Sunday, May 14, 2023

Belgium to Germany




The chocolate croissants delivered fresh each day to the camp satisfied our breakfast cravings but we'd had enough of jumping muddy trenches so we set our sights on the Netherlands. Having visited Amsterdam last year, we opted for Delft. 


Click here for photos, "I" for information


Delft, Netherlands 

DelftseHout Campground was a mere 20 minute walk from the city and had absolutely wonderful facilities. We arrived in the afternoon, set up the van, ate a light lunch and headed in. The walkway was lined with canals, the ever-present bike lanes and tall trees. Thoughtfully made signs that blended into the leafy environment told of various points of interest along the way such as nesting boxes and how many minutes walk were left to the center of town. The big draws for Delft are, of course, the white pottery with blue designs and being the hometown of Ver Meer, the painter of "Girl with the Pearl Earring." 



We visited the Delft factory - listening in as best we could on the talk given in German and noting the wide variety of items they made. Again we enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere of the area due to the lack of crowds. The most stressful thing was trying to stay out of the way of the many bicyclists as they speedily bumped over the cobblestones and wove expertly around obstacles (including us.) 


The Netherlands is the most densely populated European country but you couldn't tell that from Delft which seemed very livable. The people very often speak English and are friendly. Dermot remarked that most of the businesses seemed to be family-owned rather than chains. I loved watching the female rowing teams and people rowing boats home with their grocery bags in the bow. 



We took pictures of the houses lining canals; the stately, ornate city hall and several huge churches but we'd arrived a bit too late to tour the museums. 


We balanced out our diet with a healthy Hawaiian Poke bowl dinner but also visited a chocolate shop. They wrapped up our modest purchase of four chocolates like jewelry complete with a fancy bow.


Our next destination was Hamburg but we split the drive with a one night stay in Osnabrück, Germany where the campground owner gave Dermot the heebie jeebies. 


Hamburg, Germany

We arrived in Hamburg on Friday afternoon and headed into the heart of the lively city. RS's guide suggested a DIY tour via subway - parts traveled above ground and we were able to both get oriented to the subway, with help from very friendly locals, and spot many landmarks including the harbor and their spectacular concert hall on the water “Elbphilharmonie.” 


A local delicacy!?

We had dinner at a Rick Steves recommended restaurant - Frau Möller. I chose Labskaus because it was described as “a local delicacy of corned beef, potatoes and red beets, all mashed up and topped with two fried eggs, pickles on the side.” Rather than mashed, it looked like it had gone through a blender. The true story behind why this became a local delicacy is not known for sure but one source said that it originated in the 16th century because these were ingredients that would keep on ships and served to extend the available meat. Fish was also served with it. Dermot’s pan fried pork was less traditional but more to our liking. 


Saturday promised dry weather and we decided to shop so we tackled the Ikea maze and then headed for groceries. According to multiple sources, few Americans visit Hamburg and that may explain why people seem so friendly and helpful to us. We had several strike up conversations when they heard us speaking English.


Irish Pubs are everywhere!

That night we headed for the “Shoulderblade” neighborhood for great people-watching and what turned out to be a mediocre dinner. Then we headed to the harbor for sunset and explored the red right district of Reeperbahn. This area is famous for launching The Beatles' career. Pictures don’t capture the raucous party that is “Grosse Freiheit.” Fans of the St. Pauli soccer team were heading home around midnight along with us jamming the subways and buses. 


Sunday was spent quietly as we made preparations for heading to Denmark. We knew we'd be back to Hamburg on our way back at the end of the trip so we weren't concerned with all Wed missed.








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