The delay in our departure meant that the drinkers had even more time to imbibe, so they were very merry, loud and boisterous when we finally boarded. Thankfully it was only a short flight. We arrived in Amsterdam after midnight and spent what seemed an eternity clearing customs before finally catching a taxi to our hotel in the nearby city of Haarlem. The hotel was a pleasant surprise, having only been open for six months, so everything was brand new and appealing. We located our room, intending to go straight to bed. Michael plugged in his Bagel (a charging device for our electronics) and there was a flash of sparks and then darkness – the power had been blown. The night desk gentleman was lovely and offered us free drinks at the bar whilst he worked out how to fix the problem, however, since it was by now 1.30am, we each settled for a glass of water! The power was eventually restored and we returned to our room and literally fell into bed.
We slept late the following morning before setting off to explore the city. When we went down stairs, we discovered that the hotel was next door to a huge ice rink and the windows in the lounge looked straight into the facility. Unfortunately, being summer, there was no ice, however it must be nice to relax in the warmth of the hotel and watch the skaters. The walk to the town centre was approximately 40 minutes from our hotel, which was no great effort on our part, as everywhere is perfectly flat.
The streets were pristine and the houses and gardens that we passed were immaculate, with roses in bloom everywhere.
Our first stop was the Grote Markt (big market). The market has existed in the centre of Haarlem for around 700 years and is surrounded by very grand buildings. On Saturdays, a food market is held, selling everything from fish, cheese, meats and vegetables. We had a lovely time wandering the stalls, stopping for a fresh pastry and admiring the local produce. We also tried hot stroopwafles, (thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling) which were delicious.
The streets were pristine and the houses and gardens that we passed were immaculate, with roses in bloom everywhere.
Our first stop was the Grote Markt (big market). The market has existed in the centre of Haarlem for around 700 years and is surrounded by very grand buildings. On Saturdays, a food market is held, selling everything from fish, cheese, meats and vegetables. We had a lovely time wandering the stalls, stopping for a fresh pastry and admiring the local produce. We also tried hot stroopwafles, (thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling) which were delicious.
Michael and I walked around the mediaeval city streets before heading to the Jopen Brewery. The brewery is housed in a former church (Jacobskerk) and is a very popular place to visit. Once it would have seemed strange to drink beer in an old church however a number of churches in Dublin have been repurposed into bars and distilleries, and I guess it is nice that the beautiful buildings have been kept instead of demolished. Michael had a lovely time sampling different beers and it was nice to just relax and enjoy the surroundings. In fact, we enjoyed the brewery so much that we returned the next three days. We then enjoyed a lovely meal at Chez Bastijan, a quaint restaurant in the middle of the city.
The main reason for our visit to Haarlem, was that I wanted to see the Frans Hals Museum. The museum was originally established in 1862, and then split into two locations. We visited the main collection, which is housed in the former Oude Mannenhuis, which was an old men’s almshouse founded in 1609. There were several of Hals’ paintings, the most notable of which were Group portrait of the Regents of the Old Men’s Almshouse and Group portrait of the Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse. There were also many other artworks on display from the Dutch Golden Era and we spent a while wandering the various rooms.
We followed our museum visit with a leisurely canal cruise, which showed us a different perspective of the city with a very interesting commentary. We alighted the cruise at the point nearest the second Frans Hals museum, which is housed in the Vleeshal (Flesher’s Hall).
The building itself is absolutely beautiful and dates back to 1605. It was originally a meat hall for butchers and it is decorated with the heads of bulls and rams. Unfortunately the contemporary works on display didn’t interest Michael or myself very much.
The building itself is absolutely beautiful and dates back to 1605. It was originally a meat hall for butchers and it is decorated with the heads of bulls and rams. Unfortunately the contemporary works on display didn’t interest Michael or myself very much.
Michael and I decided to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a drink watching the cyclists. We had just commented on the tranquillity, when an elderly cyclist rode around the corner and straight into a car, right in front of us! Michael was out of his chair before the cyclist even hit the road as he rushed over to help him. People came from everywhere and an ambulance was called. The cyclist didn’t appear badly hurt, however he did hit the road head-first and he wasn’t wearing a helmet (virtually no one does in the Netherlands as it is not compulsory). I think he was just badly shaken (so was I for that matter). He was a very lucky man.
The next day we took another canal cruise, as we hadn’t completed the entire route the day before. This time Michael and I were the only two aboard, so the captain was happy to give us additional information about Haarlem and its history. We followed the cruise with a visit to the Cathedral of St Bavo, a pretty church consecrated in 1898.
We decided to venture outside the city to Zandvoort aan Zee, a lovely beachside town situated on the North Sea. It was only a short train trip from Haarlem and we were soon walking along the sea front. There were a number of beach clubs and we sat outside and enjoyed a drink watching the waves. The wind was very strong however we were protected by a wind-break. No one was swimming, as I would imagine that the water was very cold.
The highlight of Haarlem for me would be our visit to Corrie ten Boom House, a museum dedicated to the Ten Boom family and the work they did in hiding fugitives hunted by the Nazis. Our guide took us through the former family home and related how Jews and members of the Dutch underground were secreted in the house at great personal risk to the lives of the Ten Boom family. We saw the false wall in the bedroom where the fugitives hid in a small, narrow space.
We heard the story of the family’s betrayal, arrest and transportation to concentration camps in Germany. Miraculously Corrie survived and afterwards dedicated her life to travelling the world to spread her Christian faith. It was a story that I remembered from high school and it was sobering and emotional to see the actual house and exhibits. One thing that did rankle me though, was that after we were shown the hiding place and told the harrowing story of the six people who remained hidden in the closet for 47 hours before their release by a resistance group, an American woman immediately jumped into the space to take a smiling selfie. Really? A selfie? I don’t think that was appropriate at all but maybe I am just turning into a grumpy, old lady!
Michael and I really enjoyed our time in Haarlem. It is a beautiful, relaxing city and well worth visiting.
