On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Captain C
The next day, Thursday, I headed down to Den Haag to have dinner with three cousins who live in the area. Getting to the administrative capital of the Netherlands is very easy, just an hour-ish train ride. The last few are from walking around Amsterdam that evening after I got back.
Heading out of Amsterdam; I think this was departing from one of the stations after Centraal.
Passing through the countryside. The Netherlands is one of the most intensely and efficiently farmed places in the world.
Heading into Leiden Centraal Station. Apparently, a distant ancestor of mine was one of the founders of the University there (which they got as a thank you from William the Silent for holding out against the Spanish during the early part of the Dutch Revolt/80 Years War, it was that or 10 years of tax exemption. I’d say they chose wisely). Thus, if I wanted, I could go there and study theology for free. I don’t think I’ll take them up on the offer, but it’s nice to know.
Entering Den Haag.
A cool bit of rail infrastructure in Den Haag. It reminds me of some of the things past Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, only better kept up.
I love Dutch town names, as seen on this screen on my train back to Amsterdam (with an ultimate destination of Zwolle). Perhaps one day I’ll see what Muziekwijk is like…
A very pink bicycle locked to the rail of a bridge over a canal.
Canal by night.
Baud
Nice night shots.
Betty
Sounds like a very pleasant day and evening.
WaterGirl
Love the flowers on the bicycle!
Tenar Arha
Loving this trip 👍👍
AWOL
Dank u well.
I’ll be in Amsterdam next month, staying right by Vondelpark (I prefer De Pijp, but was shut out this year.) Thinking of a day trip to either Den Haag or Antwerpen.
Den Haag is an easier trip, obviously. Is that city as Anglophone-friendly as Amsterdam? Any indication in their Centraal Station how far the sights are, such as the Escher Museum?
montanareddog
First photo, “Heading out of Amsterdam; I think this was departing from one of the stations after Centraal.” That is Sloterdijk station – those are old sleeping cars repurposed as cheap hostel lodgings for backpackers: Trainlodge.com. Sloterdijk is the big junction where the lines from the south west, west and north west converge before heading into Centraal.
Almere is a new town just to the north east of Amsterdam, in the Flevoland polder reclaimed from the Zuiderzee/Markermeer, that was only completed in the late 60s. The first residents moved in in the 70s. Consequently, the district names and railway station names did not rise organically. Poort is the Almere Poort station, because there is a port nearby. Wijk means district or neighbourhood in Dutch and Muziekwijk is so-named because all the street names are of musical instruments: Orgelstraat (Organ Street) and Fagotstraat (Bassoon Street), for example.
@AWOL:
Den Haag (the seat of government and of all the diplomatic missions etc.) is just as anglophone as Amsterdam. The Escher and Mauritshuis museums are within walking distance of the Den Haag Centraal. There is a fine tram network if you want to go to more distant museums, or the beach at Scheveningen.
MelissaM
When my BIL first moved to The Netherlands, he would joke about how you just buy a bike from a junkie for 5 kronar and when it invariably got stolen, find another junkie. First time visiting Amsterdam, a junkie tried to sell us a bike! Ha.
It’s a fun place to visit. The canals are a wonder!
AWOL
@montanareddog: Thanks!
Alison Rose
The town names on that train screen sound like what a non-Dutch person would make up if you asked them to name some Dutch towns.
Ruckus
Haven’t been to Amsterdam in over 50 yrs but it was pretty nice and clean back then as well.
Most of the parts of Europe I’ve seen were very nice and beautiful. Been to Spain, Italy, Greece, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, UK( was there about 45 minutes – but still been there and walked upon the land, refueling at Portsmouth), I seem to recall stopping in France to refuel once as well. Also have been to Cuba, and several islands in the Caribbean. Cuba was Guantanamo Bay and looked like the inside of a prison yard. 20ft high chainlink fences separated by 8-10 feet of neutral territory and guard towers every 100 ft or so.
Captain C
@montanareddog:
Neat! Thanks for the info on Almere.
As a bari sax player with a severe case of bassoon envy, I would totally live on that street.
Captain C
@Baud:
Thanks!
@Betty:
It really was.
@WaterGirl:
Thanks!
@Tenar Arha:
Thanks! I did too :^)
Captain C
@AWOL: Have fun! Vondelpark area is pretty nice. The hotel I usually stay at is in De 9 Straatjes.
What montanareddog said about Den Haag. I’m not sure about transit, but in addition to his good suggestions, you’d be in the vicinity of Madurodam, a wonderful mini-city of miniatures of various Dutch buildings and suchlike.
Captain C
@Alison Rose: They really do :^)