[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]
Barging through
Holland
"I am a funny little Dutch girl, as funny, as funny can be.
And all the boys around the block are crazy over me."
That was my favorite palm-slapper song at Likelike Elementary and the only one I can remember today. Of course, kindergarten in Kalihi gave me no opportunity to meet any actual Dutch girls, so for years I wondered what it was that made them so funny. It took me several decades to find out.
Heretofore, "Mixed Plate" had been to virtually every country in Western Europe, all save Holland. This serious omission was corrected when we were invited to join in a very special experience, which I share with you with entries from my Dutch Diary.
Lanikai 2004 season in Holland
What: Six-night, seven-day cruise with Ray and Michelle Brooks-HiderWhen: May through October
Cost: Double cabin runs $2,480 to $2,840; twin cabin is $2,120 to $2,480, and a charter for a maximum of six guests runs $12,700 to $14,900.
Call: 800-487-6630
Info: www.lanikai.com
By the way, what makes Dutch girls (and boys) so funny is gezellig, a frame of mind that justifies a continuing quest for good times, good friends and good food. The word "funny" really should be replaced by "fun-loving," although that would destroy the meter of the verse.
Day 1
We have arrived at Schipol International in Amsterdam, frazzled and fried after 16 1/2 hours in coach. Cameraman Oscar Betham and I breeze through a very efficient airport and are met by Ray Brooks-Hider, captain of the Lanikai."Mixed Plate" is no stranger to the Lanikai, having cruised through the Loire and Burgundy regions of France on the 100-foot Hawaiian barge, owned by former islanders Skip and Josie Brestle.
American vacationers' love affair with France is on thin ice these days, prompting the Lanikai to search out foreign shores more politically correct. The waterways of Holland are warm and welcoming.
Day 2
From our mooring in the village of Kemper, we cross the lake of Westeinderplassen. Ray's frau, Michelle, has prepared a Dutch luncheon of baked tilapia (surprise!) on a bed of spinach and red peppers. Subbing as sommelier, Ray uncorks a Chateau Beauchene Rouge from the Cote du Rhone."Because of the weather, the Dutch are not famous winemakers," he explains. "But they make good beer and a gin called jenever, which translates into 'smack in the head.'"
We stick with the French wine.
At Alsmeer, we hop onto the Lanikai van for a 15 minute drive to Korenmolen de Leeuw, "corn mill of the lion."
I had always assumed that windmills were preserved as tourist attractions, sort of like the grass huts at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Not so! This is a working mill, grinding corn and wheat flour for the village farmers. Caretaker Jop Kluis takes us five stories to the very top, where cogs and gears rattle amidst a constant haze of flour dust. "It is the most beautiful sight in the world," says Jop, "a windmill at full sail."
Day 3
Say cheese! The Van Der Spek farm near the town of Gouda (pronounced Gau-da, not Goo-da) coaxes its cows to produce 950 liters of milk each morning. By 1 p.m., the curds are miraculously pounded and shaped into Gouda rounds. Mom Henrika and daughter Anita make all the cheese while dad Wim herds the cows and sheep.It's fair to guess the Van Der Speks have never seen an Asian before, and certainly not a Samoan (Oscar), but we are welcomed into their cozy kitchen for a snack of homemade cheese, bread and industrial-strength coffee. I offer my omiyage of Hawaiian Host chocolates, which they recognize immediately. I've discovered through the years that chocolate-covered mac nuts are the universal currency of good will. The meal begins and ends with prayers for our safe journey.
Day 4
The Lanikai crosses the Brassemeer lake to Leiden, city of Rembrandt. It's clear how the play of light on water has inspired centuries of Dutch masterpieces. This remarkable spectral quality explains why Leidenians built their homes with huge windows right up against the pier posts.To the Dutch, Leiden is the proud city that withstood Spanish attack in 1574. It's also the city where the Pilgrims resided for 11 years before embarking for America. The Pilgrim Fathers Document Center has a display chronicling the Pilgrims' residency.
Today, Leiden is a huge university town, but don't expect students to keep school hours. On most weeknights, the pubs are packed with young people drinking liters of beer (drinking age is 16) and dancing on tables to American rock 'n' roll. Oscar had a good time.
Day 5
The first days of spring are upon the Keukenhof Gardens, the world's largest working flower farm. Riots of tulips, hyacinths and narcissi roll across the garden's 69 acres.In the 15th century, the Countess Jacoba of Bavaria owned the property and grew her produce here, hence the name Keukenhof, or Kitchen Garden.
Have you ever seen a tulip with tiger stripes? What appears to be interspecies pollination is just a sample of the creative genius and determination of the Keukenhof horticulturists.
A familiar scent draws me to a bed of what looks like tuberose, but the blossoms are neon fuchsia! They are hyacinths, a relative of our tuberose, almost identical in flower shape and smell. What leis we could make from these!
Day 6
Along the lake of Kagerplassen, windmills display sadness and mourning. When not in operation, the sails of a windmill are stopped in various positions that show the disposition of the mill's occupants. An upright position, or perfect cross, means the millers are resting. Tilted slightly to the left means a celebration is in progress. Tilted to the left means someone has passed away. Today, all of the Netherlands mourns the death of former Queen Julianna.Her burial is in the city of Delft, setting for the movie "Girl with the Pearl Earring." The Lanikai detours to avoid the traffic. We are on our way to the big city.
Amsterdam is built entirely on piles driven into the silt of the Amstel River. It's a remarkable city reflecting the cultures, languages and cuisines of the people drawn here by sea trade. At the old marketplace of Waterlooplein, we rub shoulders with Moroccans, Indonesians and East Europeans.
Though the city has more museums per square mile than any other venue in Europe, some visitors are drawn to other attractions. Amsterdam can be a very naughty place. Cafes openly sell hashish, marijuana and magic mushrooms. "To be consumed on site only. No take-out!" says the sign over the Cafe du Monde door.
Down the street at a shop called "Absolute Danny," the latest in bondage lingerie adorns plastic mannequins. Prurient attractions are confined, for the most part, to the Red Light District, where window shopping is the main activity. Enough said.
In the morning, Ray and Michelle drive us back to Schipol Airport for another 16 1/2 hour test of endurance. There's never enough time, is there? But we have had a taste of Holland under the best of circumstances ... away from the crowds, far from the traffic, adrift on a Hawaiian barge.
Pamela Young is a KITV news anchor and producer of "Mixed Plate" TV specials.