Twenty- five Seven

One day at the Hague -Herrings and Haute Cuisine

October 14, 2012

On a two day trip to Holland, we spent one day in Amsterdam and the second day at the Hague.

One day at the Hague

Waiting for the train at the platform at Centraal Station

Buying a ticket is both easy and quick

It was a wonderful sunny afternoon when we travelled to the Hague to see it the way the Dutch see it. Since our hotel was conveniently located near Central Station, the best way to get there was by train which is exactly what we did. The newly renovated old station is like everything else Dutch, easy and simple to navigate.

Close to the Hague central station, the Netherlands (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Trains to the Dutch capital leave every 15 minutes or so . Even going by second class is comfortable and we settled down to a 45 minute trip. At the head of the train we were met by our delightful hosts who decided to take us around the city by foot. Stepping out we were welcomed by a cool gust of air, making us aware of the the North sea close by.

Herrings at a kiosk

A quiet residential street in the Hague

Our camera needed a memory chip so we walked down the shopping streets which were super crowded as most people were free to shop on a Sunday . The Hague is distinctly different from Amsterdam and like all capital cities of the world has a regal air about it. Home to different embassies and the International Court of Justice, the streets are milling with people of all nationalities. We quickly found what we wanted and walked down to the Binnenhof or the Dutch parliament. Just outside the complex of buildings we had herring at the iconic Haringkraam , the best introduction to this uniquely Dutch experience – slipping down a pickled herring (stuffed with raw onions) held by its tail . [ctt title=”” tweet=”This place is hard to miss and this experience is truly a MUST for an authentic Dutch experience.” coverup=”20yBC”]

We then walked down to the Escher Museum which is housed in the original palace. This museum is a delight with its interactive displays where the floor crackles as you step on it and optical illusions that make you the tallest person in the room or have you trapped in a box! The museum also has delightfully whimsical chandeliers like guitars or pipes to add to the charm of the old palace.

The marvellous gilded neo-gothic fountain in the inner courtyard of the Binnenhof

The magnificent parliament buildings

Our next stop was the parliament where we were given a crash course in Dutch politics. It was amazing that in this day of terrorists and paranoia we could walk through this place without any “security” checks or clearances.

Tired with all this walking , we naturally gravitated to one of the squares popular with both locals and tourists alike for a glass of chilled Belgian Beer. Our hostess being Belgian informed us that unlike Dutch beer, Belgian beer was stronger and more robust. So we sat in the sunshine sharing a glass of beer and munching on another Dutch treat – the bitterballen. It was idyllic – a mild sun slowly slipping down, the square a buzz with people, conversation flowing , steaming hot crunchy meat balls and chilled beer.

Haute cuisine at des Indes

This perfect day was wound down with a fine meal at the Hotel des Indes near the Escher Museum. This historic, luxury hotel has hosted many heads of State,witnessed treaties signed and seen many a pleasant gatherings of friends and family. Des Indes is famous for its high tea but since we wanted to see the Museum which closes by 5, it wouldn’t have really been possible. So we went with the next best which was a fabulous 5 course meal. With exotic food like duck and beetroot souffle, each course was washed down with a sorbet andserved with a complementing wine . The wine flowed so did the conversation so by the end of the meal we were all literally flying one foot above the ground.

So it was quite an experience – raw herring and haute cuisine all in a day!
In a plane lurching

October 14, 2012

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

It was around midnight
and we had settled down.
satiated with the tripe that passes off as haute cuisine;
at a cruising altitude hundreds of miles above terra firma any food could be described as haute cuisine
even a congealed bit of meat heated cursorily in a microwave.

The air hostesses cleared up the dinner service,
the last passenger downed his anxiety in the last drop of indifferent wine
and the cabin was darkened for a few hours of peaceful rest.

I selected the latest offering on my small little in-flight entertainment screen,
my ears already drowning in a stereophonic stream of hi fi music.
When suddenly the plane shook slightly,
At first almost imperceptibly.
Then I heard a noise, a scary sound
And the “fasten seat belt” sign lit up.
The juddering continued more violently now,
With the seams of the plane ready to rip.
The odd passenger prowling about grabbed the nearest seat to steady himself.
And the voice over the PA system crackled to life
Apologising for the unexpected turbulence.
My heart sank as did that of so many others.
I took a deep breath , closed my eyes, said a prayer, swallowed my fear,
quietened unwelcome thoughts that spun around my fear gripped head.
The contents of my stomach heaved and lurched as the plane braved on ahead.
It seemed an age as we were tossed about
Like a leaf in a violent storm
And I was gripped by fear and dread.
And then
Just as it started it stopped.
And all was calm instead.
I looked around and found
that I was
Keeping my fingers crossed
As were a hundred others.
Last Friday in Amsterdam

October 13, 2012

Whew! After months and months of planning we finally made it to Amsterdam. There were many hiccups on the way – a twenty year old passpoprt which Schengen countries refuse to stamp their visa on, applying for a new passport, the agony of waiting for the visa……. so when we did make it to the Chhatrapati International Airport at Mumbai, there was a sense of disbelief.

And when we landed at Schipol our relief was palpable. The 9 hour flight was uncomfortable to say the least. Normally every airline tries to improve its service but I think DELTA takes pride in bending backwards to be regressive. The motley crew seemed to have been recruited from some international youth hostel with one distinctly looking Ninja turtle heading the gang , a purser of indeterminate origin and unidentifiable gender and another girl who hardly spoke English. The crew apart, the food was particularly bad ( so bad that it actually ruined my stomach),the seats uncomfortable, the air conditioning a mind numbing freezing, a terrible in-flight entertainment program showed on a common tv screen which was so small and of such low resolution that I could hardly make out who the actors were despite them being big HOLLYWOOD names. And what was worse was the toilets. They were simply appalling! With a terrible bathroom to people ration and in indifferent staff who couldn’t care less about helping the passengers leave alone seeing that the bathrooms were usable, by the end of the flight the toilets were overflowing with toilet paper and were reeking of Odor toilette!

But on arrival we were met by a wet Amsterdam but a cheery Ric, our taxi driver who whisked us into his Mercedes van and brought us to the Ibis at Central Station. Now Ibis is not known for its luxury factor but one thing you can be assured of is a clean room and a bathroom that functions. Even though this is a no-frills hotel it is comfortable and is conveniently located.

So after settling in we made our way to the Ticket Office from just across the hotel and bought ourselves a Canal Cruise for the rest of the morning. In a covered bateau we were taken for a relaxed cruise round the harbour and through the Canals. This is truly the best way to get a feel of the city – a well delivered and informative commentary gives you an idea of what the city has to offer and you can make a firmer itinerary based on that. Even though it was raining, we had a great time going through the canals even more beautiful than ever with the trees wearing early Fall colours.

With an hour and a half to spare before our next tour out in the country, we hung around at Dam Square and the Damrak where you see more nationalities than Dutch. We had a packet of the famous pommes frites which are literally drowned in mayonnaise and walked up to the square. I was told that the best chips were in a side street close to the Singel canal but the Mannekin Pis will do especially when you pass it on the way!
The sun broke out and the skies cleared up and we celebrated with a sweet custard stuffed croissant till the COUNTRYSIDE TOURS & TRAVEL bus pulled up along the pavement. It was amazing how so many of us were herded into this bus which took us to Maarken. In this quaint Dutch village we saw what could be better described as a cheese making workshop and a clog making workshop though we were told we would be taken for a Cheese Factory visit and a Clog Factory visit. But it was enjoyable nonetheless with a tour guide who was charming and humourous!
We picked up a few knick knacks including a very touristy pair of clogs, enjoying the picturesque houses that seemed strangely uninhabited. Perhaps I too would abandon a place which was invaded on a daily basis by a tour guide waving an umbrella with tulips while urging the eager tourists to follow on! But the trip was definitely worth every penny and is a great way to see the countryside………

After a walk through the village we went on the boat to Vollendam where we saw more quaint Dutch houses. We had a great lunch of Kibbling and beer before making our way to the Zaanse Schans. By this time the sun was down and the temperature began to drop. So I was glad to get into the bus and back to Amsterdam for a wonderful dinner at the Chinese restaurant in the middle of China town. It would seem strange to have Chinese in Amsterdam but with the kind of multiculturalism in this city, you can truly be assured of every kind of cuisine to suit every kind of palate.