So Dirk, our consummate tour guide/host, decided to take us home. That is to say, his familial home. But we were not to go directly. Rather we went via the Hoge Veluwe National Park. Who would have thought that there would be national parks in the Netherlands?
Well, there are. And one of the nice things, is that there are about several thousand free bicycles to use when you are there.
So this very rich family decided they needed a hunting preserve and a place for a museum,(that I’ve already posted about). Who knew that there would be beautiful natural places here? There are.
After the museum, we went on to Arnhem, where Dirk grew up, to meet his family. As it turns out, they were wonderful. His brother Bas is a chef, and made a wonderful Dutch meal for us. Younger brother, Vincent, is a totally cool music producer (in training), mom has perhaps the most wonderful laugh in the world, and dad is a hipster before his time. Plus, they have a gnome in their garden, that shall remain undescribed.
We drove home to Haarlem, across the flat Netherlands landscape, having had a wonderful time. Thank you to the Jacobs family!
What a Great visit with an old friend!