AROUND HAARLEM
First we went to the Saturday market in the main cathedral square. Urban markets are similar world wide, but the setting of this market was spectacular and again there were flowers sold everywhere and all kinds of food trucks. Todd bought 3 pairs of socks from a sock truck.
It was windy and cold and tiring so we ate boiled new potatoes for lunch and took a nap. And then Henny picked us up in the rain and gave us a tour of the hill on the edge of Haarlem where the traders who made money on trade, tobacco and slaves, had huge houses including the largest private house in the Netherlands, now an elegant hotel, built by a tobacco trader.
Asheville has the largest private house in the United States, now a tourist attraction, also built by the son of a robber baron, the Vandebilt family who made their money in railroads and shipping. The houses on the 1000 foot high hill were elegant and beautiful, surrounded by carefully maintained hedges. We saw the stables where Chiara, Henny‘s daughter, has riding lessons and next to the stables was the national park of old twisted black trees and sand dunes with heath the stretches forever between Haarlem and the North Sea where we walked the day before.
After a walk in the park with trails and bike paths everywhere we stopped in a cozy cafe where we had hot chocolate and coffee and then after walking around the little town of Bloemendaal we went back to Henny‘s house for a great dinner of green beans, new boiled potatoes and salmon with apple crumble for dessert. Wnen we got home at 11 we were ready to drop into bed.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 