De Haar

The largest castle in the Netherlands!  I've been here before, 3X already, including once when the police academy gave us a day off together to visit the Christmas Fair, which was held on the castle grounds.  I also distinctly recall coming here with AW, but the castle happened to be closed, so we simply strolled in the gardens and admired the view.

It wasn't the plan to come here today, though, but to visit the van Gogh Museum in AMS with the friend of a fellow blipper, whom I'll call Cathy, whom I've met already twice in the past, the first time when she visited with the fellow blipper, and the second time when she came with a close friend of the fellow blipper.  Every time any of them came, it was because they'd joined a cruise and AMS was on the itinerary.  Unfortunately, the van Gogh Museum was fully booked today, so Cathy will just have to visit it tomorrow.  All museums adhere strictly to the COVID regulations and will not allow more than a set number of visitors inside their premises.  Reservations are mostly online, and you'll just have to choose from the available time slots.

A thankfully dry day!  Got up early to do supermarket errands first, and then last night's dishes, before finally leaving the house close to 11.00.  Google Maps GPS told me to get to the A2, which drills directly into the very centre of AMS, but neglected to inform me of various road works going on in the city itself, because of which I had to drive a bit in circles, including some streets where I think I wasn't supposed to drive on (I can always pretend to have been too stupid to notice), finally reaching Central Station, a kilometer behind which was Cathy's hotel.  Found what I presumed was a free parking area (an illusion, of course, but there wasn't any parking machine to be seen) and walked the half mile to the hotel.  Cathy flew in this morning and will leave with the boat on Wednesday.  The boat was already parked behind the hotel, its crew no doubt preparing for the cruise.

We saw each other in the lobby, weren't sure we were who we thought we were..... haha!  After a short toilet stop in her room, down to the restaurant for lunch (her treat), during which she told me the van Gogh was a no-go today.  I wondered where I could take her without having to drive back into town, where parking is problematic, and that is how we ended up on the A2, turning right on the A12, and finally entering the area of Woerden and Harmelen.  I had to ask a local garden centre if I was on the right track, and yes, I was 'good to go'.  As it is no longer tourist season, and it was already almost 16.00, we were the very last guests.  This meant a private tour of the castle!  A pleasant change -- photographs may now be taken of the interior, something unheard of years ago, when the owners were still living on the grounds.  The castle closes at 17.00, so not much time to hang around, but the visit was more than worth it.  So glad Cathy enjoyed it, and the fact that it was unexpected made it even more special.

Back in AMS, I thought it was my turn to treat, so we parked near the hotel now, and I asked her if she would like to walk to town to the restaurant I had in mind.  Tried to phone AW earlier and ask if he could check if it was open, but I was on the road and he refused to put me at risk, both for an accident and a fine, so I had no idea.  We ended up walking the entire length of the Spuistraat, to discover that it was closed.  There was another restaurant, the same Argentinian grill as we have in our town, but we had to return the way we came... Cathy was so tired and I was embarrassed no end.  We finally made it, and it was a good dinner of gambas and salad for her, and a beef carpaccio and crepe with dulce de leche dessert for me.  The restaurant thankfully agreed to call a taxi for us, sparing us that walk back to her hotel.

She will visit the van Gogh Museum tomorrow and rest some more before boarding the boat on Wednesday.  I hope nothing more gets in the way of that.  It was around 22.40 by the time I hit the road again and almost midnight when I walked in the door.  AW was even home already from his Tuesday evening live bridge.  What a full day!  Thanks, Cathy, for a fab afternoon!

No driving planned for the next day or two.  Perhaps just as well, as foul weather has been predicted.  Hopefully there'll be enough entertainment on the boat.  And now, time to rest my tired legs.