Let Me Take You To Willemstad, The Netherlands

Have you ever done yachting? I haven't and I wonder what it is like to go on one. One weekend of this month hub and I went out to attend a seminar in Wijnaart and on the last day.. he decided to have dinner somewhere in the small village of Willemstad. We were just there to have dinner but on the way to the parking slots (which is free! unusual!) we were smitten by the cuteness overload we were seeing around us so we decided to go around first and get to know the city while there is still light. It was almost 17:00 and we all know that the sun sets freaking early on this side of the earth in this season.

Willemstad is a freaking historic city of an 8 angled fortress turned into a yachting port. The dikes around the port used to protect the city from invaders during the WWII. The fortress is kept in the same 8 angled star shape but it has evolved beautifully despite the scars of war etched on its history and ground.

The city center which is in the middle of that fortress is open the whole day till 21:00. Visitors could just go through its free parking slots which is on one of its nook. Since we're completely strangers lost looking for a place to have dinner .. we followed the road leading to the windmill on one of what seem to be another end of its corners. We turned left and followed another alley which led us to the harbor and finally found the parking place. There was a resto at the end of it, a snack bar at the entrance and a free public restroom. I stepped out of the car while hub drove on to look for a space and took pictures of what the place looks like.

I saw a few coots probably pecking some creepy crawlers on the edge of the rocks of and a few boats sailing by.

Is that a cannon? Yes, it's just one of those huge ones they have here. They've saved them and they're all painted and well kept. Hopefully, they'd never have to use it again. Whether it still is usable I didn't bother to ask.

This humble village in Brabant is now a yachting haven for those who have yacthes so we were told. It was cold and windy so it was hard capturing pictures with the wind blowing exactly against your face. Gust after gust kissed my cheeks but hey.. nothing will stop me from getting to know this place.

Let's walk towards the city ... those are rows of restos, bars, bistro and a yachting club out there.. and that isn't a church. That used to be the "raadhuis" or the municipal office but it has been sold to someone so its not operating as so anymore. As you can see, in front that is another cannon.

Hub and I took the trail to its right. We passed by what seem to be very traditional looking Dutch houses.

The road led us to the fortress where bunkers and what seem to be prisoners' cells still exist. Just thinking about what could have possibly happened here sends chills to my bones. Goosebumps crawl up to my cheeks...

This is the entrance to this bunker

This is the other side where I heard hub's voice echoing when he went in while I took a peek through these rails.

Then we passed by more scars of the war that was. The second image below are one of those rows of very very narrow cells, I pushed aside the thought of having men locked up on one of those specially during the winter.

This is the view on top of that hill full of bunkers and what seem to be concrete holes where they must have stuck their guns out to fire on the enemies back then.

Well.. this place sure does history but it has more than that.. There are many things to do here aside from bar hopping, yacthing, biking and just enjoying the peace and quiet around you being near the sea. They say we could cross the sea here with a yacth and go to Zeeland which is famous for the beach and mud walks. There's also this museum to visit .. bummer - it was already closed.

We headed left and found a road full of Common Limes. In fact, almost every turn has them in rows of spaliered common limes which are bald now but would probably look so beautiful in summer. Bald .. they look more of a huge spider's lair and hub looked like a beetle trapped in the middle of it. (laughs)

One of them leads to an old protestant church which was closed so we couldn't really get in to check it out. We could just peak though and we also saw that there's a cemetery around it.

In front of the church is this road tile design heading to another rows of spaliered common lime trees which are actually full of tables and chairs for those - what look like houses but are actually restaurants and hotel on the side. The shape of the tiles on the road is the same shape the fortress have.

We took that alley which lead us out to the row of restos facing the harbor across from where our car was parked. We passed along alleys with houses like that of the former "raadhuis" - which have houses with catchy traditional Dutch windows design.

Soon enough .. darkness engulped the place so we looked for a nice place to eat and found the t' pumple. I had to take a leak.. the cold just makes you do that. When I went back to my seat ..everyone's eyes were on me. No, am not beautiful but then .. that's how villages are in Europe. Memories of Cochem and that dejavu feel made me realize I was the only tanned blacked hair person in there. Oh well, I'm used to those stares ..so I didn't bother and just ordered tea, cod fish in Japanese sauce with salads and fries. If you have been reading my posts, you know they make me fart a lot so I gave it to hub. I wanted to make a review and take pics of the resto specially cause the owner is very warm and welcoming but being eyed on made it hard for me doing that. The food arrived and I forgot about the stares the moment I saw what's on my plate.

It's a bistro but the plating is a wowza! Hub had three fried sole fish which I had one of in exchange of the fries. The sauce of the salad that went with it was divine. We had to order coffee and latte machiato to calm our tummies.

When we went out, the hotel near the parking space was playing some songs in the air and the church at the end of the rows of spaliered common lime trees in front of the old municipal hall played one, too after it... as if answering a call. It was already pitch-black and though there are so many lights in the city and those rows of resto, it was tough capturing the lit boats and yacth in the harbor because of the howling wind. Off we went to our car and I asked hub. "Honey, could please come back on a sunny day when it's green here again?" We surely shall and I can't wait to see the city alive.

Have you ever done yacthing? What was it like? Do you live near? Perhaps in Belgum, UK or Germany? Let's go a bit farther ...France maybe? if you ever feel like sailing on the sea .. or yacthing would you pay Willemstad a visit?

I took some of these pics with the Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 2016 edition.

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