A walk through that age-old estate on a cold windy morning is an experience of a lifetime. Yes! Inside a windmill — an experience that attracts 1,30,000 visitors a year. Such is the beauty of the city with its enigmatic skylines, art, food and bar scenes. The castle takes you back to the times of luxury and how the Van Zuylen family lived and treated their guests in the early 20th century. Another intriguing sight was this collection of haphazardly joined cube houses. It was time for some cheese tasting too, along with wine at Henri Willig, a maker of Dutch cheese, most well-known for Baby Gouda. The Netherlands is the bicycle capital of the world and has the highest bicycle density. A favourite of ours electric cargo bikes Factory was Escher IN HET PALEIS or The Escher Museum at the Hague. 

Introduced to his work rather strangely, thanks an inclination to The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and the song Otherside, we were introduced to cubism. Over centuries, there are more than 1,000, (most in industrial mills), making Zaan district Europe’s largest industrial area. The millieu sit busy in conversation at cafes, and a loud honk, breaks your reverie as you are greeted with the much used tram. Luckily, the weather was also kind, and the sun shone brightly. Rotterdam Rotterdam is different, and reflects the country’s vision of itself in the modern or post-modern era. What’s most worthy is how Rotterdam stood up after being almost razed to the ground by WWII bombers. The best way to enjoy these canals is from the comfort of the canal boats, marvelling at the extensive canal system. The best of sights were at the very beginning! Landgoed Duin and Kruidberg is a classic country house with the most beautiful views opening to an English estate garden which embraces age-old trees, lush ponds and magnificent lakes of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. In no country is the selection this varied. What drew us was the street art, a dominant part of the culture.

 Goat, sheep and organic cheese made from recipes passed down through generations. Markthal Rotterdam (a marketplace) gives you a peek into public art. So, hop on and enjoy the beautiful surroundings as the Vecht meanders gently. Enticed, we stood in awe as the sight brought fairy tales alive, and we went back to being eight-year-olds, amazed. Kasteel de Haar, the largest and the most luxurious castle in Holland, is located outside Utrecht, a half-hour drive from Amsterdam. Many natives believe that the Dutch are born on two wheels. Their love for cheese is so deeply entrenched in their cuisine. A perfect blend of what a new age city dipped in modernism and development should be like. The Dutch see winters as intrinsic to their life. Boat Cruise: Experience the Vecht in a saloon boatThe Utrecht canals with their characteristic wharves are unique in the world. Something we can learn from. Finally, amidst chaos, we were finally led into an ancient windmill and its intricate functioning.

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