By Kathy Hughes
Contributing Writer
I think we are all in search of the perfect vacation, one which provides rest, relaxation, engagement, entertainment and recreation. This sounds impossible, but I believe I experienced it on a canal and cycling tour of Holland.
The idea of a vacation is quite ancient, dating back at least to Roman times, when the word “vacare” meant a suspension of obligations earned by a period of service. From the outset, then, vacation and work went together, another great idea from the Romans. It could be said they invented the vacation.
“Bike and Barge” tours are available all over Europe and the UK, not surprisingly, they are very common in the Netherlands, France and Belgium, but also can be found in Italy and Eastern Europe. Since I have experienced only one canal and cycling tour, I cannot compare the comfort or interest of these tours in general, but my trip in Holland exceeded all expectations.
Most of all, I was needlessly concerned about the accommodations on a barge. I imagined it might be cramped, unsanitary, smelly and noisy, which was far from the case. Then again, my comfort needs are not great, a person expecting a cushy kind of comfort might be disappointed.
Upon entering the barge, we encountered a large, airy, very light and clean multipurpose area which served as a dining room and lounge. It was tastefully decorated with café curtains and pale green walls — rather like a cozy lodge would be. This is where we would have our meals, meetings and spend leisure times.
Below deck were the cabins, with portholes for ventilation, beds and a private bath with shower for our suite. I am not sure whether there were single occupant rooms, but ours could accommodate four, though we had only three. We planned to share in advance, so everyone had partnered up — there was no being thrown in with strangers such as a hostel might be. My bed provided my first experience with a comfort foam mattress, and I couldn’t wait to buy one when I returned.
One of the most ideal aspects of traveling this way is that you unpack once, and that is it. Your belongings travel with you for the entire trip; there’s no lugging your baggage through train stations, or struggle to keep your stuff organized after repeated packing, unpacking and rifling through your suitcase. This was ease factor number one.
Barges travel on rivers and canals, so there is no rough seas to contend with, no seasickness. In fact, I grew to love the gentle rocking of the boat and the lapping of the water at night. Our itinerary was such that the barge travelled to a different city every day, except once or twice, and the cyclists could choose whether to bike the distance and meet up with the barge, or to stay aboard for the ride. I did both, and our guide travelled along with us on the barge, and led the cyclists on the route each day, as well as providing tours of the towns and cities.
Holland is a flat terrain to begin with, and riding along the canals made for easy cycling. There were no giant hills, traffic or trucks barreling down on you. The gentle landscape along the canals took us places that would be inaccessible by car, and we could picnic (bag lunch provided) along the way. It was early October, and the weather was warm and sunny except one cloudy day with gentle showers; in fact, I regretted having brought so many warm clothes that were too hot for the weather.
For the days I chose not to cycle, I could read in the lounge, or sit on deck basking in the sun, and watch the landscape roll by. What a life! In fact there are communities of boat people throughout Holland and the rest of Europe, who live on the canal boats. Some of the boats are brightly decorated with colors and flowers, still with clothes on the clothesline and children playing on deck. One evening, our guide took flowers to a boat family who had a newborn baby.
The Dutch love flowers, and no guest would show up without flowers. Although famous for its tulips, all kinds of flowers are grown everywhere in Holland. Cottages have flower gardens and are adorned with flower boxes, even in remote rural areas, and great pride is taken in the property’s appearance.
Likewise, if you would be concerned about cleanliness on the barge, it sparkled like any ship in the Navy — it was spotless on deck and below. I quickly learned that the crew consider themselves sailors in every sense of the word, with the captain being an absolute, unquestioned authority. Our crew was small, the captain, two chefs/ships mates and our tour guide. It was a perfect floating cottage for a week. Of course, this was in 1999, so there was no Wi-Fi or cable TV, but I don’t think anyone would miss it, even today.
