Old Fart Expats » the Coach House Inn

World Cup Fever in the Netherlands

JJ — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:26:08 +0000

New Zealanders have long been fervent All Blacks supporters. My Darling says nothing is noisier or more partisan than JW and I watching an All Blacks match.

Yeah, right. Except the Orange brigade, that is. The World Cup build-up in the Netherlands was intense and orchestrated, as Nederlanders got themselves ready for the event. All is Orange here.

Today, at our stamcafe the Coach House Inn, I watched Nederland play Brazil in the quarter-finals round. Saturday is a normal shopping day, but most small businesses closed before the game started. Everyone wore something orange. I never thought I would ever see a little orange number, but now I have – some women even wore little orange dresses. After all, sport is a serious matter, especially when the national team is playing.

Brazil was expected to win by all the world except the Dutch, and even some of those admitted to pessimism. Hans the proprietor had the big screen going in the bar, and set up a TV screen in his terrace. I sat there with a large extended family and watched the action. They all had orange banners, balloons that said “Hup Holland Hup”, and orange horns to blow or play. Hans and his part-time assistant served food and beer throughout the game. The family was even more entertaining than the game, abusing the referee’s decisions when they went against Holland, gasping with horror when Brazil scored or even looked like scoring, cheering when a Brazilian was red-carded, roaring and blowing horns when Holland scored, moaning and swearing when Holland missed opportunities. And at the end, screaming and hugging and kissing everything that moved. Two-one to Holland – Brazil was knocked out of the competition.

Immediately, we heard the dreaded three-note sound of an ambulance siren. Pity, I thought, when there is so much celebration. But not to worry, there was no emergency. As the ambulance came into sight, the driver had his hand on the horn, and his fellow paramedics were leaning out the windows, waving and cheering.

Everyone knew that Holland was a step closer to the final. Every bus that passed honked continuously, the drivers and passengers waving as they passed. Car drivers, normally sedate, flew Dutch flags and orange balloons and bunting, revved their engines and honked their horns. Groups of youths on bicycles hooted and whistled and made as much noise as possible. We have written before about how the Dutch celebrate, but this topped anything I have seen so far. If this is what we get when Nederland beats Brazil, what will happen if (when) Nederland takes the cup?

The NZ rugby, racing and beer culture is often criticised. It takes a healthy dose of a soccer, speed-skating and Genever gin culture to put that into perspective.

Footnote:

NZ, with three draws, was unlucky not to proceed into the second round of the World cup. Hans told me that in 1982, Italy also drew in the first three games, but proceeded to the second round and eventually won the cup that year. Oh, what might have been…

Flower Parade Slideshow from our photos on Flickr

CJ — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:39:59 +0000

Trip through Europe by flower parade

Big Band on Bikes in Haarlem

CJ — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:49:06 +0000

Big Band on Bikes in Haarlem – orchestra on Bikes doesn’t sound right somehow.

We had biked quietly to Hillegom in the late afternoon, and we watched the flower parade come through. We also had priviledged seats – seats that we had discovered when arrived in Hillegom – about 9.5 k’s from home in Haarlem. We had a great view, and to our seat, we had great service for food and wine which is really important when you are sitting for about 3 hours, first of all waiting, and then watching a fanatastical floral fantasy fleet flitter by. They drove by really, but there was enough floral aroma to keep the fleet floating by in the light late afternoon breeze.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU where these seats were but they were great and we want them next year. So there.

We watched the entire flower parade come through Hillegom and then we rode back to Haarlem, we had dinner at The Coach House Inn and waited for the parade to arrive there.

And it did.

The Big Band came by playing their instruments and they were riding their bikes.

This orchestra did not ride through Hillegom. It seems sensible that the bands and marching teams change on the journey as it is a long way to walk but we were stunned when the orchestra whizzed by on the bikes playing their instruments – WOW. And now we have the video of the band on bikes courstesy of Paul and Jenny from Australia.

Watch the wibbling wobbling drummer that caused us all to hold our breath briefly.

I was so wrong – about Koninginnedag

CJ — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:29:43 +0000

Queens Day / Koninginnedag : or is it Orange Crazy Day – for the House of Orange.

The shops are full of Orange merchandise right from 1st April – not just for the week prior to the big day. My memory from last year is obviously a bit out of tune. Is that short term or long term memory loss? (just checking being of the older age spectrum).

I have seen – Orange Stetsons, Orange boa, Orange eye lashes, Orange G Strings, so totally Orange sunglasses (worthy of Elton John), Orange pendants, flags, balloons, candles, Orange hats with Orange flowers, T-shirts, belts, Orange wigs (2 types even), Orange gumboots, aprons, Orange socks, and clogs, Orange crepe paper, Orange origami cranes, Orange bunting, posters, skirts, flowers including tulips, Orange Chefs Hats. In fact one could be forgiven for thinking one is in a vast stand of heavily laden Valencia orange trees and a mighty wind just blew all the oranges down to the ground and we are to be lost and swallowed under a mountain of Oranges or should that be under a mountain of things Orange. I think the later is kinder, a mountain of Oranges may not be so good for the bones.

Orange is so important, that if it can be made, it can be made in orange.

All these photos were taken on Sunday afternoon in Haarlem

I have bought myself the perfect Orange hat with Orange flowers on it and when I have a photograph taken of it with me wearing it, I shall post it here. I am really not sure if silver grey hair and an orange hat will go well together or not. You can let me know later.

We have bought a couple Orange glass candle holders with candles. We did use them last evening, just testing the effect of Orange ambient light – and it was okay. We have not bought 3 foot high candles designed to be pushed into the ground and lit at the right time as we have absolutely no ground in which to put them.

I have bought Orange acrylic yarn – and if I can get it done in time I will create something knitted in Orange for out there in the world – for a small Orange yarn bombing, graffiti art knit (maybe not art) thing or two. trouble with Orange yarnbombing is that it may never ever be noticed amongst all that floaty, floating, flowing, flowering, flimsy, fragrant, fragile, and fresh Orange everywhere on April 30th.

On the day – there will be Orange food, not just Oranges – but food with Orange colouring, Orange cakes, Orange icing, Orange marzipan, Orange names of menu items, Orange menus, Orange boats, people wearing all sorts of Orange items (not all could really be called clothing, especially as this event is also part of the gay festival season as well as the celebration of the Queens birthday). It will be the Orange Party of the year – as of course every year it is the Orange Party of the year and the party will continue over the weekend.

This year we have noted that the Amsterdam railway station is having issues with its cleaners and the cleaners are on strike. The station is an absolute shambles.

Last year the day after Queens Day we were in Amsterdam and it was one largely orange covered place. I hope the cleaners will not be on strike in the streets of Amsterdam as well as those on strike at the station because then Amsterdam could be Orange for many many days – because Orange Day and the amazing party that happens creates soooo much Orange litter.

Which is of course why every year there is new mechandise to be purchased for this amazing event and celebration.

Stamcafe our local hangout – The Coach House Inn

CJ — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:14:06 +0000

JJ is studying Dutch, and came home with a new word for us last week. It appears that your local cafe/bar/pub whatever you call it, is your “Stamcafe”.

In the short time we have been here we have visited more than 3 times each “a local” and we have enjoyed them all. BUT our local is really and quite regularly “The Coach House Inn” in Gedempte Oude Gracht.

Before we had even moved to our current house – we had experience of the Coach House. It is run by a quite mad Dutchman who serves with gusto, delivers to the table meals for elephants and is shocked that you cannot eat it all, and thinks it is very funny that JJ has the leftovers for his breakfast.

The first time we had dinner there we had a lovely time but I can’t remember a thing about what we ate, other than there was an enormous amount of food on the plate, and JJ had a doggy bag to take home. What I do remember absolutely vividly is that when we went to pay, we did not have enough money to cover the bill, and our credit card was useless because like many many places in the Netherlands the Coach House does not take credit cards.

Oh shit.

We did not have enough cash – We had been there maybe twice before, for gluhwein, and I think for lunch. It is amazing what happens to your gut when you do not have the funds for the food you have just eaten. We offered to do the dishes – his response, come and pay me tomorrow, which is just as well because we didn’t even know where the cash machine was in Haarlem and our bank with cash machine was about 3 k’s away. He didn’t even want the money we had between us.

That should have been enough to make this our Stamcafe, but it continued to get better. This Hans is fine with my English, and he is fine and has joke sessions with JJ and his not so very good Dutch. He continues to deliver meals for giant weight lifters, and he continues to provide a great service.

So when you are here in Haarlem you must visit our “Stamcafe”, and yes it is called “The Coach House Inn” in English, that is not a translation of a Dutch name.

We do know where the cash machine is now – and it is not 5 mins walk from the Coach House Inn and JJ has rushed there a couple times prior to paying a bill at the Coach Inn.