Tuesday July 17

We woke early and went into Velserbroek to get provisions; camping equipment and did some banking. After a quick lunch in the van we predicted that bread and cheese would become a staple. This is, after all, Holland.

Though it was already getting late for touring, we went to visit Zaanse Schans, an old village restored for tourists. The first Museum we visited was the Wooden Shoe Factory. It had a small museum in the front that led to a large gift shop. The girls were really excited about "real wooden shoes" and their sucker parents thought they should have some. They each bought a pair of Sunday shoes that they can wear. I’m sure they will be a pleasure to pack around for the next three months.

We were invited to Jan and Sasha’s for supper. We enjoyed a beautiful meal, good company and drinks. We stayed quite late and had a very nice evening.

Wed. July 18

We had to return to Velserbroek to borrow some tools to modify the box that the toilet sits in. The lid lifted on the box, but you couldn’t get at the handle to flush it without lifting the whole thing out. Jan and Sasha rescued us again. It was really nice to have contacts to help get things organized and get off to a good start.

Finally, we were off like a herd of turtles. We set out for Den Haag (The Hague) and found our way to a campground in the Kijkduin park (1), very close to the city. The campground was very nice, with a large indoor swimming pool, grocery store, pub, restaurant, and laundry and close to a beach. The facilities were very clean and nice. They even provided a theme bathroom for young children and a shower for dogs!

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the campground. More rain in the night.

Thursday, July 19 – warm day

We caught the bus into Den Haag and went to visit Madurodam (2), which is a miniature village. It has miniaturized many important Dutch buildings, neighborhoods and areas of the Netherlands. The kids also really liked the playground.

Back at the campground, we had a nice supper and walked along the beach. This was the first time the girls remember seeing the ocean and they were impressed. It was dark and the waves were large. We all got to bed a bit late. It was a good day and we felt like we were getting a groove on.  

Friday July 20 - We hadn't had 24 hours without rain yet and were feeling a bit moldy.  It hasn't been cold though.

We were up early, but had to make a return trip to Utrecht to pick up a piece of the bus tent forgotten behind. We are navigating much better now. There are many new rules and signs and a lot of traffic. This area is known as the Randstad (urban agglomeration).

After a stop back at Donna’s we headed to Gouda. It is a beautiful city with the weekly open market on Thursdays where huge wheels of cheese are bought and sold. The old buildings and streets were really beautiful.

We located the VVV (Tourist Information) and discovered that they charge for every map, brochure or piece of paper. We bought a walking tour map and got camping info. After unsuccessfully attempting the walking tour (our navigation walking seemed no better than driving) we tried for the campground at Reeuwick. The signs started out well enough and then they were gone. We ended up in one of the most unique neighborhoods we have ever seen. The street was no wider than our van, but supported two-way traffic. There was a large canal on one side of the road and a small canal on the other. On the large canal side were homes that each required their own bridge and looked out onto a lake on the opposite side. Some had canals down the side of their property as well making them islands. The houses were incredible, most with beautiful gardens. Some even had thatched roofs. I suspect most were pretty well-heeled in this neighborhood.

We did find the campground and registered for two nights. We met a very nice family from France who invited us to stay with them should we be in their neighborhood.(3)

The market had a very different look this time. On Saturdays there is a large market with open stalls selling everything from meats, vegetables and fruits to thread and trinkets. It was all very festive and busy. We were glad we had seen it first without all the people. On the way home we stopped and bought some Gouda.

Camping Notes