Category: Europe
Den Bosch – A Carnival of Bosch
My morning from Utrecht had started very normally. And then I arrive in den Bosch. One bosschebollen later, I’m wandering around this delightful city. And as I do, I’m slowly […]
An Introduction To Den Bosch
Naked bodies frolic around the garden. Oversized fish lay scattered about on the ground. A naked woman carries a gigantic mussel shell on her back. Inside it is an equally […]
Amersfoort – A Journey To The Centre of the Netherlands
In 1661, around 400 people wander out to the Soest moor where a 10-tonne glacial boulder lies. They put ropes around it, and use sticks to dislodge it. They then […]
Amersfoort – Where Johan, Jacob And Piet Once Lived
In 1619, a 71-year-old prominent Dutch lawyer is led to the gallows in the Hague. During his 8 months under arrest, he isn’t allowed to defend himself. A kangaroo court […]
Dordrecht – The Revenge of the Royalists
Cornelis de Witt is released from prison. He has been tortured so badly (see my Hague blog) that he cannot walk. He sends for his brother Johan. But its a […]
Kinderdijk – A Brief History Of A Dutch Polder
Should I be nervous knowing that only a dyke protects me from a salty swim? Everyone knows that the Kinderdijk, like much of the Netherlands, lies below sea level. After […]
Dordrecht – How an Island Was Made, How a Country Was Formed
It’s the 18th of November 1421. A heavy storm from the North Sea lashes Holland. Dykes collapse all around. Hamlets and villages surrounding Dordrecht disappear under water for good. When […]
Delft – After the 80 Years War
The pace of history thus far in Delft has not been short of intense. So where did I get up to? William of Orange has been assassinated, the 80 Year […]
The Hague – From an Ancient Forest to the Heart of the Dutch Government
There is a forest in the Hague. In the 16th century, a leisure walker like me, may have bumped into men carrying executed bodies to the gallows fields on the […]
What I did in the Afternoon in Mechelen, Belgium
After my busy morning in Mechelen (Morning in Mechelen blog), I hit the streets again. After learning about the terrible pillage of Mechelen, I have a feeling that more legends […]