A very lowkey repeat trip to the Netherlands

The next morning, reluctant to spend €18 on breakfast, I found a pack of biscuits in my bag left over from the volunteer tea trolley at my last chemo session, six weeks earlier. I decided they would be a perfect breakfast. I’m an idiot.

A very generous friend had given me some spending money for this trip. I messaged her about the chemo biscuits and said from now on I would use her money to buy hotel breakfast every day!

I had booked myself three nights in Den Haag. It’s way cheaper than Amsterdam, and a really nice underrated city with lots to offer (I’ve been there before). It reminds me a bit of a smaller Brussels rather than the typical Dutch towns and cities.

But I decided to stop in Leiden en route. I took the train from Schipol and left my case in a €8 locker at Leiden Station.

Public transport in the Netherlands is such a joy to use: clean, efficient and well-organised, and you can just tap on and off. I think I could have saved money with some kind of card, but compared to most UK train fares, it’s pretty cheap so I decided not to worry about the cost of train fares.

Leiden, like everywhere else on this trip, was a revisit. It’s a lovely city - lots of life thanks to the university, and a great mix of historic buildings, canals and plenty of cafes.

I walked down to the main square and got a canal boat trip. Note: there seem to be two main companies. One has sleek covered boats with pre-recorded multi-lingual commentary. The one I went with was an open boat with a skipper doing live commentary in English and Dutch.

It was “only” in the high 20s Celsius that day (I’m sorry, I don’t really know Fahrenheit) but I did somewhat regret being on an open boat. Luckily I had a big hat and lots of Factor 50. Leiden is so beautiful, and during the boat trip I noted a couple of possible lunch spots.

I ate a really delicious meal involving Dutch meatballs at a friendly place called Dolly, right on the canalside with lots of umbrellas and very clean toilets (oh yeah - without going into too much detail, my poor bladder and pelvic floor haven’t quite recovered from surgery so there was a lot of focus on where I would find a good WC).

I wandered around the back streets of Leiden just allowing myself to get lost - before flaking out in the heat and finding a lovely cool cafe (with toilets!) within a public library near De Burcht, a fortress with great views of the city.

I feel I should have done more, but it was so hot that by mid-afternoon I headed back to the station to catch the train to Den Haag.

I’d booked this trip all in a rush one night on booking.com and can’t remember the thought process that led me to the Court Garden Hotel in Den Haag, but it was an excellent choice. However a few days before my break, I was annoyed with myself because it seemed to be some way away from the centre of the city and would involve a tram from the train station (obviously I could do taxis or Uber but I’m the kind of person who eats chemo biscuits for breakfast so of course I’m going to use public transport).

It couldn’t have been easier. The number 17 tram from right outside the train station dropped me literally right outside the hotel. Trams are tap on, tap off with a bank card. They’re so easy and efficient and - mostly - air conditioned.

The hotel prides itself on being environmentally friendly. The rooms were small but with very efficient AC and also a small fridge (so useful). You could borrow a kettle from an amenity store on each floor, and there were tea bags plus a coffee machine in a lovely guest lounge. I noticed there was also a microwave, plates and cutlery to use, and cold drinks for sale. I thought it was a really nice amenity, and I found myself sitting in the lounge for a bit in the evenings with a book.

Oh! And I paid €18 for the breakfast. Was it worth it? Yeah, it was pretty good. A really wide selection of stuff, and the cooked food wasn’t the usual breakfast selection: I don’t think I’ve had quiche and broccoli for breakfast before. I noticed a very extensive gluten-free section, and also some halal choices too. Much better than chemo biscuits!

The hotel is in a nice quiet neighbourhood called Zeeheldenkwartier, which felt very safe and comfortable: kids playing in the fountains in the park, a bunch of cafes and shops and restaurants. I ate delicious pizza at a neighbourhood place, watching the rush hour cyclists from my table outside under a big umbrella.

For reference, while I think about it, most evening meals (a main course and a soft drink) cost me in the region of €25, so it’s not wildly expensive. I paid with card everywhere except for one place whose card readers were out of action. I was mostly prompted to tip on the machine, which gave me a choice of 5, 10, 15 and 20%. I mostly went for 10% but there was no pressure to tip.

Waiting on the rest! Laughing (not laughing) at chemo tea biscuits for breakfast because it sounds like something I would do. Glad you are opting for real breakfast the rest of the time, though. And glad you could make this trip!

On my previous trips to Den Haag, I’ve visited the Mauritshuis (I was alone in the room with Girl With A Pearl Earring) and also Panorama Mesdag (highly recommended.) But for some reason I was unaware of the big Kunstmuseum. Luckily just before my trip, I met up with an old friend and her partner, who is Dutch. And he told me I had to go there.

Looking at my Rough Guide, it seems that because the Kunstmuseum is away from the city centre, it’s in a different section to the bulk of the chapter on Den Haag and I hadn’t noticed it before.

So I set off for the Kunstmuseum with temperatures hitting 30 Celsius, a heat that neither I nor the Netherlands is used to. Luckily it was a short, straight tram ride from my hotel. And if you’re interested in 20th art, and/or love an air conditioned museum, it’s a must.

The building is a huge 1930s design by Berlage, very low and spread out, with lots of wonderful deco features in the internal design. I love architecture and I think there’s definitely a connection between Dutch 1930s buildings and Frank Lloyd Wright - possibly to do with flat landscapes? Lots of insistent horizontal planes and brick detailing. Somebody has probably written about this somewhere. Anyway, it’s a beautiful (and cool) building but I had to leave my bag and my bottles of ice cold water in a locker.

The main highlight is a fabulous section on Mondriaan and the art and architecture of De Stijl, beginning with some of Mondriaan’s early figurative work and tracing his development as well as the other artists in the movement. Really interesting, and I was entirely alone in this section (other than a security guard). There was also an interesting modernism section with an outstanding Schiele portrait of his wife. And I enjoyed a temporary exhibition of ceramic vases by Jan van der Vaart.

But most importantly there’s a huge covered courtyard cafe in the centre where I ate a very nice bowl of salad and drank countless free glasses of cold water, before making use of the plentiful loos.

I went to lots of museums on this trip - I always like museums, but even more on hot days. The average admission charge was about €16 - €18. Almost all the museums have cafes.

Normally I’d have done a self-guided walking tour at this point - Den Haag, and particularly around the Kunstmuseum, has a lot of very attractive domestic architecture in what I’d describe as “sober Jugendstihl.” It’s a very pleasing, solid place.

But it was so hot when I exited the museum that I caught a tram the short distance to Scheveningen, where there was a hint of a sea breeze and the temperature dipped marginally below 30 Celsius.

Scheveningen is a huge wide expense of sandy beach with all the bars and restaurants you’d expect. A couple of really nice amenities such as a sun lotion dispenser and some showers. I hoiked up my dress, took off my sandals and paddled in the lovely sea, wishing I’d brought my swimsuit.

I sat on the beach for quite a while and gave myself a stern talking-to: you don’t have to run around visiting attractions. The Netherlands is so close and you can visit any time you want. Relax and don’t beat yourself up if all you do is sit around. It’s too hot for anything else.

So after a nice afternoon at the beach I went back to the hotel, showered off the sand, lay on the bed watching BBC TV (one of the good features about Dutch hotels!) then ventured into the city centre and ate a decent burger at the coolest (physically cool - I’m too old for “cool”) restaurant I could find.

Laughing (not laughing) at chemo tea biscuits for breakfast because it sounds like something I would do.

Thanks, TexasTravelMom. I’m going to say “chemo biscuits” to myself next time I’m tempted by false economy on holiday.

This was designed to be a low-key trip, revisiting some favourite spots. Last time I was charmed by the fact that you can ride by tram between Den Haag and Delft. So I set off early to beat the heat (about 8am) to walk the short distance from my hotel to the tram stop outside the Peace Palace (home of the International Court of Justice). The tramline 1 has old school non-AC trams but it wasn’t too bad. We trundled through the city, past the central station - and a couple of stops later the driver announced something. I’m not entirely sure what he said, but everyone got off and walked across the road to a smaller train station (Den Haag Holland Spoor). So I followed, and we all got on an intercity train for the very short journey to Delft. Researching later, it looks as though the tram was missing a bunch of stops, including Delft Central, due to works.

Anyway, I’m very glad that Dutch public transport is very easy so at no point did I get the “yikes” panic I get in some countries when there’s an issue.

This day was dominated by heat and also the fact that the combination of staying hydrated and my dodgy pelvic floor meant that I had to find a loo approximately every half-hour. I’m sure some of you might understand this.

Delft is such a pretty town. The historic centre is very easy to wander, and I managed to stick to the shady side. I stopped for an iced latte at a lovely cafe on a boat with awnings (and nice loos) with a great view of the Oude Kerk.

It was still too early to go in so I meandered via pretty streets full of lovely shops on a roundabout route to the Nieuwe Kerk in the marketplace. It’s €10 for a combo ticket for the two churches (not including climbing the tower, which was beyond me on this trip.)

The Nieuwe Kerk is the burial place of the Dutch Royal Family. The crypt is right there in the centre and you can see the place where they open it up whenever needed. There’s quite a lot to look at if you’re interested in history, including a little film about the church and an orange trail telling you all about the Dutch Royals. It’s pleasingly but not overwhelmingly interesting, it’s nice and cool - and there are loos!

Nearby is the Vermeer Centre, which I’d been put off previously because, well, it doesn’t have original Vermeer paintings. But it does have AC, clean loos and a nice gift shop so I decided to visit - and it’s really interesting! I definitely recommend it.

It traces Vermeer’s life, his milieu, the history of Delft - also some of the symbolism of his paintings. My favourite bit was the room that explained all about his use of light, where you can pose for a photo in Vermeer light by a window seen in many of his paintings. It was really quiet and I was alone in the room, so I spent quite a long time taking selfies, trying different poses and facial expressions to look as Vermeer-y as I could with my chemo regrowth ultra short hair. I happened to be wearing a blue & white linen dress, so I looked very Delft! In the gift shop I was very tempted by a blue & white Delft ceramic Miffy (I love Miffy) but it was €55 which was way beyond the chemo biscuits rule.

The Oude Kerk has fewer actual attractions but it’s a lovely cool space and there was a display of 20th century Delft ceramics - one for every year. There were also a lot of young people working on laptops and a man dishing out water and coffee, and I don’t know whether it was a specific thing or if the church had been opened as a “cool space” because of the heat. Also: there are toilets!

I love Delft and wish it had been cooler. It’s such an enchanting town and every street was something to see, but also it’s very lived-in: yes, some of the shops are touristy but I also found a great bookshop and lots of cafes with a local feel.

In normal weather and with normal energy, I would probably have fitted in a quick trip to Rotterdam at this point. Or maybe back to Scheveningen for the afternoon. But instead I flaked out on my hotel bed for a few hours.

Later I planned to walk to a well-reviewed Indian restaurant about ten minutes walk away (I love spicy food when the weather is hot - or indeed at any time) but it was so hot even at 6pm that stepping outside was like walking into a furnace. A few steps from the hotel I saw an Indonesian restaurant so I ate most of a big nasi goreng, popped into a nearby mini-supermarket for a big bottle of ice cold water then chilled in the hotel lounge for a bit.

The next day, Friday, was predicted to hit new highs. And I was heading inland to Utrecht, away from the sea breezes of Den Haag. A high of 38 Celsius was forecast - and I do know that one in Fahrenheit as it’s just over 100.

A quick word: the heat really does hit different in Northern Europe. Firstly, the people and infrastructure aren’t (yet?) used to it. Secondly, at that time of June in The Netherlands, sunset was around 10pm and it’s light again at 4, 5am so there’s not even much night to cool it down. Anyway, I was dreading it.

I left the hotel early, got a tram and then a slow “Sprinter” train to Utrecht. There are two main types of trains - the two-storey intercity, and the one-level Sprinters, which stop at lots of intermediate stations. I specifically chose the slow train because they have nice AC and frankly why not spend the extra time moving slowly on a cool train through the Dutch landscape? Also they’re easier to get on with a suitcase.

I’ve been to Utrecht before and loved it, but last time I stayed in a kind of hip hostel/hotel combo that was both noisy and hot. I guess I must have expected the heat, because this time I spent extra money to book the bland and very comfortable Crowne Plaza within the shopping mall that’s right by the train station. And I’ve never been happier to be in a comfortable bland business hotel within a shopping centre! I hardly needed to step outside from the station to get to my hotel.

It was still “only” about 32 Celsius so I left my bag at the hotel and quickly ventured into town to the Oudegracht (old canal). I figured that the water would be the coolest place so I spent €18 on a canal boat trip where I was the only customer. The skipper had a cooler full of spray bottles of ice cold water and every ten minutes the two of us sprayed ourselves down. My arms, face, head, hat - everything. I do love a boat trip but by the end I was feeling quite ill and rushed back to the lovely airconditioned shopping centre. I ate lunch at a Comptoir Libanais. It’s a chain we have in the UK, and that always feels wrong on holiday, but given the weather a mezze plate full of hummus and falafel and salad was just what I wanted.

Luckily the hotel had my room ready early. I’d upgraded to a king room with a view, and breakfast. I found myself in a lovely 9th floor room with a spectacular view of Utrecht, a fridge, a Nespresso coffee machine and very effective and silent AC. Such a good choice in the circumstances, even though there was not a trace of Dutch charm.

I felt so ill from the heat and exhaustion that I don’t think I did anything other than watch telly for the rest of the day. I even ate in one of the many restaurants in the shopping centre. Sorry, Utrecht.

completely get the happiness with the bland Crowne Plaza. and the pleasure of an airconditioned shopping mall (even though that one goes off in all sorts of interesting places). I did exactly the same at a mall in Karlsruhe last week.

The next day I had a genius idea. I wake early anyway, so I went with it: I had a coffee and a banana in my room and set off for a walk around Utrecht at 7am. It was magical. Once you’re past the top, touristy bit of the Oude Gracht (old canal) it’s like another world. I saw the Dom Tower in the early haze, walked most of the way down the Oude Gracht and back up the Nieuwe Gracht. I got lots of photos and had the most lovely couple of hours. And then I went back to the hotel and had breakfast.

It’s a good international hotel buffet at the Crowne Plaza. They describe it as “American” and the bacon is certainly crispy, and there are pancakes and maple syrup, but they also have baked beans for us Brits.

I was feeling energised and it was mildly cooler than the previous day, so around 10.30 I caught the bus from near the hotel down to the Museumkwartier. There’s a lovely waterside park, an observatory, a railway museum (I wanted to do this but it was about ten minutes further to walk and that felt too much for me!), the Miffy Museum (Dick Bruna is from Utrecht) and the Centraal Museum. I’ve done Miffy before - it’s very kid-focused - so instead I went to the Centraal Museum.

I’d describe it as good if you like the history of Dutch art (which I do) but non-essential. By the way, if a Dutch museum person says “you can leave your bag in the locker,” they mean “you will leave your bag in the locker.” Small handbags allowed, but not a Roka backpack. I had a good mooch around. There’s some modern art installations amongst the Old Masters - one is life-sized model of a woman slumped on the ground in the corner of a darkened room full of paintings. I was alone as I entered the room and it absolutely freaked me out.

I stopped for coffee and cake in the very nice cafe, then visited the excellent gift shop, which it shares with the Miffy Museum. I bought a Delft-style Miffy fridge magnet as a reward to myself for not buying a ceramic model.

I had picked up a leaflet about Utrecht churches that were open to the public for free, and walked the couple of miles back to the hotel via a bunch of churches: walk a bit, go into a nice cool church for a sitdown, then walk a bit further. The Dom church is free to enter (donation requested) but you’d have to pay to go up the Tower. There are toilets in the Dom that cost 70 cents cash. I told the nice lady I didn’t have cash and she pointed me to a QR code - “we are a very modern church.” But that only took me to a bunch of Dutch bank apps, which was pointless for me, so she let me in for free.

A word on cash: I found €50 in notes at home and took it with me, and it came in useful for one meal in Den Haag. Otherwise it was card/phone pay everywhere - in fact I saw a bunch of cafes that said “Pin only.” A bit of a misnomer - it seems the Dutch use “pin” to mean tap & pay or phone pay, like in the UK we say “contactless” even though we often actually tap our card.

Anyway, I seemed to have found my routine: morning/early afternoon sightseeing, then collapse.

That night was enlivened by the most amazing display of lightning over the rooftops of Utrecht from my 9th floor window.

My final full day was a bit trying. I’d had plans for a train trip north to Hoorn - a fairly easy journey via Amsterdam. But (a) I was very tired and (b) there’d been a lightning strike that was affecting a lot of intercity trains. In fact it was services south of Utrecht around Rotterdam and Den Haag that were affected, but I just didn’t want to travel too far in case there were delays.

So I opted for the 20-minute trip to Gouda. I remember having a lovely time there a few years ago, admiring the gorgeous stadthuis in the central square, and thought it would be nice to see it again. Although it was a little cooler and fresher it was still very hot. And when I got to the main square, the whole stadthuis was covered in tarpaulin! I wandered a bit aimlessly, decided to go to the museum - which had some good stuff, especially the Gouda ceramics, but I think I was museumed out. I tried to sit in the shady courtyard cafe but the waitress told me “we have a walk-in marriage situation.” I think she just meant a wedding reception, but I do like the idea of a “walk-in marriage situation.”

I had a cone of fries with cheese sauce in the main square overlooking the tarpaulin, then a stroopwaffel ice cream in a pretty little canalside shopping area. Then I made my way back to the train station. When we pulled into Utrecht, I was so tired I thought my legs had stopped working and I struggled to get off the train.

Another supermarket poke bowl for supper while watching the Paris Diamond League on BBC2.

The journey home was super-smooth. Schipol was a delight - incredibly well-organised and not too busy on a Monday afternoon. They weren’t doing the fingerprints thing on the way out, so that meant it was much quicker than I expected.

My flight was delayed by about 20 minutes but only took an hour, then I had a very smooth drive home, popped into the supermarket for a pint of milk and arrived home.

I was really pleased with myself for coping so well with post-chemo fatigue, pathetic bladder and extreme heat. I love the Netherlands - such a lovely place to spend a relaxed break. I’m lucky to live so close to an airport that has a daily flight there.

Golden Girl, I'm loving reading this and getting all kinds of ideas from it! My last trip to the Netherlands was in 2018 and I think I'm due for a visit. I like the idea of staying in Den Haag to save money. Amsterdam is pretty expensive so that's definitely something I'm keeping in mind. I enjoyed shopping at Albert Heijn, but I remember they had some deal with credit cards. There were some branches that I couldn't shop at unless I had cash because they only accept a certain kind of card that is only available in Europe. Do you know if that is still true?

Ha ha, very funny about the chemo biscuits, which then defines you as a person who uses public transport, lol! I do think it was smart of you to pace yourself and relax in the afternoon. I'm learning to do that more and more when I travel.

You make Delft sound wonderful! I did not get there on my last trip but will definitely make an effort to do that next time. It really sounds like a delightful place. And Utrecht is another place I have not been, but will try to get there next time.

I bought a Delft-style Miffy fridge magnet as a reward to myself for not buying a ceramic model.

😂😂😂😂😂.

GG, this was a wonderful report! You have given me so many good ideas for a trip there and I love it! I'm sure you will get your energy back as time goes on, and hopefully you will continue to take more post-chemo trips! But no more chemo biscuits!

Mardee, thank you. Yes, I remember some issues with Albert Heijn myself but this time it was all fine. I think I mostly used my phone to pay. You have to remember to take your receipt or else the exit door might not open.

My favourite bit was the room that explained all about his use of
light, where you can pose for a photo in Vermeer light by a window
seen in many of his paintings.

You need to write more Trip Reports. That was outstanding. The Netherlands is quickly becoming my favourite country to visit. I was there twice last year and plans are in the works for a short stay next April and that one sentence has me convinced to spend time in Delft on that trip.

Fantastic report, you have inspired me to return to The Netherlands and to get out of Amsterdam...only been once, 20 years ago, and it is time to return.

Keep it up!

Thanks, all. Glad you enjoyed reading it.

I forgot to mention the final straw on the Gouda day. Somehow a bee got into the zipped back pocket of my Roka bag, where I keep my phone. The bee was absolutely furious when I got my phone out back in the hotel room, and stung me really painfully on the finger I use for double clicking my phone. Luckily the swelling went down after a few hours, but it still hurts a bit.

Thanks for the detailed report. It is much appreciated. I’ve taken lots of notes since I have a return trip to the Netherlands planned for next year.

If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Leiden versus Utrecht. I’ve previously taken day trips to both, but I’m planning to actually stay in one or both on my next trip. I’ll also be staying in Delft, so I’m not sure I’ll have enough time to stay in both Leiden and Utrecht as well.

Public transport in the Netherlands is such a joy to use: clean,
efficient and well-organised, and you can just tap on and off.

I don’t understand why every country can’t make it this easy.

Mardee , this past April, 2026, I had no issues with credit card use at any grocery in the Netherlands. I do think it's time for you to return to this delightful country!
Golden Girl thanks for a very readable and practical Trip Report. I share your love of the NL. I'm glad you pushed through the fatigue for an adventure.
Carrie, I didn't feel it in Utrecht, I can't figure out why. However, I'm a big fan of Leiden!

Great report---this is helping move the Netherlands up my list! Also, so lovely to hear of your ability to travel post-chemo. Congratulations on both being done with it and with a successful trip!

If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Leiden versus Utrecht.

I like them both a lot - probably equally. But Utrecht is also an outstanding rail hub to other parts of the country, so it edges it for me.

Golden Girl, thanks for your report. It seems that you had a good time despite the heat and despite your health issues.
I couldn’t help but notice that most of the places you went to, were a revisit. This is totally understandable of course given your personal situation.
There is however much more to our country than the densely populated area in the west.
Cities like Maastricht, ‘s Hertogenbosch, Amersfoort, Groningen, Zwolle etc are just as full of history, quaint squares, canals, museums etc. as Leiden and Delft are.
The Kroller-Moller museum located in National Park the Hoge Veluwe has the 2nd largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh and an enormous sculpture garden.

Should you visit our country again and wish to explore some new cities, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Glad you could make this trip and it's so nice it's a short flight for you. I also appreciated the Dutch rail system and was really amazed at their English speaking (not just understanding but figurative language and it all seemed very fluent and natural). From what I could find, there was no rail card for non Dutch citizens that could have helped saved money.

I'm planning on staying in Leiden next April.

The heat makes everything tough.

I truly wish you the best with your healing.

Thanks, Dutch Traveller. They are all very much on my list for the future. I was looking at the Kroller Muller Museum in particular as a number of people (including my Dutch friend) have recommended it.

For so many reasons, this was designed to be a “go back to places I love” trip.

But as it’s so easy for me to get there, and I feel a real affinity with your lovely country, I hope to get back and explore more.

What a delightful report to read and so happy to see you making this return trip. I was in Amsterdam once over 25 years ago and just for a few hours (changing trains when backpacking in Europe). I'll be back again but only for half a day and night before an early flight back to the US. I wish I could visit some of the smaller towns. Linden sounds perfect for me.

I always go for the hotel breakfast, and like you, I've explored early in the morning (thanks jet lag) and then returned to hotel for breakfast. It actually works quite well!

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience which I so enjoyed reading!

Golden Girl, I loved your report and all of the helpful details, including the ease of finding the loo at various attractions! I am trying to figure out when I can get to the Netherlands. Thank you for taking the time to write such an interesting report.

Thank you for your trip report and congratulations, if that is the right word, for getting through chemo.

Your report was so interesting and especially as I'm almost finished reading Andrew Graham-Dixon's Vermeer A Life Lost and Found so I have learned a lot more about the Netherlands and some of the cities. It's been more than 30 years since I've been to the Netherlands.

Scheveningen/Den Haag was the first place I ever stayed at in the Netherlands (even before Amsterdam), a very long time ago. so memories here.
It is so long ago that the passenger ferries then still ran to Scheveningen from Great Yarmouth, although I used the ones from Harwich then the boat train onwards.

Then I could get a paper multi day rail pass for the Country from the NS Office near Trafalgar Square in London. I'm even pretty sure I could book hotels as well through that office.

Your Den Haag info is particularly interesting. I'd like to go back there. Your hotel choice sounds right up my straat. I've only been once, and that was late at night, coming back to Amsterdam the next morning after a squat party, as I was wont to do the best part of 30 years ago. I still take an interest in what's left of the music scene around "the west coast sound of Holland". Zahara Cocktail Bar in Scheveningen was one of the more sophisticated venues you could hear that sound. I'm not sure if that's still true on a weekend evening. I've never been to Scheveningen, but I gather it's a Dutch version of Victorian English seaside resorts that still has some life about it.

Thanks for such a comprehensive report!

So, Miffy didn’t ring any bells, but when you said Dick Bruna, I had to stop and google, because I DID recall his name. It’s been more than 40 years, but my two oldest had Miffy books in Japanese when we lived in Japan (where they were born) - and absolutely loved them. My oldest still has them at her house. I don’t recall ever seeing them in the U.S., although surely they are there. I’d be buying Miffy things also! I had no idea he was Dutch, though.

One of my very earliest memories is my mother buying a Miffy book for me. I’m not usually the kind of person who likes cute cartoon stuff but I’ve always had a really soft spot for Miffy.

Interesting that she’s popular in Japan because I’ve always felt Hello Kitty was a bit of a Miffy - ahem - tribute/homage/whatever.

Golden Girl, wow, what a creative, relaxing trip despite the heat and after serious health challengers! Heat can be so exhausting, adjusting is part of travel, so well done. I loved that lecture you gave yourself about taking it easy!

I definitely prefer museums with cool, refreshing cafes.

I had to look up Miffy, that's hilarious. https://royaldelft.com/en/delfts-blue-miffy/

That night was enlivened by the most amazing display of lightning over the rooftops of Utrecht from my 9th floor window. How lovely, just our kind of evening, relaxing with a view.

My favorite bit was the room that explained all about his use of light, where you can pose for a photo in Vermeer light by a window. How DID I miss that on my visit to Delft?? Which BTW I loved, spent 2 nights there instead of staying in Amsterdam, it was GREAT!

I was in the Netherlands in April this year and stayed four nights in Utrecht. On a previous trip, I'd stayed in Leiden. I enjoyed many things about Utrecht and was able to make a day trip to the Kroller-Muller museum from there, but frankly, the shopping mall you have to go through to get out of the train station (AT LEAST a ten-minute walk) is off-putting. For that reason alone, I would recommend Leiden over Utrecht.

But thank you, Golden Girl, for the information about other cities you enjoyed. They'll be put on the list for the future!

Somehow a bee got into the zipped back pocket of my Roka bag, where I keep my phone. The bee was absolutely furious when I got my phone out back in the hotel room, and stung me really painfully on the finger I use for double clicking my phone. Luckily the swelling went down after a few hours, but it still hurts a bit.

Ouch, ouch, ouch ouch, ouch!!!!! Oh, GG, that must have hurt. I never would have imagined something like that could happen. I'm sorry the pain is still there. At least it happened at the end of your trip (sort of like my knee-cap break in Seattle). Does the UK sell antiseptic creams with Lidocaine?

Pat, I agree and I've bumped the Netherlands up towards the top of my future-trips-in-the-near-future list! All I need to do now is increase my travel to 10 trips a year. 😂

One of my very earliest memories is my mother buying a Miffy book for me. I’m not usually the kind of person who likes cute cartoon stuff but I’ve always had a really soft spot for Miffy.

Miffy is all over Japan. I got a plush one for my kid when I visited, and a mug for me from the Miffy store in Kyoto.

"A walk-in marriage situation"!!! Honestly, that's the best. I'm a couples therapist and I swear I am going to find a way to work that into a session one of these days, just because it will make me smile inside ;).

Golden Girl, it was a pleasure to read your report and to know that you were doing it all post-chemo! Good on you!

Heat like you described is punishing at the best of times....I can't imagine it while in recovery from cancer treatment. Well over 20 years ago, just after we were married, my husband and I went to Spain for 3 weeks in May. The heat was unbelievable. My favourite picture is of my husband kneeling in front of the AC in our hotel room in Sevilla, with his face pressed against the grill, trying to cool off! We developed a life-saving routine similar to yours: sightseeing starting early in the morning, having a siesta all afternoon/early evening in our hotel room, followed by venturing out again in the later evening for dinner and a walk, when the temperature had dropped to a mere 32 degrees!

I am planning for a Netherlands/Belgium trip in a couple of years and your report absolutely solidified it!

Thanks again and I wish you the very best in your ongoing healing!

“ Pin only.” A bit of a misnomer - it seems the Dutch use “pin” to mean tap & pay or phone pay, like in the UK we say “contactless” even though we often actually tap our card.”

When bank cards were introduced many years ago, you had to enter your card into a machine and then enter your PIN in order to make a payment or withdraw money at an ATM. To pin or “pinnen” in Dutch became the verb used to describe the fact that someone was paying with their card +plus PIN. When I’m at the cash register of a place that accepts both cash and bank cards, I will say “Ik wil graag pinnen” (I would like to pin) or to inform the cashier that I want to pay by card.
To this day “pinnen / to PIN” is still used in the Netherlands to describe the act of paying by bank card, even though you don’t always need to enter your PIN.

For Miffy/Nijntje fans; the Dutch department store HEMA sell all kinds of Nijntje products. They make great souvenirs; HEMA stores can be found all over the Netherlands, there is even one at Schiphol. See their website to get an idea of what’s available; https://www.hema.nl/feest-cadeau/cadeaus/nijntje