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The fortress town of Gorinchem
Something extraordinary happened on my way to Gorinchem. I’d taken the train to Dordrecht and was cycling down a quiet tree lined road when I was suddenly hit heavily on the back of the head. Turning...
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A visit to Woudrichem’s ‘Mustard Pot’
Historically speaking, many Dutch towns and villages depended on fish and fishing for their livelihoods, and fish still play a big part of the Dutch psyche. There’s a reason the national dish is a...
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Cycling the River Vecht, from the Roman Empire to Brooklyn, NY
The Netherlands is a country full of surprises. The cycle route from Weesp to Utrecht, passing through beautiful countryside and historic villages, along canals and the tranquil River Vecht, is one of...
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Giethoorn, the Venice of the Netherlands (apparently)
I went to Giethoorn because a colleague who’d visited told me it was a “lovely little village”. The village website temptingly describes it as “quiet”, “serene” and “remote”, a place where the loudest...
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Down the Vliet with the Pilgrim Fathers
The Netherlands never ceases to amaze. For such a small country it has a lot of history. History that has had enormous influence on the world. The calm and attractive Vliet Canal is one of those pieces...
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A journey through the Hoge Veluwe National Park
Even if you discount the fact that the Hoge Veluwe National Park has a world class art gallery and sculpture garden in its midst, it would still be one of the most extraordinary places in the...
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All at sea on the Vliet Canal
Strange and peculiar things happen more often that you’d imagine in the Netherlands. You go for a cycle through lovely Dutch countryside and, just when you’re on the way home, there’s a bizarre event...
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The Dutch middle, cycling the Midden-Nederlandroute
The Midden-Nederland cycle route stretches across the Dutch middle, bisecting the Netherlands as it weaves its way from the North Sea near The Hague, to the town of Enschede close to the border with...
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Dutch springtime, a festival of flowers
Just south of Leiden lies one of the prime flower and bulb growing regions in the Netherlands. It’s an area filled with daffodils, hyacinths, irises and the most famous of all, tulips. If you’re lucky...
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Will it hurt? Yes … The Fred Whitton Challenge
It was still dark when my alarm went off. I looked pensively out of the window. It was windy, but it wasn’t raining. It was going to be a good day for cycling. After a quick shower, the kettle went on...
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Cycling on water, crossing the Houtribdijk
It’s not every day that you get to cycle across one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World – even if it’s only one of the Seven Wonders according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. That...
View ArticleGelderland’s glorious Kasteel Ammersoyen
Thanks to the film, A Knight’s Tale, I actually thought the Dutch Province of Gelderland was fictitious. It turns out that not only is it a real place, but it has a variety of medieval castles worthy...
View ArticleHeusden, a perfectly preserved medieval star fort
It’s not that Heusden is an uninviting place, it’s just that the massive fortifications of its star-shaped defences are so well preserved that you feel like you’re entering a military zone. One false...
View ArticleA bridge too far, remembering the Battle for Arnhem
The history of Operation Market Garden and the Battle for Arnhem during September 1944, is something every British person of a certain age knows. The epic film, A Bridge Too Far, recounts the story and...
View ArticleCycling through Gelderland to Royal Buren
Not long after I arrived in the Netherlands, I heard the story of how the current Dutch King, Willem-Alexander, once competed incognito in the legendary Elfstedentocht speed skating race in 1986. The...
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