By Carl Dombek
Day Four of our trip included a journey to Utrecht.
Our first stop was the Museum Speelklok, which boasts an extraordinary collection of automatically playing musical instruments, including several magnificent barrel organs and hands-on “music machines” that help people – especially young people – understand how tones are created, and how they blend together to make music.
On the day we visited, the Bockbier Festival Utrecht was in full swing, so the streets were teeming with revelers. Finished with the museum, it was time to join the outdoor party.
Fortunately, the weather made it a perfect day to sip some local brews next to one of the city’s many canals after which we took a short stroll to take in the Domtoren, or Cathedral Tower.
On Day Five, we packed up and headed to The Hague, or Den Haag, which would be our next base of operations. I’d selected a hotel that was near the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, a museum of contemporary art, and which was easily reached by a tram ride followed by a short walk.
Outside the museum sits an installation called “The Cell,” created by a pair of artists who were part of Moscow’s underground art scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s and who were highly critical of the Soviet Union. The work makes fun of the dictator Joseph Stalin and is a parody of state monuments and any official personality cult to authoritarian heads of state.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed back to the train station for a short ride to the town of Leiden. Pronounced “LIED-uh,” it features a rather amazing windmill museum, the Molen de Valk.
Visitors to Leiden can also visit the Young Rembrandt Studio where Rembrandt van Rijn learned to paint, draw and etch. Admission is a very nominal €2,50 per person. Tourists can also visit Leiden’s Burcht, a medieval castle that offers panoramic views of the city, and walk along the Rapenburg Canal, an area lined with grand historic mansions and university buildings.
Day Six was devoted to a pilgrimage to Delft and the museum and factory of the Netherlands’ famous Delft ware. A tour of the museum and the factory, complete with an audio guide (admission: €17,50 per person) provides an in-depth view into the creation and evolution of this iconic earthenware.
In its heyday, Royal Delft Blue had several factory locations. Today, only one remains and it is well worth the walk of about 1.25 kilometers from Delft’s Central Train Station.
Visitors are treated to a range of colorful objects – far more than just the familiar Delft Blue – given a glimpse into its history, see several custom pieces created to commemorate notable Dutch occasions, and even see Delft artisans at work. Guests are invited to speak with the artisans but asked to be respectful of their need to concentrate on what is often very detailed handwork.
One of the more familiar Delft pieces is the Delft Cow. One display shows how the cow is fashioned in three separate pieces, how they fit together and are trimmed before glazing and firing, and finally shows the finished product. A small cow will set you back €470 while a larger version is €727.
Importantly for those considering a purchase, museum-goers are introduced to the Delft logo, the mark of an authentic piece of Delft earthenware. The logo has been used since 1879 and is on each hand-painted article produced by Delft. It consists of a beaker / apothecary bottle, the initials JT (Joost Thooft, who was the company owner in 1876), and the word “Delft.” Knock-offs, which are abundant in the Netherlands, do not carry this logo … or the Delft price tag.
Predictably, the tour ends at the gift shop where visitors can browse genuine Delft items, which range in price from €34 for a Bloemenschalen (blue herring) to €14.700 for a tile mural of Rembrandt’s Night Watch.
The factory is outside the city center so visitors will get their steps in whether they return directly to the train station or take advantage of the opportunity to see sites including the markt, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), nibble cheese at numerous cheese shops, and/or sip coffee or beer at numerous street side cafés.
Day Four of our trip included a journey to Utrecht.
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| Dance hall, recreated in the Museum (photo courtesy Museum Speelklok) |
These instruments date as far back as the mid-1700s and, remarkably, still function, including those seen in the photo of the dance hall above. They are especially impressive when they are fired up and making music, as some have done for literally hundreds of years.
That said, anyone interested in visiting should definitely take the guided tour. It is only within the tour that many of the automatically playing instruments are activated so that visitors can experience how they actually sound and, in some small measure, be transported into past centuries. Without experiencing those demonstrations, you'll miss what may be the best part of this museum.
On the day we visited, the Bockbier Festival Utrecht was in full swing, so the streets were teeming with revelers. Finished with the museum, it was time to join the outdoor party.
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| Bier in Utrecht |
Fortunately, the weather made it a perfect day to sip some local brews next to one of the city’s many canals after which we took a short stroll to take in the Domtoren, or Cathedral Tower.
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| Utrecht Domtoren |
Lots of food carts at the festival, and we took advantage of one to try our first stroopwafel. It’s a distinctly Dutch treat consisting of two thin, crisp waffle cookies wrapped around a layer of rich caramel syrup. Surprisingly, they’re not as sweet as they sound, and the Dutch traditionally balance one over their cup of coffee to warm it up a bit before indulging.
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| First bite of a stroopwafel. Ever! |
Although the weather was sunny it wasn’t particularly warm, so we decided to pass on a canal cruise and instead appreciate them from overhead.
About two kilometers outside the town center is the Volksbuurtmuseum (VBM), which brings the history of Utrecht’s famous working-class neighborhood, “Wijk C” to life.
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| Entrance to the Volksbuurtmuseum (photo courtesy of the museum) |
Similar to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City, it depicts how people lived in poverty-stricken conditions as recently as 100 years ago.
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| A small house as recreated in the VBM (photo courtesy the museum) |
On Day Five, we packed up and headed to The Hague, or Den Haag, which would be our next base of operations. I’d selected a hotel that was near the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, a museum of contemporary art, and which was easily reached by a tram ride followed by a short walk.
Outside the museum sits an installation called “The Cell,” created by a pair of artists who were part of Moscow’s underground art scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s and who were highly critical of the Soviet Union. The work makes fun of the dictator Joseph Stalin and is a parody of state monuments and any official personality cult to authoritarian heads of state.
 |
| "The Cell," a parody of state monuments. |
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed back to the train station for a short ride to the town of Leiden. Pronounced “LIED-uh,” it features a rather amazing windmill museum, the Molen de Valk.
 |
| Molen de Valk |
Visitors are treated to a short film about the history and operation of the Netherlands’ many windmills, and taught about the different purposes the variety of mills fulfilled. Many were grain mills, used for grinding grain into flour while others were used for sawing timber, pressing oil seeds, making paper, and draining wetlands.
While many mill operators were compensated with a share of whatever product they produced -- which could be for their own use, selling, or both -- the “polder mills” used for draining wetlands did not produce a product but provided a necessary service that was funded by the local governmental district. As a result, those who tended those mills were among the lowest paid because there was no direct profit in what they did.
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| Living room in the windmill |
Guests can view the living and working quarters of the windmill keeper and his family. Those who are hearty enough can ascend very narrow and steep staircases to the mill’s upper levels.
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| The kitchen in the windmill |
Visitors to Leiden can also visit the Young Rembrandt Studio where Rembrandt van Rijn learned to paint, draw and etch. Admission is a very nominal €2,50 per person. Tourists can also visit Leiden’s Burcht, a medieval castle that offers panoramic views of the city, and walk along the Rapenburg Canal, an area lined with grand historic mansions and university buildings.
Day Six was devoted to a pilgrimage to Delft and the museum and factory of the Netherlands’ famous Delft ware. A tour of the museum and the factory, complete with an audio guide (admission: €17,50 per person) provides an in-depth view into the creation and evolution of this iconic earthenware.
In its heyday, Royal Delft Blue had several factory locations. Today, only one remains and it is well worth the walk of about 1.25 kilometers from Delft’s Central Train Station.
Visitors are treated to a range of colorful objects – far more than just the familiar Delft Blue – given a glimpse into its history, see several custom pieces created to commemorate notable Dutch occasions, and even see Delft artisans at work. Guests are invited to speak with the artisans but asked to be respectful of their need to concentrate on what is often very detailed handwork.
 |
| Delft rendering of the Netherlands' Royal Palace |
One of the more familiar Delft pieces is the Delft Cow. One display shows how the cow is fashioned in three separate pieces, how they fit together and are trimmed before glazing and firing, and finally shows the finished product. A small cow will set you back €470 while a larger version is €727.
 |
| Famous Delft Cow |
Importantly for those considering a purchase, museum-goers are introduced to the Delft logo, the mark of an authentic piece of Delft earthenware. The logo has been used since 1879 and is on each hand-painted article produced by Delft. It consists of a beaker / apothecary bottle, the initials JT (Joost Thooft, who was the company owner in 1876), and the word “Delft.” Knock-offs, which are abundant in the Netherlands, do not carry this logo … or the Delft price tag.
 |
| Genuine Delft logo |
Predictably, the tour ends at the gift shop where visitors can browse genuine Delft items, which range in price from €34 for a Bloemenschalen (blue herring) to €14.700 for a tile mural of Rembrandt’s Night Watch.
The factory is outside the city center so visitors will get their steps in whether they return directly to the train station or take advantage of the opportunity to see sites including the markt, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), nibble cheese at numerous cheese shops, and/or sip coffee or beer at numerous street side cafés.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Photos by Carl Dombek unless otherwise indicated
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