Going Dutch

For frequent fliers, Holland is usually a stopover, not a destination. But it's a great way to discover Europe

We landed at an airportthat was once a lake, wherestorms used to claim ships.Schiphol - or 'ship hole' inEnglish - airport in Amsterdam makes fora grand entry into Holland. After exiting, afriend and I decided to hire bicycles andexplore a bit of Amsterdam.

In a country where bicycles outnumbercars - for every car, there are reportedlytwo bicycles - pedestrians should be waryof bikers. As we ventured out, we sawvehicles coming towards us and realisedwe were riding on the left (for which, readwrong) side of the road. A few trial-anderrorrides later, we were beside a lake.There were beer cans and packets strewnabout. It looked just like India. It was adisappointing start to our stay.

Art Watch
The guided tour of the city began later."Amsterdam is a playground for adults,"said our guide Garett, and by the end ofthe day, I agreed with him thoroughly.Amsterdam is a great city for art lovers.The famous Rijksmuseum is a familiarlandmark that has the best of the DutchGolden Age, showcasing the works ofRembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen and otherartists. A room dedicated to Rembrandtand his pupils has an entire wall coveredby Night Watch, one of the most famousworks of the artist, painted in 1642.

The Van Gogh museum, a two-minutewalk from the Rijksmuseum, is also wortha visit. It houses the largest collection ofVincent Van Gogh under one roof, whichincludes painting, drawings and lettersthat remained with the family. There isalso the Anne Frank House, the hidingplace where Anne Frank wrote herfamous diary during World War II.

As we drove around the city, a beautifuladdition to the scenery was flowers. Therewere red and pink begonias in pots onwindowsills, flowering shrubs lining roads,morning glory climbers on fences, geraniumson houseboats, even trays of flowerscarted on bicycles. Only the tulips weremissing, as it was not the right season.

Cruising Along
Dam Square is a great place to soak in theatmosphere. You could relax on the stonesteps and watch a street artist performwhile a protest happens at the other end.There's a Madame Tussaud's, adjacent tothe Royal Palace. If you prefer to shop,alleys lead to shops and restaurants.

As we walked down a street, we saw anarray of souvenir shops, and coincidentally,the two shops we walked into wereowned by Indians. Another gentleman toldme there were about six shops owned byIndians and Pakistanis on that street.However, we missed out on the flea marketin Waterlooplein square.

A boat cruise is a fun way to spend theevening. The captain guides you throughthe canals and harbour, with explanationsin most major languages. Our first dayended with a walk through the Red LightDistrict, or De Wallen, a major attraction,where sex workers beckon from behindthe glow of red-lit windows. But as soonas they see a camera, they slip behind acurtain. There are also sex shops, peepshows and even a marijuana museum.

Prostitution is legal in Holland, and soare soft drugs. Lined along the street arecoffee shops where marijuana andhashish are available. A peculiar smellassails you when you pass by - the smellof weed, as I found out. However, our onlybrush with a coffee shop happened whenwe entered one to ask for directions.

On our to-see list the next day wasZaanse Schans, a theme park of windmillson the banks of the river Zaan.When it comes to the Dutch, what comesto mind are windmills and tulips.Interestingly, both are not originallyDutch. Tulips came to Holland via Turkeyand windmills, our guide Garett told us,were not a Dutch invention, though hewasn't sure where they originated.

Touring Times
If you don't have the time to explore thewhole country, go to Madurodam. Thisminiature city has everything Holland isfamous for - Dam Square, the PeacePalace of The Hague, the RoyalPalace in Amsterdam, Rotterdam's cubehouses, even the red light area.

"The Spanish are our largest numberof visitors, after Indians," said DebbieBakker, our guide at Madurodam. "SomeBollywood movies were also shot here."We grilled her, but she could not rememberthe names of the movies or stars.

At The Hague, where the Dutch governmentand Parliament are seated, wedid a quick city tour on a bus. RemcoDorr turned out to be a very entertainingguide. Assisted by Henk,our driver, he pointed out sightssuch as the Peace Palace (wherethe International Court of Justice islocated), Queen Beatrix's working palaceand the Parliament, the largest Gothicbuilding that is not a church.

"The Hague is not a town, it is thelargest village in Europe," said Remco.But in 1811, he added, the village wasgiven city rights for 12 hours whenNapoleon Bonaparte visited, because theemperor did not want to stop at a village.

We drove past the seaside area ofScheveningen, where Remco pointed outthe dykes - natural or artificial walls thatregulate water levels. Sixty per cent ofHolland is below sea level, but because ofthe water management system, therehave been no floods since the the 1950s.

In Rotterdam, we were lucky to catchthe annual Summer Carnival parade onthe last Saturday of July. Hours beforethe parade, people were booking theirspace along the streets. Families broughtchairs and waited for the floats to pass by.We lunched at the Bazar restaurant,which serves North African, Turkish andIranian dishes. I recommend the spareribs served with salad and potato wedges.

I also lost my heart to Delft, the quainttown where the famous blue-painted tiledpottery originated. It's also the birthplaceof Vermeer, one of Holland's most famouspainters. We visited the Royal Delftmuseum, where a guide took us throughthe process of how the hand-painted tilesare crafted. When I checked the prices, Iknew I would never be able to afford thebigger pieces, even after a discount.

I arrived with 13 kgs, but my suitcaseweighed 29 kgs by the end. But if I evervisited Holland again, I promised myselfthat I would spend my money on ablue and white tile.

The author visited The Netherlandsat the invitation of NetherlandsBoard of Tourism and Conventions

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