Carter Diary June 10 to 13 1965

No editorial content from me to preface this one. John and group travel around the Ijsselmeer ( what used to be the Zuider Zee). It was probably a larger lake then as much land was still being reclaimed at the time). 

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Thursday June 10/65 

We drove over to the main Autopon and then our Mr Krieger drove us to the license place where that was picked up. It is a good thing that he was with us as it would have taken us about 2 hours. He took the papers and charged to the head of the line while the other people glared at him and we stood by awkwardly. Krieger was saying he has a son in Boston and that he was a prisoner of war for 2 1/2 years and therefore has no love for the Germans. A wood shop near the Autopon supplied wood and the owner built us a platform which will provide a bed. I'm sure that the most helpful and pleasant people in Europe must be the Dutch. They go out of their way to be helpful. For instance, we asked directions from a man and started off as instructed. He came after us to see that we made the right turn to get the tram and then left. You certainly wouldn't get that kind of attention anywhere else. About 3:00 pm we left for Haarlem and up north. The driving went along fairly well except that we would lose our way from time to time. We had dinner in Egmond Aan Zee [A town of 5000 people on the North Sea about 45km north west of Amsterdam], a seaside resort and camped outside of town for the first time. Went to bed but found that the bus was on a hill and our heads at the bottom. I put the empty duffel bag and ground sheet under my head so the blood would sort of flow to my belly.

Friday June 11/65 

We stopped at a hotel by the road and had breakfast; a fairly typical one: boiled egg, 3 kinds of meat, cheese, 6 kinds of bread, jam, butter, coffee. Quite substantial! We stopped half-way over the great dike. It is about 17 miles long and used to control the water in the west part of the Zuider Zee so that land reclamation may be done. At Sneek, west of the great dyke we had a rod about 15" long installed behind the driver's seat for coats, suits, pants, etc. A modern day blacksmith made it for us. At the same place we cashed a cheque and bought a chair for the back of the bus. We stopped to get a picture of some workmen laying a brick road and Robin asked them in a foreign language if we could take their picture. The phrases were in a booklet we had. It was only after they couldn't understand us that Robin figured he was speaking the German phrases. We then proceeded to Zwolle where we had dinner and dutch pancakes ( crepes suzette).

Saturday June 12/65 

Friday night was spent on the side of the road in a small road off the highway surrounded by grass and pines. There are many of these rest spots and are hidden from the highway by trees. In the morning after breakfast I got some things washed and dryed at a coin operated laundromat very similar to ours except attendants do the work. Washing and drying cost 2.25 guilders (65 cents). We then started out for the polders which are areas of land which have been reclaimed. the land is quite marshy and grass was the only thing grown. We turned around after a short drive as the land is the same and once you have seen some, you've seen it all. On the way to Utrecht we picked up a hitchhiker named Hans (John in English). Hans was about 20 and spoke good English, was doing his 1 1/2 years in the army, carpenter, lived in Den Haag. 

We decided to skip Utrecht and go right to the Hague and took him all the way. He was most interesting and enlightened us on many things from road signs to working conditions etc. Hans took us to a public bath where we had a sauna ( hot air bath). Later Robin bought a blanket and I a small pillow. We then had dinner and saw a James Bond type American movie. We parked for the night in the parking lot of the small village of Madurodam right in the The Hague. [ This is literally some type of scale model ideal Dutch village in a park KM.]

Saturday, June 13/65 

Went through the miniature village in the morning. It is a most fascinating place with moving trains, cars, buses, trams, boats and many, many buildings which are replicas of actual buildings. It was started in memory of a son who had died. The actual village must cover 5 or 6 acres and there are 2 1/4 miles of tracks for trains.

Went from there to the Palace of Peace (International Court) but it was not open for another 1/2 hour. A Norwegian sea captain, we met there, told us of the Panorama, a circular painting which blends real sand and debris with the painting which is 40 ft. from you. You stand in the middle and look for 360⁰. Distance perspective is shattered as you see things larger than they really are. Went back and took a tour of the Peace Palace and had a most witty guide. 

We left The Hague and Holland and after getting lost a few times arrived in Belgium. The border guard smiled, joked and told us to go through. Nothing about passports or the car. The drivers seem a little faster than in Holland but still seem to evade any little bangs. Ate and stayed in Antwerp that night. Carbonade Flamande [ A sweet and sour pork or beef stew with onions and sour beer common to Belgium and the the northwest of France. KM] is delicious and we had that for dinner. Tomorrow we should pick up Rod.