So many new members, , and great reviews to read...This is going to be a full-time challenge.LOL......
So many new members, , and great reviews to read...This is going to be a full-time challenge.LOL...elinor.
Member since:06.05.2005
Reviews:40
Members who trust:22
An impromptu 10 days away. Me "Nanny Mary Poppins." my travelling companion Oscar, my five year old grandson.
Just a couple of weeks to prepare for our holiday learning experience. I am still not quite sure how we managed to sort it all out, but with the help of my daughter, Oscar's Mum, the travel was sorted on-line. Pieces of paper, representing tickets, came flying from the computer out of the printer. We were under way.
Cornwall disappeared into Devon, and Exeter, where we caught the National Express Coach to Victoria Coach Station. Just £5.00 each, there and £5.00 each to return...Not bad for starters.
We stayed with our friendly American Global Freeloaders in Pimlico, overnight. Treated to a wonderful meal in a Vegan resturant. and lost count of the petitSpring Rolls that Oscar consumed, but was he happy!!! then back to their home for a welcome nights sleep before travelling on to Den Haag.
7.30.am. and we were on our way to Victoria Railway Station, where we caught the underground to Liverpool street. From here our tickets, £50.00 each return from London to anywhere in Holland, took us to Harwich, onto the wonderful new hovercraft, Stena Line Discovery, to Hook of Holland, then by train to Rotterdam,
and onto Den Haag. (this ticket offered to take us anywhere in Holland on our day of travel.) very good value I would say... But I digress !
How could I possibly miss out describing the great new train that sped North East towards Harwich, comfy seats, spacious and very fast...One & a half hours later we were directed off the train and straight onto the Stena Line Discovery. A super fast catamaran craft, televisions at every table, a great computer play area for Oscar, where his boisterous exhuberance couldn't fail to attract him to the other children and they all had a wonderful time.
The bars and resturants were clean and bright and definately good value for money. Two large cinemas entertained enyone wanting an 120 minute diversion, Charley & the Chocolate Factory, (the brand new version with Jonny Dep,) had me laughing as much as it did Oscar, who entertained us all with the obvious witty remarks, that had us all laughing even more,. He had never been to see a film in the dark before, he informed us..
Arriving at Hook I was really amazed to find so much shoreline. Boats galore, windmills of the electricity making kind towered over us as we docked. On exiting the harbour, we passed through double doors straight onto the railway platform, the train to Rotterdam was already waiting there for us.
So far, so Smoooooth!!! The ticket collector told us to change at Rotterdam, our travelling companion in the next seat, from Peru, said "stay on, it goes all the way to Den Haag," he had done it many times before. We stayed on....and believe it or not, we arrived on cue at the right station, Den Haag Central.
A couple of wrong trams followed by a couple of right ones, took us to Scheveningen, where we were met by a really friendly Dutch lady, world travelled, and like us a global Freeloader. We trekked with bags and case back to her flat, with Oscar riding pillion on her bike, legs disappearing inside her saddlebags.....
Scheveningen is a wonderful old Dutch town, with little shops with friendly owners, there were some wonderful antiques & collectables, where I would have loved to have pondered longer, here I promissed myself a return visit. Situated on the coast, a wonderful skyline of ancient buildings, a lighthouse, and very long pier all skirted the sandy beaches running the length of the town, with a beautiful glowing red sunset about to dissapear beneath the waves, it was a quiet, emotional end to a long travelling day.
We awoke the following morning to a hot sunny day. Leaving our friend to make our way to Duinrell, our final destination, we traced our footsteps back to the tram, and after a change or two found ourselved riding through spectacular streets of gracious old houses behing spectacularly tall trees. These were avenues of wealth and pride, I would be proud to live here too.!
It really doesn't matter how much people describe Duinrell to you, it is quite inpossible to imagine the size and atmosphere of this great attraction theme park, for children of all ages from 8 months to 80.!!!
Built in the grounds of a one time luxury Manor House, of which there now is no sign, but with the wonderful landscaped gardens, huge lakes and rivers, and a very Grande Orangery, now laid out as a very special reception room for private parties and functions, our initiation was one of awe inspiring visions of grander times.
Wild life abounds, Duck & swans, birds of all descriptions. Beautiful shrubs and gracious trees, my favourite a rare handkerchief tree, we missed the flowers on it, but the slender seed pods were all of a foot long, hanging down from the branches like rain drops.
Great horse chestnut trees with their conkers exploding in the late summer sun, were Oscars favourite of the day, his trike with trailer that we hired on site for the week was soon filled with the ripe nuts & trailed around the site with us quite happily every morning.
Duinrell theme park has Dungalows, caravans, tents & parking for campervans and motorhomes. There is also a Duinhostel, where travellers and hikers can stay. However all these buildings seem to dissapear amongst the bushes and trees, not being too visible or at all obvious. Across the road from the entrance was the local Bibliotech where I was able to log in for 1 euro 50, each day.
The Theme Park was lost amongst the trees also, discovered only by following the screams of delight, coming from somewhere high in the trees beyond.
All the big dippers, swingy things, whirly things, and very watery wet things, were huge and litteraly over the top. There were two water canons that, when fired, produced a watery fountain in the lake where rowers were soaked if they happened to be near by.
The swimming Tikipool conglomeration was a mixture of shallow delights for the little ones to the most enormous flumes and death drops for the more daring. The lazy river was great fun, laying back in a large inflatable doughnut, Oscar and I wended our way through tunnels and open spaces propelled by water jets pumped from the side walls. to emerge out into daylight to be thrust under a huge waterfall soaking us all over. Anyone brave enough can swim the route without the doughnut, but Oscar was too young and I, well.....
From a high balcony in the centre of the pools, we watched as bodies were thrust from the end of a plume into a huge bowl where gravity kept them on the outer edges, which gradually released them down through a huge whole in the centre where they dropped into infinity.! A little like the charity penny machine where you drop the coins and they travel round & round. You must have you seen them... Ski runs, carousels, ball parks, and childrens playgrounds, landscaped gardens and beautiful walkways, all added up to the most wonderful Duinrell experience.
Just by the reception offices, is a compound with every imaginable bicycle, trike and go-cart you could idre0am of. For 5 Euros a day you can hire the one of your choice. So much easier to get around the sight, or even down to the nearest town of Wassenaar. A pretty little town with pedestrian precinct and a selection of very nice shops and a real windmill, I wish I had the time and money to add to my wardrobe from there, the designs so smart and modern. The trip by bike to the seafront takes a little longer, but definately worth the ride.
Our caravan was warm and comfortable, decked with everything we needed. There are supermarkets, cafe's and bars all available for those who wanted to wine & dine in style.
Just across the road a weekly market is held in the car park. Everything one could ever want and more can be had for excellent value for money, is worth crossing the road to spend the last of your pennies.
All in all, Den Haag, with its Central Station, its lovely modern shops, Scheveningham a quiet rural suburb nestling on the seafront and Wassennaar with Duinrell, makes a stay of fun and laughter, with friendly helpful staff looking after our every need, I really cannot fault any part of our Den Haag experience, Oscar & I are feeling great.!
I would strongly recommend anyone a trip here with great confidence. There just has to be enough to cater for everyones idea of a great holiday.
Maybe we will see you there next year, thankyou for reading,
Elinor.
Pictures of The Hague (Netherlands)
the cannons
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Advantages: Centre of city, excellent location, bars, restaurants, sightseeing, transport Disadvantages: Some small rooms, could be noisy near busy road
Advantages: Superb sculptures & craftsmanship. Very educational. 10 Times Better Than Last Year! Disadvantages: The sand is all the same colour? In September It'll All Be History!
Sep 22nd, 2005
(Dec 22nd, 2006)
exceptional by (7%):
very helpful by (89%):
helpful by (4%):
