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Intrigued at the prospect of sleeping in a bona fide gypsy caravan, I selected Delft, Netherlands as the launch point for exploring the towns southwest of Amsterdam. In the fashion of gypsies whose wanderlust keeps them moving from place to place, I established my family's home base in two gypsy caravans owned by the Hotel Herberg de Emauspoort in Delft and set my sights on the quaint Gouda cheese market and the wonder of indoor snow in Zoetermeer. Delft's Inspiring Gypsy Caravan Lodging The gypsy caravans at Hotel Herberg de Emauspoort sit in brick courtyard amidst flowers and cafe tables. Once home to gypsies, these caravans, named Pipo de Clown and Mammaloe, now house hotel guests seeking quarters a bit more exotic than a standard hotel room. What they lacked in size, they compensated for in playfulness. Alas, the hotel does not furnish crystal balls, but its superlative in-house bakery, Grossat, sells tea and, where there's tea, there's tea leaves. I also had the foresight to pack tarot cards. Did the kids need such props? I couldn't ask them, for they had already clambered into the under-bed storage compartment with a flashlight to initiate gypsy rites so secret, they left me in the dark. Exploring Delft and Its Environs Since our gypsy caravans appeared decidedly stationary, we resorted to bicycles to ride through town. In Delft proper, the traffic was a bit harrowing, but we spotted a dedicated bicycle road heading out of town on Oostingel, begging riders to discover the genuine Netherlands, the verdant marsh grasses, the stiletto-beaked birds, cattails and flowers, and the old wooden windmills. The peacefulness contrasted sharply with the reverberations of the motors at our first stop, Race Planet Delft. For while my dreams featured wild dancing and bangle bracelets, it was images of himself in the driver's seat that transfixed my 9-year-old son. I was not prepared for intensity of this race track. Two stories in height, the figure eight track resembled an unusually wide set of parking garage ramps. But in this parking garage, drivers zipped along at speeds of 60 k.p.h., squealing around corners and bumping one another with enough ferocity to set their karts spinning. My son had never driven, he was 9, what was I thinking bringing him here? I loved that sparkle in his eye; couldn't something tamer touch off the spark? Apparently not, and after much anguish, I agreed to let him vanish beneath a padded suit and full face helmet to tackle the track. After a couple of stalls, he cemented foot to pedal. I stood outside the track cheering him on as he breezed into sight and sped out in a blink- a boy empowered, basking in his glory. Walking around the Gouda Cheese Auction in Clogs If you ever wondered why gypsies are so often pictured barefoot, I can help you understand the very good reasons gypsies traveling the Netherlands might choose to go footwear-free. Did you ever try traditional Netherlands shoes? They're made of wood. After clomping around the Gouda Cheese Auction in newly purchased pairs of wooden shoes, appropriately named klompen, the tops of our feet were ringed in red where shoe meets foot, our soles sagging with the effort of our steps. Wooden shoes may keep feet dry, but at what a price! Before long, we were skipping along barefoot, clogs in hand like lovely souvenirs should be. Don't be fooled into the delusion that the clog tradition has been abandoned except by the tourism industry. More than two million pair of clogs are produced annually in the Netherlands, and nearly half are sold to Netherlanders who actually wear them. Although clog styles include boots, high heels and even specialized bridal clogs, they are perhaps most popular with farmers who rely on the thick wooden shoes to keep their feet dry. We didn't come to Gouda for the clogs, however, but the cheese. Sixty percent of Dutch cheese is a Gouda variety and the townspeople put on quite a show in support of their local product Thursday mornings in summer months. Young women dressed in red cotton skirts with blue and white striped blouses and matching aprons, red neckerchiefs, and pointed white bonnets pose with large cheese wheels and grinning tourists. Men in blue workmen's tunics and black pants carry wooden yolks across their shoulders, a gleaming silver milk pail dangling from either end. Cheese is no longer auctioned in this market, but the showmen follow the old ways, slapping the cheese to convey their estimation of its value. When the slapping ceases, the cheese is loaded onto horse drawn wagons for transport. While the cheese auction is for entertainment, local shoppers join tourists at the outdoor market. Cheese, fruit, vegetables, bread and flowers are abundant. A local specialty, pffortjies are quarter-sized puffs of fried dough coated in powered sugar. We bought a picnic lunch here. We also saw clogs being carved, cranked a player calliope, petted hens and bunnies, and perused the many local crafts for sale. Touring St. John's Church Behind Gouda's Market Square, St. John's Church is a unique community building effort. Each of 6 towns, beginning with Dordrecht in 1596, then Haarlem, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Leyden and finally, Delft in 1603, contributed one stained glass window to this church. Each window portrays a story of special significance to the donating town. The plans for these windows are located in the Museum Het Catharina Gasthuis across the street. What is tantalizing about the plans is that they are the world's biggest drawings on paper, with the largest measuring over 10 meters high. Because of their size, they are displayed in fragments. A whimsical garden café sits outside the museum amid lovely flowers and sculptures, themselves worth a visit. Scooting Though Rotterdam When wanderlust rears up again, head to Rotterdam where you can rent a foot-powered scooter (to be absolutely clear, it is your own foot that is the power source!) at Rotterdam Roots, Westzeedijk 80b, to explore the town. Make sure and take a break at Tropicana, Maas Boulevard 100, with its indoor subtropical pools, meandering river, and Beauty and Therma Center for facials and massage. Skiing in Summer For a more unusual sporting experience, wander on to Zoetermeer where you can ski, snowboard, and tube indoors at Snow World, Buyten Parklaan 30. They rent all the equipment you need to conquer their man made mountains. What better way can you think of to cool off in the summertime? They even have a store that sells hats and mittens in case you neglected to bring them on your summer vacation. Delft and the surrounding towns make convenient side trips for Amsterdam travelers who want to experience smaller towns. Getting there: Delft is 40 miles southwest of Amsterdam via routes A10 and A13. Exit 9 is the Delft exit. Where to Stay: Hotel Herberg de Emauspoort, Vrouwenregt 9-11, 2611 KK Delft, Tel. 015 219 02 19, emauspoort@emauspoort.nl houses two gyspy caravans named Pipo de Clown and Mammaloe in its courtyard. Ask for one when making your reservation. The hotel's in-house bakery Grossat offers superlative confections, some of which will undoubtedly find their way onto your breakfast table. The hotel rents bikes. Where to eat: Delft has a surprising collection of high quality ethnic restaurants. Three restaurants I would recommend for families with children include: * The Pasta Company,Vrouwjuttenland 9, 2611 LB Delft, Tel. 015 214 66 33; it served a variety of pasta dishes elegant enough for the adults and pizza almost simple enough for the kids if not quite their ideal margherita; * India Garden, Kerkstraat 15, 2611 GX Delft, Tel. 015 12 5227 offered exquisitely spiced Indian food that pleased even our picky eater; and, * Café Restaurant 'T Raedthuys, Markt 38-40-42, 2611 GV Delft, Tel. 015 212 5115 was our kids' idea of heaven- pancakes, crepes, and in as many styles as you can imagine them, even the strawberry and whipped cream variety said to be a United States Presidential (Bill Clinton) favorite. |
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