My Holland/The Netherlands

In March 1975, I travelled to Holland from my base in London by train to Dover, across the English Channel by ferry, and then by overland coach to Amsterdam. And instantly got a cultural shock when looking around this capital city and saw some 'mannequins' dressing the front windows of what turned out to be the Red Light district! (Later I found out that the sex industry here brings in billions in currency to Amsterdam every year).

At the National Monument (1975)

A street organ in Amsterdam (1974)

The Diary of Anne Frank came to life for me as I walked past the narrow buildings/houses of Amsterdam, especially along the canals, although I was not able to visit the house in which she and her family hid during World War II. A boat tour of the canals is a must do because it gives one a interesting view of the inner city. So I went on one from the boat stop opposite the focal point of Amsterdam, the Centraal Station.

Waiting to board a glass topped boat, Amsterdam (1974)

On the second day I visited Marken, a fishing village island. There I came across some local inhabitants dressed in their pretty costumes. If one visits Holland it is inevitable that one visits a windmill, so I did. On the way back to Amsterdam, there was a live-in windmill, complete with lace window curtains that one sees in the houses of Holland.

With a friendly Marken lady (1978)

At the live-in windmill near Marken (1974)

Other than Amsterdam, I went to Madurodam and Delft. Madurodam in The Hague has the 'Netherlands in miniature' attraction consisting of replicas of historical buildings, canalside houses, the Airport (Schiphol), windmills, polders, bulb fields and modern architecture of the country. Delft is famed for its blue and white pottery, but on visiting a Delftware factory, I could only afford a small piece.

A piece of Delftware and the ubiquitous wooden clogs (CNB 2011)

Holland has a large share of the world market for flowers. And who does not recognise tulips as symbolic of this country? I did manage to attend a flower auction in the centre of Dutch floriculture, Aalsmeer. The floating flower market in Amsterdam also had many flowers to offer, mostly grown locally.
In all, I was four days in Holland. On 28th March I left the country for England by ferry from Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland).

March 1975