Spring Cruising in Holland and Belgium
Most American travelers don’t normally rush to visit Holland and Belgium when on holiday. Instead, they flock to Mexico, Canada, the UK, Italy and France, in that order of touristic importance. So, I was curious to know, having just returned from a Tauck river cruise in the two Benelux countries, why my fellow travelers chose this itinerary over another.
To better understand the “why,” I informally surveyed my group. But first, introductions. Two passengers were close friends and the other four were new acquaintances from other cities around the country. (If you’ve ever been on a group tour, you’re familiar with how like-minded individuals naturally pair up.)
The cast of characters
No doubt you’ll recognize the two Joans with whom I’ve traveled in the past: Joan Brower, a former top public relations executive, and Joan Ross, a retired tax accountant. New were Betty Thomas, a senior level insurance executive—a female pioneer in her profession—and her sister, Mary Chew, an educator and ace map reader. Then Steve Land, a handsome, white beared executive in the pharmaceutical world, and his husband, John Mulvehill, a retired physician, turned travel planning wiz who Rick Steves should hire!
Childhood recollections of Holland and Belgium
I’ll start first. Why this trip? For one thing, I had hoped to relive some of my childhood experiences. Some of you already know that I lived in Belgium for four years starting at the end of my third grade at school. In 1956, my family was uprooted to Brussels for my father’s work as an aeronautical engineer. At the time, Brussels—or “Bruxelles” if you were a French-speaking Walloon—was a sleepy capital city where it rained incessantly. Subsequently, as I recall, the Belgians were slightly gloomy, reserved, but remarkably industrious. I also have recollections of the people being rather short and stocky.
Belgium is a small country, about the size of Maryland. Back in the 50’s its entire population was less than New York City’s. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? However, to its credit, my childhood memories of Belgium were rich with the vivid recollections of deliciously tempting street food. That included killer frites, double-fried in beef tallow served with a dollop of mayonnaise, plus deadly delicious gauffres or thick, brioche-like waffles studdle with pearl sugar. (Yes, I was chubby as a child. Just like the other Belgian kids.)
Forays into foreign lands
My parents were committed to showing my older sister and me the glories of our adopted home along with those of the countries surrounding it. This meant frequent trips to the Netherlands, a country I remember as being flat as a pancake with cities filled with bridges, bicycles and canals. And lots of tall people.
Every spring we would pile into our conspicuously large white Chevrolet and drive two-and-a-half hours for our family pilgrimage to see the tulips at Keukenhof Gardens. Turns out, this ritual was one of the main reasons my traveling buddies had also selected Tauck’s Belgium and Holland cruise. After all, if 1.6 million people flock to Keukenhof Garden every March through May to celebrate the beauty of the 7 million bulbs planted there, then shouldn’t that be reason enough for us Americans to see it, too?
It’s not just tulip mania
But tulips were not the only motive for the trip. Joan Brower offered this explanation: At a time of domestic unrest and worldwide conflict, I longed to visit international destinations known for beauty, tranquility, and civility. The Holland to Belgium itinerary offered on our upscale river cruise showcased a range of historic and artistic landmarks set in stunning medieval surroundings. Excellent cuisine, friendly people and the staggering beauty of the renowned annual Tulip Festival in Keukenhof were powerful draws, as well.
The lure of seeing art up close and personal
Joan, like others in our travel posse, singled out the allure of the two countries’ rich art tradition. Who wouldn’t be seduced by the beauty of the Dutch Golden Age masters and a random Impressionist who cut off an ear? Or the oddball Belgian artist who painted men in bowler hats with apples on top? Steve was more specific: Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. (He forgot Magritte.) But he did add that he and John were home now recovering from an art overdose.
Guided tours to the world-acclaimed Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the stunning private art collection at Mauritshuis in The Hague were part of our cruise tour. However, Mary observed, If the opportunity arises, I would like to revisit the Rijksmuseum because we saw only a fraction of it. I would also return to the Mauritshuis to see the whole collection as well as spend time in The Hague.
There’s never enough time
What Mary pointed out is a fundamental problem with most group trips: insufficient time. What we saw was merely a tease. But undaunted, Mary is already planning to return, adding to her bucket list: The cities of Utrecht, Rotterdam, Delft and the canals of Giethoorn (a small “water village” accessible only by boat or foot). She added, I’d also like to eat at Indonesian restaurants as well as learn more about the foods of the Netherlands, especially their cheeses.
My second question to the group was: “What surprised you the most about the trip? John and Steve were both fascinated with the canal culture in the Netherlands. Little wonder. If you’ve ever been to this country, then you know it’s all about the waterways. The Dutch canals are considered part of the country’s cultural heritage because they symbolize the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial nature of its people.
Water, water everywhere
The canals and windmills of the Netherlands will be the topic of a future blog but before leaving the water leitmotif, here are a few things which surprised Joan Ross, the second Joan. We spent a day learning how they control potential flooding of the country, considering that most of the land is two meters below sea level. It is a monumental issue, and their management of the water level is admirable considering the cost and manpower required. It was probably the most interesting thing I learned on the whole trip.
Look both ways, or else!
Having been to the Netherlands before, Joan wasn't surprised by what she saw, ate, or experienced. She felt that everything on the itinerary had been carefully curated to capture the historical as well as contemporary essence of the country. However, what humbled her was the absolute terror of navigating the streets in Amsterdam. I am an experienced New Yorker and am used to avoiding e-bikes, dogs on leashes, baby carriages and out-of-control tourists on Citibikes. Amsterdam is exponentially more dangerous. The bikers strike terror wherever they go. There is no hint of giving way for pedestrians. In fact, I think they would speed up when they spotted a tourist. Several times I was left aghast at speeding bikes coming from all directions.
The Dutch even speak English to each other
Joan mentioned a third revelation: the Dutch language. According to her, The Dutch admit theirs is not a beautiful-sounding language, but their English is so perfect that I couldn't help complimenting them from time to time. One waiter told me they are very proud of their proficiency in our language. It's a great gift.
Learning English starts in elementary school in the Netherlands and is considered their second language. Given English and Dutch are linguistic cousins, it’s not inconceivable for the Dutch to master English. That’s certainly not true with our learning Dutch! Bear in mind, too, that the Dutch have a definite advantage thanks to their long history of commerce and exploration. Their facility with languages is in their DNA.
The pleasure of interacting with fellow travelers
The first Joan, Mrs. Brower, a sophisticated, seasoned travel, divulged that she had long harbored the impression of river cruising being languorous and potentially a monotonous way to travel, intended for elderly guests with less mobility. To my surprise and delight, the pace was brisk and the daily sightseeing energetic. Evenings onboard were equally spirited and engaging.
The sisters, Betty and Mary, agreed with Joan about the pleasure of meeting new people on the cruise. In Betty’s words: I was not surprised by the tours, architecture, or even the food (although the frites were divine!) What surprised me most were some amazing people I met. The quiet ones turned out to be uproariously hilarious, the chic ones turned out to have the most spectacular stories and lives, and the ‘normal’ ones turned out to have hearts of gold and kept me laughing!
It is said that immersing yourself in another culture makes you smarter and happier. But the real joy of travel for me comes with interacting with others, both locals and fellow travelers. While having many differences, our cluster onboard of new and old pals coalesced around our similarities. We were a gaggle of accomplished professionals, avid travelers and individuals who sincerely enjoyed exchanging ideas and learning from one another. Now back in my normal Manhattan habitat I admit to missing our evening cocktail hour where we recapped the day and strategized about what was left on the itinerary. And planned our shopping sprees!
Confessions of a food-obsessed child
But now that we’ve reached the end of this blog, I feel compelled to come clean. Secretly, my primary mission on this cruise was to see if today’s frites and gauffres could bring as much subliminal, “deliciousness” pleasure now as they did when I was a pre-teen.
Surprisingly, Betty, a fellow frites-freak and I both concurred that the best French fries on the trip came from a simple, outdoor stand at Keukenhof Gardens. Perfectly salted, slightly burnt, crunchy frites with their fluffy, white interior served in a brown paper cone. Betty enjoyed hers with ketchup. I selected the traditional mayonnaise. We looked at each other as we licked the grease off our fingers. Perfection, we mouthed!
And you thought I went for the tulips and art?