The last few days in Holland

It has actually been too long now since my trip in Holland...
And I want to start posting about other things in my life, so I better get the last few days down on 'paper'.

Friday, 7th of September

We made our way to our next place to stay, which was in Egmond Binnen, near the coast. 

We stopped in Alkmaar to do some shopping (same place that we went to fair a week earlier).
What we noticed is that the streets and shops are empty, a few shops were having closing down sales, and other shops were already empty.... The recession is definitely more noticeable in Holland. 

After we spend some money, we made our way to the accommodation. This time we had our own private room, it was more a bed and breakfast. It was one of the houses in a row... a row-house. Sounds silly in english! It was 3 stories, and our room was all the way up the top. Lovely hosts.

That evening we had dinner at a friend's house, Tine. Tine has a lot of family living in New Zealand, and spent every year about 4 months between the North and South Island, and always stays with my mum for a few days. It was lovely to see her, and she actually had some family members over from Christchurch. It was so good to be with kiwi's again! 

Always the first full weekend of September depicts the Jazz and Sail festival in Bergen. Bergen is a town next to Egmond, and we listened to some live music after dinner at Tine's. 

Saturday, 8th of September

More shopping done in Bergen, this time it was my mum who spent the money :-)

We had biked from the accommodation to Bergen, 10 km, through the dunes, had a delicious coffee and apple cake. After the shopping, we biked to the beach, and walked to a beach 'association'. Every year, they set up a big circus tent, have bars on the sides, and a big stage. We have spent so many years there! Was funny to be there again. Said hi to some old members, lay in the sun, and then biked back to Egmond. 

That evening, we drove back to bergen, and we went out for dinner for the first time this trip. And we had chosen the best restaurant, it was amazing! More live music in the town itself, there were so many stages, almost at every corner. Good fun. 

Sunday, 9th of September

My last full day in Holland. We were going to spent the night at my uncle and aunt, in the Beemster. They live on the same road that we used to live. My auntie had invited some of other uncles, aunties and cousins. Was great to see them after 9 years. My cousin used to baby sit me and my brother, and now she is a mum herself. Two lovely daughters. It was a great afternoon, a good last day in my old home town. :-)

Monday, 10th of September. 

Time to make my way to the other side of the world! I flew Amsterdam-Vancouver this time, to spent a couple of days with my friends Kathi. She did her masters at Victoria, and is now doing her PhD in Vancouver. 

I spent 2 days there, before the long flight home to Auckland and then Wellington. 

It was a great trip, one that I will always remember. 

row-houses.....

it was a mission carrying our luggage up this stairs

this is where we were served our breakfast

the top window is our bedroom

horses, this is also a bike path through the dunes

nom nom nom (its fish)

biking through the dunes

entrance to the beach

The big circus tent

the dunes

Oma's grave

Time to go

one of those was my plane

Poffertjes

Jummy!

Yes, there is a national park in The Netherlands

A new little house to stay

On Monday, October 3rd, we drove towards the south east, to the Hoge Veluwe. We stayed in the tiniest little village, again accommodation found through the AirBnB website. This time it was a little sleep-out next to the main farm house. We had our own little outdoor area. It was a cosy little house, and close to the national park.

Visiting the museum in the national park, Tuesday October 4th

The Hoge Veluwe was established in 1909 by a couple as a private estate. The couple had a large art collection, for which they build a museum. In 1935, the estate and art was donated to the state, and it became a national park, 55 km2, and the private art collection can be seen in the Kroller-Muller museum. At the all the entrances of the national park, are a total of 1700 white bikes, which are for the public to use. 

Its a popular place

Lots of bikes!

Flat flat, but pretty

These things are called: mushrooms. They show the distance to different places

The Kroller-Muller museum has art from a lot of different artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondriaan, Auguste Rodin and many others. It was lovely to see van Gogh paintings, as the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam is always so busy!

The girl in the woods, one of the first coloured painting by van Gogh

Another favourite

Sitting in the gardens, surrounded by sculptures

This was the St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge. Designed for the Kroller-Muller couple

Visiting another palace, Thursday October 6th

Paleis Soestdijk is one of the several palaces in Holland. For only a few months they had an exhibition of M.C. Escher. He was an incredible graphic artist, you will know him from the 'paintings' that you can stare at for hours to figure out how the staircase keeps going, and how the birds become fish. Yes, that one. 

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take any photographs inside the palace, but, I did take some pictures from the building and the gardens. 

After our visit to the palace, we made our way back to my uncle's place, to have a lovely dinner. 

not allowed to walk on the grass..... 

nom nom nom delicious. Bit like a custard square

both my uncles, my mum and my cousin