The title may give you the impression that we did not have a good holiday. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Netherlands is a lovely country. Lots of water, wonderful cheese and good beer. The Dutch seem to have this great secret. They send all the bland stuff abroad and keep the best cheese and beer for themsleves.

A particular highlight was Amsterdam. It was a city with great Atmosphere, wonderful architecture and an incredibly inclusive, accepting, cosmopolitan, everything goes clientele. You certainly got the impression that no-one would bat an eyelid at anything you chose to do while in Amsterdam. In a weird way it made me think a little of how heaven would be. I don’t know what it will be like – but there would be something of the all types, surprises, and total acceptance that you can experience in Amsterdam. Here is a society in 21st Century Europe that is notably very non-judgemental. Maybe in some small, blurry way this is a, albeit poor, reflection of something of Heaven.

We saw Amsterdam from the only real way – a river cruise. This was a brilliant experience and I want to go back – only this time without the children so that I can wander around the art galleries rather than zoos and ice cream shops …. but hey, culture is culture wherever you exerience it from!

The one bad bit that we did not seem to get to grips with, and alluded to by my title, is road signs. On motorways they are good – although we travelled on Sundays when the Dutch sensibly close roads for maintenance. Diversions in Dutch, however, are not that easy to read! We got lost on the way to Holland and on the way back in Rotterdam, both times due to road closures! Signs in towns seeemed to be virtually non-existant. Sometimes this produces laughter, and others stresses arguments which I have needed to aologise to my lovely family for.

Land of u turns and no signs – should I have expected anything more from a country that wants to allow freedom to explore in your own way and at your own pace – mulling on Heaven again!

I’ll probably reflect more on my trip in future posts.