{"id":413,"date":"2015-06-05T07:40:01","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T07:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=413"},"modified":"2015-06-05T07:40:01","modified_gmt":"2015-06-05T07:40:01","slug":"hook-of-holland-the-hague-and-delft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=413","title":{"rendered":"Hook of Holland, The Hague and Delft"},"content":{"rendered":"

After our little campsite shuffle on Sunday we think we upset our next door neighbour by having our door open on the wrong side.\u00a0 In the camp grounds everyone has their door open on the same side as that then becomes like \u2018their backyard\u2019 and they have their awning plus chairs and table there etc and they don\u2019t have to look at the next door people.\u00a0 Well we like to back our van in and this means our door often opens onto someone else\u2019s backyard (because we are right hand drive with the door on the opposite side to left hand drive vans) which hasn\u2019t been a problem until now.\u00a0 These people beside us didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0 They tried to tell us that we needed to turn around but we just said we weren\u2019t putting chairs out and we wanted our bedroom to look out onto the hedge rather than the walkway.\u00a0 They moved away the next morning.\u00a0 I guess our name was mud for not following the standard convention but I was only concerned with where we look out from our bed and don\u2019t care about their protocol.\u00a0 We thought it was hilarious that it was that much of a problem.<\/p>\n

Monday we biked into Domburg.\u00a0 It is about 10+ kms away from Zouteland where we were staying.\u00a0 There was still quite a bit of wind around and we hoped it was a sideways wind but unfortunately for us it wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was a tail wind on the way to Domburg making the return very difficult.\u00a0\u00a0 Biking along the top of the dike looking out over the ocean on one side and the flat country on the other side was quite cool.\u00a0 The more you see of Holland the more you realise it is a country that would be put under water if global warming allows the oceans to rise and they didn\u2019t have measures in place to keep out the tidal surges and rises.\u00a0 There is already so much water that any rise in it would put much of the land under water.\u00a0 It is very pretty though as you bike along and there are red poppies everywhere and daisies.\u00a0 We have a mug with wild flowers in it on our bench top which is a nice little touch as it just adds a little colour and homeliness to our van.\u00a0 Domburg had a market on in its centre so we parked up our bikes and had a walk around.\u00a0 With hundreds of bikes everywhere you need to be sure that you park up your bike in a place that is easily recognisable as otherwise you would lose it amongst all the others.\u00a0 The only difference about ours is that they are red mountain bikes and totally unlike anything the Dutch ride.\u00a0 All their bikes are black\/grey and have high handlebars and low seats so they all sit upright riding around.<\/p>\n

I was trying to find another jumper as you just can\u2019t fit enough clothes in a suitcase for a whole year and feel like you aren\u2019t wearing exactly the same thing every day (although that\u2019s ok for Scot \u2013 he doesn\u2019t mind).\u00a0 So we wandered around having a look at all the clothes for sale.\u00a0 Here in Domburg the flavour seems to be nautical looking anything that has embroidered yacht club names or whatever on, plus say they are from Norway and have emblems etc.\u00a0 Seems to be the trend and they aren\u2019t cheap.\u00a0\u00a0 From 40 to 60 Euro for a fleecy thing that isn\u2019t fantastic quality but is a little flashy looking.\u00a0 With the current exchange rate that is about $65 – $95.\u00a0 Markets always seem to be a little bit of an expensive exercise from what we have seen, but we did buy cheap raspberries (not as cheap as England though) and a few veges.\u00a0 Markets here aren\u2019t like Australia.\u00a0 There is a large amount of things like cheeses, hams\/salamis, veges, lollies (salted liquorice) plus other local products, but rarely do you see stalls with any Asian made products \u2013 I guess its too far away, but the markets are quite worthwhile looking at for supplies \u2013 this coming from me who doesn\u2019t do markets normally!<\/p>\n

We biked back to the campsite which was really a very hard slog \u2013 about 8kms with a blustery headwind \u2013 which wasn\u2019t much fun really.<\/p>\n

Tuesday \u2013 van repair day.\u00a0 The van went into the workshop to get the problematic fuse issue fixed.\u00a0 It turned out that the reverse light cables were faulty and both had to be replaced.\u00a0 A very expensive exercise but one that we had no control over as it had to be done and we weren\u2019t in a position to look elsewhere to have it done.\u00a0 It took all day which we spent in Middleburg again having a look around.\u00a0 Again today started out a little wet but the rain went away, but it was so windy and very cool.\u00a0 We sat at the bus stop on our way back to pick the van up and we watched two guys with strange gas contraptions burning the grass on the side of the canals.\u00a0 We wondered why they didn\u2019t just use a mower or whipper snipper??\u00a0 We think it may have to do with seed propagation but would like to know.\u00a0 These contraptions have a gas cylinder on top like a lawn mower and they light the gas so underneath is on fire\u2026go figure?<\/p>\n

Wednesday \u2013 After a week in Zouteland we are finally off north towards The Hague. \u00a0We went over a couple of amazing bridges which are designed to control the flow of surge water inland during storms built in about the 1950\u2019s \u2013 see photo below.\u00a0 We knew when we were coming near Rotterdam.\u00a0 The traffic increased ten fold and the highways got larger.\u00a0 We were gobsmacked by the\u00a0 enormity of the industrial and port areas leading up to Rotterdam.\u00a0 They were the size of Brisbane \u2013 if not bigger and everywhere we looked were refineries, processing plants, warehouses etc \u2013 see photos below.\u00a0 They just seemed never ending.\u00a0 Scot says looked like Fishermans Island on steroids plus!\u00a0 We didn\u2019t even get into Rotterdam before we turned off towards the Hook of Holland (christened the Hood of Holland).\u00a0 We got a bit confused by roadworks everywhere.\u00a0 This area is the glasshouse capital of the world.\u00a0 The equivalent of Rotterdams industrial area is a massive glasshouse growing area.\u00a0 Miles and Miles of glasshouses as far as the eye could see.\u00a0 Scot wondered if they were growing Weed for Amsterdam, especially those with clouded glass so you couldn\u2019t see what they were growing.\u00a0 Found an average camp for the night but it was getting late and we couldn\u2019t be bothered travelling further.<\/p>\n

Today, we travelled up the coast to The Hague.\u00a0 We stopped in one area and walked over the dunes to a caf\u00e9 on the beach \u2013 they are everywhere along the beaches.\u00a0 The weather was magnificent today \u2013 warm but not too hot and not too windy.\u00a0 We had our standard morning coffee with apple pie and slagroom (whipped cream).\u00a0 We would have loved to have stayed longer and maybe had a swim (even though the water was cold) but we had to move on.\u00a0 Could imagine this place pumping in the summer and so packed with no room to move.\u00a0 The caf\u00e9 had sun beds and lounge chairs I believe you would hire as I saw them move on a guy who thought they were free.\u00a0 The Hague is a city absolutely chock a block with apartment blocks and very condensed living.\u00a0 The area between The Hague and Amsterdam (Ranstaadt) is supposedly the most densely populated area in Europe and this isn\u2019t a surprise when you see the amount of apartments that stretch in never ending rows \u2013 a bit like the glasshouses down south.\u00a0\u00a0 On the road again and we decided to go via The Hague centre \u2013 BIG mistake!!\u00a0 We know why we must give cities a wide berth and this wasn\u2019t a large one either.\u00a0 The car traffic lights are difficult to determine from the bike lights and there are of course bikes everywhere and scooters and what a nightmare.\u00a0 After going through a red light plus nearly taking out a scooter guy (when Scot wanted to do a U turn on the tram lines) who then gave Scot more than the finger and fist, plus the numerous road works and detours we managed to get out of The Hague and got to Delft, which is really only separated by a green belt and barely discernible.\u00a0 What a difference.\u00a0 We found a lovely campground 5 minutes bike ride from the centre (centrum).\u00a0 We took a ride into Delft and what a lovely town it is.\u00a0 The canals are so full though that you could imagine if they had a little rain, they would overflow into everyones houses.\u00a0 But, they must have pretty good water control or there would be chaos.\u00a0 We did the standard thing and had a beer in the market square with the hundred or so others.\u00a0 Not sure if they are all also tourists or locals but it is certainly great people watching.\u00a0 Crazy with the sun shining like midday and it\u2019s still 7-8 at night.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t get dark here until about 10.45 and will get lighter later as we travel further north.\u00a0 Sleep will obviously be overrated then and we may have to stay out partying late!<\/p>\n

Tomorrow off to Rotterdam to meet up with Kristie \u2013 awesome to be able to meet up with a friend while on the other side of the world!\u00a0 Although we can get a campsite in Rotterdam we can\u2019t find anywhere to camp on Saturday night yet as being the weekend everyone is full.\u00a0 Who knows what is in store for us, but we are coming back to Delft on Sunday night for another look before heading to Amsterdam on Monday.<\/p>\n