A cultural interlude

Once again it was a cold, grey morning, but we set off undeterred, and soon the sun came through. It was only as half day’s cruise to the unpronounceable, that we have learned to call den Bosche for short. In fact here’s the man, to set us in the right mood:

On the way into town we passed the imposing Heineken brewery – it is one of the big industries here:

Also the minaret of a small mosque: we were passed before we could capture the dome too:

Once moored up – already it was busy and we had to slot into a quite tight space – we lunched and then set off into town, where we found the weekly market in full swing, and hundreds and hundreds of people out enjoying both the market and the sunshine, and also the dozens of pavement cafes and bars.

Our first stop was the tourist office, to get our bearings, a map and some advice about opening times. It occupies what is said to be the oldest house in the town:

We found the right shop to buy a couple of waterways maps, and then headed in the direction of the famous cathedral, spotting this convivial chap on the way:

The cathedral was indeed impressive, even if photography outside was not aided by the inevitable restoration. Here are some impressions

After a refreshing local brew, we strolled back to the ship, to find the mooring much fuller, and indeed a quite large Dutch boat rafted up to us. Inevitable I suppose now the summer holiday season is under way in Holland. Indeed, judging by the numbers of boats out on the river this morning, it looks like being a busy time.

Tomorrow is a rest day, and we may have a Sunday lunch out, and then take in the Bosch museum – though apparently a lot of what is on show is copies.