Storyline: 2024 Fall trip to Europe
(Now that the next trip is booked and Alex’s 70th celebration is over, back to our September trip.)
In Haarlem at last!
Haarlem is a city in the northwest Netherlands. It is a centre for flower-growing, a major export point for tulip bulbs and also famous for its tulip fields. Over 750 years old and a major North Sea trading post, the city still retains its medieval character.
Cobblestone streets, canals and a huge pedestrian area in the centre. A city with a rich history and a hot spot for Dutch art in the 16th and 17th centuries. Haarlem has a lot going for it. For this trip though, it was chosen randomly.
After six 200ml bottles of bubbly and a 3-hour delay, our NightJet (the sleeper train) from Vienna is finally at Amsterdam Central Station. Given all the chaos Storm Boris created, the delay doesn’t bother us. We are happy we made it through. Could have been a lot worse.
But boy this train station! Never seen such a busy train station. Or any other station, events like football games, hockey, etc. The herds of people that run through it! What a chaos!
We were in Amsterdam in 2004, just around New Year.
I remember the canals, the cold winds, damp cold seeping up through our shoes, people on their bikes, and a lovely city even in the winter. We had accommodation pre-Airbnb. Not even sure how we booked it, but vague memories tell me it was Alex finding it via VRBO. It was a nice apartment in the city centre, between the Central station and the Red-Light District.
I remember we took a train from Barcelona, and arrived in Amsterdam Central: no problems and no big crowds. We had just spent Xmas with Maureen and Steve (Alex’s aunt and uncle) in Sta Cristina D’Aro, an hour away from Barcelona. Diliana was with us, and her Belgian friend Christel joined us in the Amsterdam apartment for the few days we were there.
So, when booking our over the ocean flight this time, I thought it’d be nice if we spent a little more time in Amsterdam. It was a last moment booking as you know. Once I got to the point of finding accommodations, I was stunned by the high prices of anything available in Amsterdam. I kept extending my area around Amsterdam. We could go to The Hague, but it would probably be windy and rainy. Besides still too expensive for our retiree budget.
I finally found a hotel in Haarlem with breakfast included. In general, we’d prefer an apartment where we could do our meals, but such were not available for the price I wanted to pay.
The crowds at Amsterdam Central were shocking. Trains were coming one after another, crowds rushing out through the exits, crowds rushing in to the platforms, everyone trying to find their way in the chaos. Mind you, here in Netherlands, you must keep and scan your ticket upon entering and exiting. If you only have a paper copy, not on your phone, don’t toss it. This would be the older generation, because everyone theses days uses apps for everything. Later we’d find that we had to scan our grocery bill exiting the store. What if we didn’t buy anything, we wondered.
To buy tickets for another train we first had to exit from this one by scanning our barcodes. The ticket offices, timetables and tickets kiosks were outside the turnstiles. Next train to Haarlem was in 20 min. Bought tickets and a polite clerk told us where to go to reach the platform. Back through the turnstiles now scanning the new tickets, and a few minutes later we are in the train. All with our luggage of course. In about 20 min we were in Haarlem, our last stop before flying back home.
Walking from the train station to our hotel in the Grote Markt (Big Market Square), we stopped for drinks in a café by a canal. It was early for checking in so we enjoyed observing locals passing by in the sunny afternoon. When check in time arrived, we strolled to the hotel. We opened our key lock box hanging on an entrance door of a restaurant. It was empty. Tried to call, but couldn’t get through, so I walked in the restaurant to ask the server.
I was surprised when she gave me the key and explained how to reach our floor. It was from the elevator inside the restaurant. It appeared that the restaurant (sooner bar with snacks) was our hotel restaurant/bar and breakfast area with patio outside. They call it a lounge with a terrace. We’d walk through it every time we were in and out of the hotel. A bit strange, but in small old historic building like this one it is actually nice to have a lift.
City full of canals, boats and bikes. It was Sunday afternoon. Many patios covering Grote Markt Square and neighbouring pedestrian streets were full to the brim. Have the feeling the entire city is eating out and enjoying the sun.
We walked along a few canals, and were in awe of the picturesque town with narrow cobblestone streets and houses accessible only by bicycles and on foot.
But bikes of all sorts: pedalling and electric, scooters and all kind of derivatives on wheels, like baby strollers, shopping and other carriages were a menace. No bike lanes or sidewalks in the narrow streets.
And if there were sidewalks, they were full of parked bicycles. Somehow everyone finds their way around the rest. Tourists like us have to learn fast to keep away from the speeding dangers.
After covering the main pedestrian area, crossing canals and wandering along small alleys, we were back at Grote Markt; found a table on a patio and had drinks with some appetizers as meze. In the evening, I went back downstairs with my laptop. Their specialty coffees were really good. I’d try a few during our stay. Alex joined me for a drink.
Our second day was also sunny and we took the opportunity to walk more through the city and visit a few interesting places.
Back at the central square. The weather was closing in and we decided to have some drinks in a place across from Amadeus Hotel. We sat inside by the windows facing the square.
Servers were really nice and after a while we decided on a meal there too. It was pouring outside.
The church, De Grote of St. Bavokerk te Haarlem (Gothic style edifice) on the square was for the last day since there was an organ concert in the evening we wanted to attend.
The next morning was interesting. Alex wanted to sleep more. Just go shopping, he said. And so, I went. Haarlem is well known for its high-end stores. It has been voted many times as the best shopping city in the Netherlands.
There are 10 streets spiking from the market square. Most are pedestrian in the centre and full of all kinds of store. I had fun walking into a store and when asked “How can I help you” saying “My husband sent me shopping”, although I really didn’t need anything. In the end I took home a down vest, a down jacket and a sweater, although I really didn’t need them.
Thanks God I didn’t end up with one of those bikes!
In the afternoon Alex was ready for a short walk. We decided to ask the information clerk in the church about the organ concert we were anticipating that evening. What concert?, she says. Ah, it was last night! And so, we mixed the day and the date.
But we could listen to the organ now, she added. And we did. The organist was rehearsing. We spent quite some time there. There was also an interesting exhibition called Inspiring Encounters. We had a nice chat with the lady in charge of it. She said that we have to actually touch everything to feel it.
The Gothic style Church of St. Bavo is quite interesting itself though simple. And that’s why we liked it. It is home to the impressive Christian Müller organ. It has 5068 pipes, the longest 10m. In 1766 Mozart, who was 10 years old, played this organ. Händel also played this organ.
After the visit, wet weather typical for the Netherlands, we found an Indian restaurant for our last dinner before heading home. It was a 7-course menu for two. When all done the owner could not make his card reader work. So, we had no easy way to pay. I had cash, which was exactly the amount on the bill. But this was our last cash and we had to take a bus to the airport next morning. Owner listening to my chatter, said that I can keep €15. This would be enough for the bus and anything else we might need.
The next morning, we caught an airport bus 5 min away from the hotel. We had heard about it, but were surprised that at Schiphol security we didn’t have to show our laptops in a separate bin. They now have the technology to scan the luggage with liquids and electronics devices inside. This was new since our last flight from there in October 2023.
So why is Haarlem a missed opportunity? For one we missed the organ concert we had planned to attend. And then at Schiphol forgot to stamp the VAT forms for our (mainly my) purchases. And then there were a few museums we couldn’t visit. It is such a lovely city that if we have to fly via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport again, we may revisit.
Ah and for those of you that think of Haarlem Nederland as the New York’s Harlem, the latter takes its name from the Dutch one, as at the time New York was Dutch colony New Amsterdam.
It looks like a nice place to visit.
Yes it is!