Still Stitching Holland with Susan 10 May - 21 May 2019, 11 days, 10 nights

Transcription

1 Still Stitching Holland with Susan 10 May - 21 May 2019, 11 days, 10 nights Day 1 Friday 10 May 2019 Welcome Dinner Make your way to Alkmaar, for the start of the Group Tour. Alkmaar is is less than an hour by train from Schiphol Airport and your hotel is in walking distance from the train station and the city centre. Alkmaar is a small intimate city of canals and windmills with lots of wonderful shops, museums and cafes. Amsterdam is only 45 minutes by train. So if you arrive a day or two before the start of the tour you might like to spend the day in Amsterdam. Our Tour Director, Linda, will happily take any of you, who arrive early, to Amsterdam on Thursday 09 May, using public transport. The group will meet up on the first evening for a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. Dinner included Two nights Alkmaar The weekly Open-Air Cheese Market is held every Friday morning. Holland is a small country, most coach journeys are less than an hour. The longest journeys are 1.5 hours. The tour has been planned so we spend the minimum time travelling.

2 Day 2 Saturday 11 May 2019 Alkmaar - Marken Island We have a unique opportunity to stay overnight on Marken Island, there is only one hotel. Enjoy a stroll past the distinct green wooden houses and garden plots, down to the Island harbour where fishing boats still land their catches of fish and eels. makers to pick up a pair. Visit local museum. We hope to meet local specialists, who will help to bring alive Marken textiles and merklappen (samplers). If there is time. You might like to pop into the Clog Lunch, fresh fried fish in a local restaurant (if you are not a fan of fish don t worry there will be other options). Young girl Marken 1900 Village street Marken 1950 s Breakfast & lunch included Overnight Marken

3 Day 3 Sunday 12 May 2019 Alkmaar - Schemer - Warder - Hoorn - Enkhuizen Schemer Windmill We check-out of our hotel today and head north visiting one of the thousands of windmills that keep Holland dry! In Warder, a coastal village, we are hoping to see a very special private collection of Marken samplers and traditional costumes. This has yet to be finalised. Hoorn, main square Chintz (Sits in dutch) A little further up the coast is Hoorn where we stop for lunch. It has lots of lovely open air cafes and shops. After lunch we learn a little about the history of the VOC (Dutch East India Trading Company). It led to an influx of spices, chintz and batik fabric and pottery, all of which were to have a dramatic influence on the Dutch family home. Short drive to Enkhuizen where we spend two nights. There are lots of lovely restaurants within walking distance of our canal-side hotel. Two nights Enkhuizen Breakfast included

4 Day 4 Monday 13 May 2019 Visit Enkhuizen Open Air Museum You will have the whole day to explore one of the finest open-air museums in Europe. It has houses, farms, shops, and many more types of building from all over Holland, most of them manned by volunteers carrying on the traditional trades and crafts wearing local klederdracht (traditional costumes). A local guide will take us around for an hour in the morning to tell us about the lives of dutch women in former times. The museum also has an outstanding collection of traditional costumes and samplers some of which are always on display. This is a great place to wander at your own pace, it is within walking distance of our hotel so you can make your way back to the hotel under your own steam. You can break your day snacking on freshly made friet (chips) with mayonnaise, smoked eel or those of you with a sweet tooth might prefer, poffertjes with powder sugar, apple cake and stroop waffles. We will come together for dinner in a local restaurant to share the adventures of the day. Enkhuizen Open Air Museum Breakfast and dinner included Overnight Enkhuizen Day 5 Tuesday 14th May 2019 Leeuwarden Before the building of the Afsluitdijk (sea barrier )in the 1920 s Marken, Hoorn and many of the coastal villages were vulnerable to violent sea storms. Today many former coastal villages are marooned in a sea of reclaimed land. All that is left is a lake, the Ijsselmeer. Nothing prepares you for the dramatic sight as you drive over the dijk, to the left is the

5 Waddenzee and the right the gentle waters of the Ijsselmeer. Visit Hindeloopen where once all the house interiors were tiled in the distinctive blue and white. Understandably most homes have been modernised but the local ice cream parlour is still decorated with traditional blue and white tiles. HIndeloopen drawing of traditional family home and painted storage box Visit local workshop to see the traditional art of furniture painting, the designs were inspired by pottery and chintz fabrics from the Far East Afternoon visit North Fries Museum where Gieneke, the former Curator of Textiles has arrange a special private viewing of North Fries Samplers. Gieneke said it would be a joy to share the samplers with a group that will truly appreciate them. Continue to Roden for one night. Overnight Roden Breakfast and dinner included Day 6 Wednesday 15 May 2019 Roden Visit local embroidery shop in Roden, possible workshop with Susan. This is a work in progress, more details to follow. Afternoon drive south to Deventer for two night. Deventer on the banks of the Overijssel is one of the most beautiful towns in Holland with its tall gables house and cobbled streets. Two nights Deventer Breakfast and lunch included

6 Day 7 Thursday 16 May 2019 Heerde Just outside Deventer is the village of Heerde home to Afke Wullink, one of the most original contemporary sampler teachers in Holland. She has a beautiful home with a wonderful workshop in an adjacent barn. She has over a 100 ladies who regularly study with her. As well as giving the group a talk and a short workshop she is going to arrange a little exhibition for us and a show and tell with some of her pupils. Affke Wullink sampler 2014 Overnight Deventer Breakfast & Lunch included Day 8 Friday 17 May 2019 Drive to Brugge Today we head south into Belgium. You can t visit the south without learning about lace so we will visit a lace museum in Limburg which until a few years ago was a factory producing machine lace.

7 Lace making equipment Machine lace Continue to Kontich in Belgium where Erica, a fellow stitcher, will open the local museum especially for us to see their collection of samplers. Continue to Brugge arriving early evening. Two nights Brugge Breakfast & Lunch included Day 9 Saturday 18 May 2019 Day in Brugge The Central Marketplace Brugge Brugge by boat Known as the Venice of the North Brugge is a beautiful medieval city of canals, timber framed houses and cobbled streets. We have included a private journey by motor boat along the cities canals. Brugge has lots of lovely shops, cafes and fascinating museums. Overnight Brugge Breakfast included Day 10 Sunday 19 May 2019 Goes, Delft, Haarlem, Alkmaar Drive through Zeeland which was devastated by floods in 1953, known as Le Rampe. We continue to Delft, home of the Royal Delft Pottery where we have a tour of the factory. They still hand paint the porcelain in the traditional blue and white. Stop in Haarlem for lunch and a chance to shop. There will also be the option to visit the Corrie Ten Boom House. She was a 50 year old spinster watch-maker who became the leader of the Resistance in the city during World War II.

8 There is a hidden room in her bedroom where she hid Jews and resistance members. There was a Hollywood movie The Hiding Place made about her life, it is available on youtube. Market Square Haarlem Corrie Ten Boom Early evening arrive Alkmaar. We will be staying in the same hotel as before. Farewell meal in local restaurant Overnight Alkmaar Breakfast and dinner included Day 11 Monday 20 May 2019 Alkmaar End of tour Breakfast included Optional Extras Transfers from Amsterdam s Schiphol Airport to your hotel in Alkmaar are not included to allow you maximum flexibility, but they can easily be arranged. Extra nights in Alkmaar either side of your tour can also be arranged. Entrance Corrie Ten Boom House - about 15 Extension Extra nights in Alkmaar at the group hotel, at the beginning or end of your tour are available at approximately 80 per person per night in a twin bedded room. Included in price

9 10 nights in 3/4 star hotels in twin bedded rooms, single supplement applies 10 breakfasts 4 Lunches - usually light meal or snack served with tea and coffee 4 Dinners - Usually at least 2 courses, a main meal and a dessert with one alcoholic or soft drink, tea or coffee. Porterage 1 suitcase and one bag per person All transfers, by luxury coach, as detailed in itinerary All entrance fees and guides fees unless specified as optional Workshops including all materials Services of Driver and Tour Director