Back to Hilversum. It’s a couple of years since we last stopped by, but scarily, close to 40 years since we “emigrated” here and nearly 27 years since we packed up and had ourselves “written out” of the bevolkingsregister indicating that we’d left for good!
Oh...but how the city has changed. It was always a pretty nice place, but in the spring sunshine (admittedly somewhat scarce during our week here) it really does look glorious and a whole lot more trendy and bustling than when we lived in the city. Our local Albert Heijn supermarket now occupies an entire block, is open long hours 7 days a week and actually has not just a big selection of delectables but also a choice. None of this may sound strange to most of our readers, but for those of you who remember Hilversum in the early ‘80’s this will all come as something as a shock! And then there are actually restaurants now in Hilversum - a large number of top quality foreign-sounding restaurants too!
We’re in Holland for a week, a week spent catching up with friends, enjoying with them some excellent food (it’s white asparagus season here) and generally just appreciating the gezelligheid. Our main reason though for coming this particular week is to participate in the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of Joyce and John. Fifty years....and though this was one wedding we didn’t make, we came on the scene not too long afterwards. Just about ten years later in fact - it’s been a delight and pleasure to have been friends for nearly 40 years despite being separated for much of that time by a quite a few miles!
The highlight of the weekend celebrations is a daylong meander down the stupendously pretty and picturesque River Vecht, with the villages and countryside we pass through looking at their absolute best in brilliant sunshine which lasted the entire day. And just to add to the very typical Dutch scene (no....not a tulip in sight!), today is National Windmill Day, so every windmill in the country still operational is not only operating, but also open to visitors.
All this in a beautifully restored boat originally built in the 1920’s, large enough to carry the the 22 of us but small enough to make it under some very low bridges!
There was of course a fully stocked bar, an excellent lunch AND dinner. Joyce had digitized the 8mm cine film that had been shot at the wedding 50 years and 50 days earlier which provided the happy couple and three others who were both at the wedding and this weekend’s celebrations with many fond memories somewhat tinged with sadness at the many no longer with us.
Finally having enjoyed the very Dutch scenery and very Dutch hospitality, the day ended with a not-so-Dutch disco courtesy of Utrecht University student Matthijs, one of the younger members of her distant family that Joyce only rediscovered in the past few years. Songs from the ‘60’s spun with great enthusiasm by a couple of DJ’s (Matthijs and friend) for a bunch of “swingers” old enough to be their grandparents.....!!