Neder, Nederland

Dutch design is clean, well planned and perfectly executed, like so much else Dutch. The message is clear and it just makes you feel good.

By DEBI LERNER-RUBIN
Pastoral Orvelte delivers visitors to the Dutch countryside of the past (photo credit: DEBI RUBIN)
Pastoral Orvelte delivers visitors to the Dutch countryside of the past
(photo credit: DEBI RUBIN)
Romance, history, light and mystery tug wanderlust. When my daughter pulled me aside, firmly put her hands on my shoulders, focused her eyes into mine and addressed my soul with a simple request – “Make sure you come back from Neder-Nederland,” a spark of inner child was ignited. I would not realize that childish thrill until reflecting on the whole short, but magical journey.
After landing there was a rush: pick up the car, get located and head out to the Dutch countryside in time for dinner. Ready and anxious to get moving, the GPS was baffling. Fortunately, the Avis representative spoke English very well, and patiently explained how to get that techno-whiz device to work.
On the road at last, traveling 200 km. north toward the province of Drenthe, the sun is beginning its long evening decent and the golden hour has just begun. The light is subtle and extraordinary. If my wishes come true, some of the light of the great Dutch painters will be revealed.
The highway is a pleasure. It is clean, smooth, the traffic is moving comfortably and courteously. Everything is clearly marked with no sudden shifts, stops or switching. It only seems to have taken a few minutes to move out of urban traffic and modern architecture to a pastoral landscape, but it must have been longer.
Arriving at Hof van Saksen – a luxury resort and spa in the town of Nooitgedacht – a little later than expected, there is a warm welcome from the reception clerks who notify the resort manager. I check in, but delay putting my things in the “Saxon farmhouse” where I’ll be staying. I was warned that the Dutch are notoriously punctual and dinner is not a late night affair. Reservations were made in advance, the table and team of servers, sommelier (wine steward!) and chefs are on standby – this place is magnificent.
It feels cozy, but it’s huge. The menu has a good variety of upscale choices, including vegetarian options (which I opt for in lieu of kosher options) and after dining, I do a little investigating and am suitably wowed.
THIS LUXURY resort has benefits of the countryside along with some pretty astounding facilities.
Geared toward families, there are lots of things to do for every age. A “Kids’ Academy” houses a young-people-sized wood workshop and a fashion and technology studio with projects for parents to do and learn with children, arts and crafts centers, an enormous (I mean really huge) indoor gym/playground for climbing, crawling and jumping, a bowling cave and a separate giant jumping cage.
There is a swimming complex with five indoor pools, some connected.
An elevated pool has a slide that traverses the indoor upper pool to the outside and then back inside to another pool. The temperature of the water is maintained at 30°, except for the baby pool, which is 32°. Of course, there is a theater, a spa, a gym, sauna (some of the houses have private saunas) and five eateries. Perhaps this is a good time to mention the saunas are sans clothing and I don’t think they are segregated. The family that sweats together….
Along with my room keys, I’ve been given a package including keys to my bicycle and a map of the nearby park that is so clearly drawn and marked it could be easily read and followed without the English alongside the Dutch and German.
Everything seems to be thoroughly planned and organized to the finest detail. Over three days, I see that order is the rule and not the exception.
I find my place with little difficulty – in fact any misrouting is probably due to distractions of rabbits running and frogs jumping over the paved paths while I am observing the moonlit thatched roofs. It’s feeling a little like a fairy-tale. The house where I am staying is complete with a fully equipped kitchen that includes two types of coffee makers (Nespresso-type drip machine and electric kettle), dining room, sitting room with a big TV and fireplace, bedrooms and bathrooms. Outside it is cold – by our Israeli standards – but inside it’s cozy. The bed was so comfortable and warm that this insomniac fell asleep in minutes and woke up early and well rested. Still, I don’t move without coffee in the morning so I made a quick cup, washed up and headed outside to explore.
Outside, ground-level trampolines and lovely wooden playgrounds are everywhere. Safety being of utmost importance, the trampolines automatically collapse and level out firmly when it rains to prevent slippery accidents. At the lake you can swim and boat. There are facilities for pet dogs, an archery range, lots of sport fields and more. Plus, it is close to nature reserves, museums and many other local attractions. There is plenty to do.
There is a really nice supermarket (more like a fancy corner store) with beautiful and extensive produce, especially for Israelis! Naturally there is WiFi throughout the complex. There are also business facilities available, which conjures up all kinds of wonderful combinations of business and pleasure.
THAT WAS a great pleasure, but it was time to move on back in time to Orvelte.
Located a 30-minute drive south from Nooitgedacht, this “museum village” is old, really old (once source placed it at 1362), well preserved and pristinely cared for. Cobblestone roads provide a path to travel around the tiny village that is easily explored by foot, on bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. You can imagine everyday life 500 years ago. The houses still have their thatched roofs and are kept warm by burning peat in the fireplaces. What looks like a small house is actually a kitchen, used to service a neighboring larger house. A volunteer guide answers my questions. It’s a Monday and most things are closed, but there is plenty to see. Working farms dot and surround the village. Schoonebeeker heideschapen (say that five times fast) are a special breed of sheep farmed and milked here, providing the local dairy with raw material for its cheeses.
They are not at all sheepish and they are pretty.
Along comes a fellow straight out of a book. His blonde hair hangs straight down, bright blue eyes shine from his ruddy face. Wooden clogs (klopen) on his feet and a traditional fisherman’s shirt (more about that later), he smiles and looks at me oddly. I guess I look out of place, and I am. He doesn’t speak my language and I don’t his, but I have a guide and she brings me to his workshop where he demonstrates and makes a wooden shoe amazingly fast.
Although I’ve never been here or heard of this place, there is some thing intimately familiar. Every time I look at the flat land, the fields, those roofs, someone working, that familiarity pulls. While driving away in the late afternoon light it occurs to me – Vincent Van Gogh! Sure enough, when I look up areas Van Gogh painted from, it was here.
GPS ON, next stop is Rabbit Hill, where I will lodge for the night. Another family- oriented holiday resort, less luxurious than Hof van Saksen, Rabbit Hill has a variety of bungalows to choose from and a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, including swimming pools, sunbeams, sauna, Turkish bath, bowling, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, miniature golf, tennis, trampolines and more. It is located near many attractions, making it a very good home or home base. My bungalow had a fully outfitted kitchen, dining room and living room. I had another delicious sleep in a very comfortable bed and again woke up well rested and raring to go. The forested area of the park maintained the magical fairy-tale effect.
So much to see and do; time to hit the road again. The GPS (it’s like a genie in an auto) guides me to a fishing village! Beautiful Bunschoten, a town in the province of Utrecht, was named in 1204 by the bishop of Utrecht, so yeah, it’s quite old and quaint. You probably know that the Netherlands is not altogether above the sea, and has a significant amount of land that has been “reclaimed” from the sea. This has presented some idiosyncratic challenges to inhabitants of the land. The 1916 “Zuiderzee disaster” resulted from a storm that caused the dams and dikes to collapse and burst, flooding the area of and around Bunschoten and Spakenburg (they have merged and today are known collectively as Spakenburg).
Sixteen lives were lost and there was tremendous material damage. The disaster spurred the Zuiderzee Works, a system of dams and canals engineered to prevent further calamities.
Since that disaster, Bunschoten has been rebuilt and is full of charm and character. There is a network of alleys built around a museum that illustrates the pre-flood village and the disaster that temporarily gave the land back to the sea. The museum has examples of the dress worn by different professions (and levels of success) throughout the genie in an auto) guides me to a fishing village! Beautiful Bunschoten, a town in the province of Utrecht, was named in 1204 by the bishop of Utrecht, so yeah, it’s quite old and quaint. You probably know that the Netherlands is not altogether above the sea, and has a significant amount of land that has been “reclaimed” from the sea. This has presented some idiosyncratic challenges to inhabitants of the land. The 1916 “Zuiderzee disaster” resulted from a storm that caused the dams and dikes to collapse and burst, flooding the area of and around Bunschoten and Spakenburg (they have merged and today are The indoor light with microscopic water dispersing and softening luminescence had been invoked by Vermeer with his rich palette.
Walking along the port in Spakenburg, spying on the ships docked for repair and rest and the charming window fronts of the homes lining the marina, there were thousands of hidden stories that would not be told. One window display had a hanukkia front center. I had to blink and take a second look. Yes, it was just that. When I inquired, I was assured they are not Abraham’s children, it was merely decoration.
Lunch in Spakenburg came with an unexpected show. Everything is rife with symbolism. There is a traditional dress of the area and some of the folk still dress like their ancestors. What a treat to see just how that outfit is put on with copious amounts of starch and safety pins! When asked what happens when it rains, the dear lady replied with a mischievous grin, “I melt.”
OKAY, WIPE off your chin after lunch; back to the GPS and the road. It was a quick stop that had to happen – Batavia Fashion outlet, with more than 250 brand names that you want to buy. If you love shopping, this particular outlet loves (or appreciates) Israeli shoppers, and offers extra special discounts to them. However, my two favorite things there were the replica of the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia, and the graphics for the restrooms, which are so perfectly Dutch.
Dutch design is clean, well planned and perfectly executed, like so much else Dutch. The message is clear and it just makes you feel good.
Is there anything more mysterious, exciting or beautiful than a Dutch East India Company ship built in 1628? There it is, just sitting in the harbor to be explored. Unfortunately, it was closed when I was there, so I have to go back! The last night I stayed in another holiday park, Langoed t’ Loo, equally comfortable and well located closer to Amsterdam.
Also family friendly with a magical fairy-tale-in-the-woods setting, centered around a lake. Again, I slept well, which was good, because the next morning my goal was to get to the Flower Boursa in Aalsmeer in time for all the action.
The largest flower auction anywhere, flowers from all over the world are sold by Dutch auction, starting high and getting lower by the bid. It is magnificent and incredible with flowers being whisked around on conveyor belts, pallet jacks and bicycles! Yes, here too there are bicycles transporting people and product, efficiently and ecologically.
What’s that on my shoulder? Tinkerbell? It’s time for the magic spell to break and back to reality, um, the airport. ■
The writer was a guest of Landal Greenparks, Transavia airlines, Avis and Noya Holidays Ltd. Noya Holidays has travel packages like those described here. For details: www.noyaholidays.com