Utrecht | Laninga's Travel Blog

Holland, days 1 and 2

April 22, 2022 John Laninga 1 comment

Our 15 hr. travel day from Dallas to Utrecht was quite uneventful, except for for a mad dash in Heathrow. Got to the Hampton in Utrecht and checked into the smallest hotel room ever. But it’s got a good shower and bed.

Met brother-in-law Jaap and niece Els for a wonderful dinner. A new concept, a high end kitchen serving small gourmet dishes. Fixed price for as many as you can eat. Only limit was that you could order only two at a time. I recommend it, try http://www.deutrechter.nl for full info. Then to bed with a time zone interrupted sleep.

Got up this morning and a short walk on the market. Yes, cheese, fish, and street food a plenty. But didn’t eat much, still absorbing last night’s meal.

Took Els’s advice and visited the University of Utrecht’s Botanical Gardens (she works at the university). Site of an old army fort that is now preserved as part of the garden. The walk to the top, maybe only two stories high, did give a good view. Probably one of the few times we got above sea level 😀.

Back to the hotel with some fast food to tide us over until dinner. Transportation is so quick, easy and cheap in Holland….. no car needed. A relaxing dinner is planned tonight, then on to more family fun tomorrow.

Categories: Family, Scenery, Traveling Tags: Botanical Gardens, cheese, Els, fish, Hampton Inn, Heathrow, Jaap, market, Utrecht

Utrecht, Holland

May 24, 2017 John Laninga Leave a comment

Utrecht is a city in the central Netherlands that has been a religious center for centuries. It has a medieval old town, canals, Christian monuments and a major university. The Domtoren, a 14th-century bell tower with city views, stands opposite the Gothic Cathedral of St. Martin on central Domplein square. The Museum Catharijneconvent shows religious art and artifacts in a former monastery. It also is a major transportation hub, and with a large train station it has Europe wide connections as well as a direct link to the Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

It is also the home of my sister and her family. We enjoy our visits here because the city and surroundings are quite beautiful, and of course we really enjoy family get togethers. My pictures below highlight our visits to a local garden, the city market, and some local shops.