NETHERLANDS: The Northern Provinces

We decided to rent a car and explore the northern provinces.

Our first stop was Edam. 

The name may sound familiar as it has given its name to a famous Dutch delicacy - Edam Cheese.

Edam is a cute small town. 

NETHERLANDS: Haarlem

Haarlem is a small city that neighbours Amsterdam. 

It has cobblestoned lanes, Gothic cathedrals, and a vibrant main square.

The city reached its peak prosperity in the 17th century when it was a refuge for the Huguenots and was an artistic centre.

The Harlem in the US was originally a Dutch outpost, founded in 1658. It was originally named Nieuw Haarlem after Dutch Haarlem in the Netherlands.

Cocktail Party Trivia: Haarlemmers were notorious consumers of beer. It was a popular breakfast drink, and the average person drank six pints a day. Now, keep in mind that could be justified by the fact that back in the day drinking beer was safer than drinking water.  

NETHERLANDS: Utrecht

Many of the buildings in Utrecht's city centre date back to medieval times. 

Hundreds of years ago, a portion of the Rhine River flowed through the city, making this an important spot for trade. 

A unique wharf system was built along the canals where deep cellars served as storage spaces and ran below the houses.

Today, the canals and shipyards are home to shops, restaurants and private residences. 

This double layer makes the Utrecht canals unique.

NETHERLANDS: Royal Palaces and Royal Stables

Noordeinde Palace is in the centre of The Hague. 

Compared to other European palaces, Noordeinde is modest. 

Interestingly, it is centrally located on one of The Hague's posh shopping streets. 

It is no longer a residence but is the King’s place of work. 

The palace is the property of the State and includes the Royal Stables. 

Noordeinde Palace is not open to the public because it is still in use as a working palace. 

Except.... they open it to the public once a year for a very limited time, and timing was perfect for us!

NETHERLANDS: Delft

Delft is the birth place of the famous painter Johannes Vermeer, probably best known for his mysterious "The Girl with the Pearl Earring". 

It is also famous for its ceramic Delft Blue pottery. 

And the city is proud to boast the second highest church tower in Holland.

BELGIUM: Bruges

Bruges has been on my Bucket List for a long time.

From our home base in The Hague it wasn't exactly a hop, skip and a jump. 

It took 3 trains and 3 hours, but, we finally got there.

Bruges is one of Europe’s best-preserved cities. 

Large parts of the medieval heritage remain intact from that period and therefore has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site. 

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the biggest city in The Netherlands with a population of about 2.5 million in the metropolitan area. It derived its name from "The Dam on the River Amstel". 

It is the capitol of the country, however, the government is located in The Hague. 

Amsterdam is a port city and the principal commercial and financial centre of the country.

It is about an hour by train for us to get there from our home-base in The Hague, so it is easy for us to have day jaunts.

NETHERLANDS: Leiden

Leiden is about a 20 minute train ride north from The Hague.

The city is known for its university, the birthplace of Rembrandt in 1606 and for its beautiful, old city centre (the second biggest after Amsterdam). 

Legend has it that as a reward for defending Leiden against Spanish attacks, the residents of the city were given the choice between not paying taxes for a period of time, or, the founding of a university. 

The residents chose the university.

The University of Leiden is the oldest in the Netherlands and dates back to 1575. 

NETHERLANDS: Bicycles

When we arrived in The Hague one of the first things I noticed was all the bicycles.

Everywhere.

Dutch people love their bikes. 

People of all ages ride them. 

Everywhere. 

Commuting to work in dress clothes, going for groceries, taking the kids to school, and basically getting from point A to point B.

Bicycles are parked everywhere. 

I figured if you weren't careful it would be so easy to loose your bike among all the other bikes.

NETHERLANDS: Rotterdam's Unique Architecture

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in Holland and a 40 minute train ride from our current home-base in The Hague.

The city lies at the centre of the densely populated and industrialized triangle of London, Paris, and the German Ruhr district. It is at the mouth of two important rivers, the Rhine and the Meuse. It also opens to the North Sea, the world’s most heavily navigated sea. 

This makes Rotterdam’s harbour the largest port in the world in terms of capacity.

But because of its strategic importance, during World War II the city of Rotterdam was completely destroyed by bombs. 

After the war, city planners decided instead of repairing the old buildings, they would look to the future and create a hub for creativity and modern architecture. 

What arose was an opportunity to rebuild an architecturally unique and modern city. Today it is home to some amazing and unique buildings. 

NETHERLANDS: Den Haag

We decided to shake things up a bit and try something different. 

Instead of staying in places for 3 or 4 days, or maybe up to a week, we decided to take advantage of a great opportunity and have a home base in Den Haag (The Hague) in the Netherlands for July and August.

Den Haag is the third-largest city in the Netherlands with a population of just over a half million. 

A little bit of confusing trivia: The Hague is the country's administrative centre and seat of government. But, the official capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. 

Den Haag has been described as the country's "de facto capital".