Traveling for me, an old gal from Africa, entails hitting the road by car, with luggage, and basic foodstuff packed in the boot, or trunk, as some of my friends call it. Otherwise, if it's traveling by air, I'd either have a friend drop me off at the airport, or I would have to drive there and park in the long-term parkade.
Traveling in the Netherlands is very different.
My son booked my flights for a six-week visit and fetched me at Schiphol Airport from where we jumped onto a train. I've been in awe at the efficiency of the Rail system here.
We've been on a whirlwind tour, visiting little towns and big cities, planning our routes and mode of transport using the 9292 App I told you about when we visited Amsterdam, hopping from one train to another, onto a tram, a bus, or a ferry
Wheeling our luggage for a five-minute walk to the local railway station, to catch a train to the nearby town of Gouda for a three-day stay in an Airbnb, was quite a novel experience!
OV Chip Card
One uses an OV chip card, and pre-load it online or at a ticket machine; you can view your balance when checking in or out, or go to a machine if you forgot to check.
It's very important you're checked in as inspectors do random checks.
One only checks out between stations and at the final destination, not if hopping between trains at the same station. The smaller stations have a scanner on a pole, but the bigger stations have turnstiles.
When changing mode of transport though, for example from a train to a tram, you have to check in and out on the tram.
Arriving in Gouda, walking past the canal and into the town square, was like stepping into a medieval village.
Following destructive fires in the fifteenth century, when only five houses were spared, the ancient town hall was purposely rebuilt smack bang in the middle of the town square.
The first city fires took place in the fourteenth century when the first Sint-Janskerk was destroyed. The church was reconstructed in the sixteenth century, but I'll share more about that in a later post. It's a story all its own, with 72 stunning stained glass windows, each depicting events from Biblical times and Dutch history.
The tall Gothic Gouda town hall with red and white shutters, the colours of the Gouda coat of arms.
The towering town hall standing proud, all lit up, as night falls. I can only imagine the spectacle of Gouda by Candlelight when the old town hall is lit up by thousands of candles from the local candle factory, an annual tradition ever since the late nineteenth century.
The half-hourly chiming of the carillon that houses the bells, with mechanical puppets on the side of the town hall building, is a charming feature of the town. While we were there, we listened to the tune from the video below.
We also heard the distinctive sound of a church bell ringing on the hour.
Can anyone tell me what tune they are playing, it sounds familiar but I cannot think what it is called. They change the tune every so often; I read somewhere that they've even chimed played the Beatles song Yesterday ;)
CLICK to listen to the Video of the Gouda Town Hall Chimes
My own video
We used Gouda as a base to get to Delft, and Rotterdam, with a brief visit to Scheveningen Boulevard at Den Haag Noorderstrand. I have a lot to share with you about those towns, our itinerary was filled to the brim! Today is another rest day, getting our breath back!
The Airbnb we stayed in, was in a narrow passageway in an ancient building in the centre of town up a steep flight of stairs, but once inside the apartment, everything was sleek and modern.
Another staircase up to the bedrooms however was something else! You be the judge!
Believe it or not, we did cheese tasting in Delft, not Gouda, and when I show you the tourism sign giving directions, you will understand why we did not get to enjoy all the sights of Gouda!
We walked past the premises of the Gouda Cheese Experience every day to and from the train station, but returned too late to go inside!
Chocolatiere, Bakkerij, the local butchery Slagery Van Sprang, which makes the best sausages and meat products, Vintage and Brocante shopping, Pop-Ups, Boekhandel, Bloemiste (florist), and a Biowinkel, to name but a few.
Not forgetting the bicycles!
A jolly gnome with a snooty mosaic lady looking the other way;)
Pretty canals, quaint narrow buildings built in a circular fashion on the outskirts of the town square, most of them are restaurants or pubs that start filling up from around lunchtime, locals and tourists alike.
As night falls, the restaurants and pubs start filling up even more.
Gouda apparently used to have the reputation of being the best brew city in the Netherlands in the Middle Ages.
My son is quite a beer connoisseur, a beer snob actually, used to brew his own beer, so he's always on the lookout for a good brew! He's been to BarBier, a speciality beer café, in other towns and cities, as he is spoilt for choice with over 130 varieties on offer.
All the outdoor tables were taken, and we were hungry and thirsty, so had to sit inside. We were not disappointed as we got to see the rotating glasses inside the bar. We enjoyed good beer, and a good meal to end off a busy day.
...and another round of beer, no more though, as we had to navigate those stairs back at the Airbnb!
CLICK to view Video of the BarBier Rotating glasses
My own video
We did get to visit the Sint-Jan Kerk as I said earlier, but never got to the Kamphuizen Siroop Wafel Fabriek, much to my dismay as I have such a sweet tooth!
Neither could we do a canal boat cruise, The Gouda Cheese Experience, and see the Gouda Mills - four windmills in total, one of them is a working flour mill.
So, as you've seen, there is much to explore in the cobbled streets of Gouda, so I hope we can go back there to experience and taste, more of this quaint ancient town that is way more than just a cheese market!
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