Double Dutch

The start of our journey through Germany started at what can only be described as leisurely. We left Shropshire on a showery morning and made our way to Egham, a commuter town in Surrey. As a place to stay overnight it served it's purpose but the town itself made no lasting impression so we set off the next morning detouring to a place that is quintessentially English: Chartwell. This was the home of Winston Churchill and was transferred to the National Trust after his death. With views overlooking the Kent Weald the house and gardens are exceptionally beautiful. I confess to having conflicted views about Churchill. He was a complicated man, talented and energetic and a leader for his time, but I find his politics at odds with my own. Our visit was interesting..the house is rather lovely as are the gardens and the presentation of his artefacts including his clothes and his many paintings has been well curated. Some of his paintings are displayed in his studio, a converted estate cottage in the grounds of Chartwell. We were greeted by an enthusiastic guide who spent a few minutes extolling Churchill's creativity as a painter. Personally I found the artwork to be competent but not particularly engaging.

Chartwell

After a couple of hours of indoctrination in the cult of Churchill, we sped on our way to Le Shuttle and by early evening had checked into another hotel in the Centre of Calais. We contented ourselves with a meal at a bistro a few minutes walk from the hotel and a post dinner walk to see the star architectural attraction of Calais, the Hotel de Ville, and Rodin's famous bronze sculpture of the Burghers of Calais before heading back for some sleep in preparation for a long drive to Utrecht in the Netherlands. In comparison to Churchills workmanlike art Rodin's sculpture is impressive. 

The hotel was quiet when we checked in and at night, so imagine our surprise the next morning when we came down for breakfast. The reception was a sea of orange...a group of cyclists all weather tight cycling tops who were doing a charity bike ride from London to Paris. As we tackled the breakfast buffet, calm was restored as all the cyclists departed....on a coach.

Part of the joy of travelling is the ability to take spontaneous detours. After a monotonous drive con motorways through France and Belgium we arrived in Holland and detoured to a UNESCO world heritage site, Kinderdijk. This area of wetland a few miles outside of Rotterdam has the largest number of historic windmills in Holland. There are 19 windmills in a small area mostly accessible on foot. Parking nearby is a challenge. We found a free spot about a mile away and walked past small houses and a large shipbuilding company towards a spot marked on the map as a visitor centre. Arriving in the village we fortuitously came across a traditional Dutch pub and, even better, it was open. Needing to use the facilities we thought this was an opportune time to grab a bite to eat and ordered drinks and toasties. Fortified we carried on until we came upon the visitor centre, a modern building selling museum tickets, ice cream and more toasties. Armed with a map I plotted a route that would allow us to see quite a few windmills without having to pay admission fees. The windmills were built between 1738 and 1740 and designed primarily to pump water to keep the land surrounding the canals from flooding.  Today, despite it being a popular visitor attraction, the landscape is serene and calming. An ideal place to rest after a long drive.

The windmills of Kinderdijk

Leaving Kinderdijk we drove for another 45 minutes to reach our hotel in Utrecht. This too was surrounded by water, on the edge of a green park. Our room looked out over a narrow polder, a waterway, originally built for defensive purpose but now simply a home for geese. To reach the historic centre we had a 30 minute walk along an elegant, wide, tree lined residential street with both contemporary and turn of the century buildings. A dedicated cycle lane had cyclists whizzing past every few seconds. Like Amsterdam, the bicycle is ubiquitous in Utrecht. People of all ages pedal machines of different vintages, some at breakneck speed. As a pedestrian you have to keep your wits about you. Houses gave way to shops and cafes, bars and restaurants serving food from every quarter of the globe and, because it's Holland, a few 'coffee shops' with security staff on the entrances. One thing I noticed was a number of traditional tailoring businesses where tailors worked in view of passers by. Despite being busy with people, Utrecht felt like a relaxed city, perhaps because of the aforementioned coffee shops.

We were weighing up places to eat, eventually reaching Neude square, bordered on three sides by restaurants who also had tables filling the square, and on the fourth side the former telegraph office, now Utrechts public library, of which more later.

Some of Utrechts buildings

Picking a restaurant at random we had a reasonably priced meal and headed back to our hotel for some rest.

The following morning after feasting on the excellent breakfast buffet we set off to spend a day exploring the historic centre of Utrecht and retraced our steps from the previous evening. This early in the day the centre was quiet and we were able to see the old canals before the crowds arrived. Utrecht is unique because some canals are set below street level with houses that had cellars and store rooms that could be accessed directly by each property. These spaces have now been repurposed by bars and restaurants.

Utrecht's canals

The tallest building in the centre and the tallest church tower in the Netherlands is the Dom Tower. It was part of the neighbouring St Martin's Cathedral, and built between 1321 and 1382. Because the cathedral was never completed and the nave was destroyed by a storm in 1674, the tower stands alone.

The Dom Tower, Utrecht

It's a rather beautiful building and a fitting symbol for the city. At the side of the cathedral is an oasis of peace, a cloister garden that is a little hidden gem.

The Cloister Garden, Utrecht

We had enjoyed relative peace but this was soon to change. We discovered that the annual Pride event was taking place that day, well supported by businesses and shops. Before too long the first people started arriving for the event, a joyful celebration of diversity and inclusiveness.

As you might expect clothes and costumes were colourful, glitter and sparkly stuff was everywhere and people of all ages were participating in the celebrations. By lunchtime the streets around the centre were rammed but we found peace and one of Utrechts iconic characters in the museum quarter.

Dick Bruna, a Utrecht illustrator and children's author created Miffy in 1955. His Miffy books went on to sell 100 million copies and made a cartoon rabbit a much loved part of many children's childhood. A dedicated museum for parents and young children has a large Miffy statue outside. Mrs B couldn't resist giving Miffy a hug. 

Miffy...and friend

In addition to the museums this part of Utrecht is full of mediaeval houses, hidden courtyards and narrow lanes. The streets are charming and, compared to other parts of the city, tranquil.

Quiet corners of Utrecht

We rested our legs in a coffee shop and then meandered back through the throng of Pride revellers, taking time to look inside the cathedral (or Domkirk). In the cafe overlooking the cloister garden, we had lunch and another drink. The cathedral itself is not one of Europe's grandest and relatively small following the collapse of the nave. Somehow in the past 340 years they haven't got around to rebuilding it. It does however have an interesting alterpiece and  some lovely strained glass. 

Before heading back to our hotel we popped into the library. Built in 1924 and used as the city's post office the building is now used as a public library. The entrance hall is a grand brick vaulted space. From outside nothing hints at the interior. In an annex to the hall was a display of gift bags hanging on hangers all around the room. A volunteer guide explained the bags contained books by unpublished authors and were arranged in themes. Borrowers can take a book and use a card inside the bag to give feedback to the author which is then passed on by the library. It's a unique project, the only one of its kind in the world. It felt all rather charming and good natured, much like the city itself. 

Utrecht Public Library

After returning to the hotel to freshen up we returned for a final time to the historic centre for dinner, detouring en route to our restaurant to cross at a pedestrian crossing that would not be remarkable but for the fact the crossing symbol is Miffy.

We fell a little bit in love with Utrecht in our brief time there. It felt less touristy than Amsterdam, more lived in, and whilst busy it was also a relaxing place to wander around full of interesting buildings and people to observe. It's definitely a city we could return to. But the immediate future meant only one thing...it was time to cross another border and enter Germany.