Huis ten bosch

November 9 we went to Huis ten bosch and stayed the night at Den Haag.

The entire park is a bit surreal, carefully planned and beautifully designed to resemble a village in the Netherlands. All of the buildings are brick, there are windmills, canals, open city squares, draw bridges, cobblestone roads, and tall ships. The cars and buses used to transport guests between the entrance and the various hotels are all designed to be circa early 20th century. The roof lines of the buildings are all unique, making the entire park feel on the surface like one is walking around Amsterdam or Leiden.

Of course, upon closer inspection there are some things that are not quite right. As is the case with all theme parks there is a cleanliness that is unusual compared to a non-theme park. Also, what would be store fronts or the front doors of homes and businesses were merely closed doors that remained always closed, having tourist shops on the other side of them.

Some highlights of the trip included the leaves changing colors in front of the museum, which is an exact replica of the home of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

This Japanese restaurant also caught my attention. It offers a nice mix of ideas - Japanese restaurant in a Dutch village, in Japan.

The highlight was by far was kayaking at night. Each night there are fireworks at 8:45, after which most people return to their hotels or walk around to view the lights on all the buildings. The water taxis stop, though, leaving the canals empty. So, each night at 9:15 a guide takes groups around the waterways on kayaks.

If I ever return to Huis ten bosch, I will be sure to do this again. I was not only the highlight of the trip but one of the highlights of my year. Imagine a labyrinth of canals lit with beautiful lights, completely peaceful and all to yourself. We slowly made a large loop of the waterways, turning what was supposed to be a 45-minute trip into 90 minutes of pure pleasure.

The guide led us and two other couples around the park. We stopped for awhile to look for falling stars. We also rowed into the center of the Hotel Europe, which is built on water, offering a unique experience of being inside the hotel, yet on water. Some guests waved at us from their rooms. I'm sure they were surprised to see kayakers out their windows. It was a truly beautiful experience.