BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS

BELGIUM

Calais - Oostende

After learning about Operation Dynamo at Dover Castle, we left England on our return ferry ride to France and drove along the Belgium coast between Calais and Oostende, stopping to see the beaches of Dunkirk and sections of the Atlantic Wall.  Built by Hitler during World War II, the concrete machine gun bunkers were a stark reminder of the ruthfulness of the war.

This impressive defensive structure stretched along the coast from the north of Norway to the top of Spain, with 14,000 of these heavy concrete bunkers built along the wall.


Bruges - Brussells

Bruges, the "Venice of the North", was the quintessential medieval style Belgian town.  The historic Markt was alive with the hustle and bustle of daily life and the horse and carriage rides were too tempting.  The clip clopping on cobblestone streets past chocolate, sweets and lace shops was perfect. 

Nearby Ghent was not quite as enchanting as Bruges.  We wandered through the old city streets admiring the many towers and spires puncturing the skyline.  It was amazing to think that this city was once the second largest city in Europe before politics and The Plague.

Brussells, with its population of one million, had the feel of Brisbane - warm and friendly.  The Grand Place (central square) was the most magnificent city centre we felt we had visited on our travels across Europe.

The square's splendor is due largely to the Gothic styles and the antique frameworks of the guildhalls adorned with gilded statues and symbols.  We had an easy stroll past the famous Manneken Pis statue, the Palais Royal and through Park de Bruxelles.

Waterloo - Luxembourg - The Netherlands

The Lion Mound at Waterloo was our next chapter of European history.  We had an interesting couple of hours learning about Napolean and his defeat at Waterloo to the Duke of Wellington (British) and the Prussians.  The walk up the steep 226 stairs to the top of the mound, underneath the 28 tonne lion, offered fantastic views of the battlefield and the surrounding countryside.

A family vote was taken the next morning and we all decided to head into the hills towards Luxembourg rather than venture back into another city.  It was a big day of driving through four countries:  Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and The Netherlands - a pleasant country drive through farmlands of crops and livestock dispersed with wooded hillsides.

THE NETHERLANDS

Kinderdijk - Utrecht

Water, water, water - our initiation into The Netherlands was fat cattle speckled across lush green fields of grass surrounded by narrow canals with no fences, just gates, between the never ending waterways.  Needless to say, agriculture here is very different to Australia's parched landscape.  Two thirds of The Netherlands is below sea level, so an enormous amount of infrastructure is concentrated on draining the country. 

Kinderdijk is built in a polder (a low lying tract of land enclosed by dikes) that is below the level of the adjoining river.  To drain this polder, a system of 19 windmills was built.  Although only two are still in working order, these "old man" windmills have stood defiantly since the mid 1700's, saving this town from flooding.

The De Haar Castle at Utrecht was another magnificent medieval residence, built in the late 1300's.  We walked the castle grounds with its colourful ornamental and patterned gardens and majestic oaks and willows lining the walkways.

A wander around the surrounds (and another simple hedge maze) managed to entertain the family for a couple of hours.


Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans - Volendam

We are hoping that there was not much to see in Amsterdam as the family again took another vote to bypass the city life in favour of a more scenic day to celebrate Ellie's fourth birthday.  If you ever want to teach young children how to count backwards, start about ten sleeps before their birthday.

We had a great day visiting Zaanse Schans, which has a collection of well preserved historic Dutch windmills and houses.  The paint dye windmill was fascinating and the clog workshop had us intrigued.  After witnessing many locals in their traditional attire, we came to the conclusion that thick socks are an important factor for wearing wooden clogs.

A birthday cake was found in a little pastry shop and four matches quickly became candles.  After the simple birthday ceremonies and cake devastation, we drove on to the old fishing village of Volendam and across a 25 km sea dike that protects the city of Amsterdam from sea storms, before finding a campsite for the night.

Arnhem

The Netherlands Water Museum at Arnhem was a modern and interactive museum dedicated to all aspects of fresh water, not only in The Netherlands but over the entire planet.  The child-friendly exhibitions covered the various sources of water around the world and nature's reliance on it.  It gave an excellent overview of the history of the dike and polder system within The Netherlands and its current management system.

Back to Germany   ...   and the countdown to coming HOME has started.

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