Footloose in Holland


FOOTLOOSE IN HOLLAND
Feature Page
	Dunes and Diamonds		Buy FOOTLOOSE IN HOLLAND from our shop on AMAZON
		David and Debra visit the flat yet surprising polderland of coastal Holland. Two films on one DVD: they walk in the precious dunescape which protects the land from the ravages of the North Sea. Amsterdam reveals some interesting sights not seen anywhere else in Europe. Each of these two films are part of the "Footloose in Europe" television series for international distribution ...see Broadcast Original music by Barnaby Smith
			*Play movie trailer*

	Part one ~ The Dutch Coastal Path
	We hike the rugged trail known as the "Kustpad" from the Hook of Holland through many nature reserves in the dunes to finish at Haarlem, a distance of around 80 Kilometres. After passing the sea of glass houses sheltering much of Holland's lucrative market garden produce from the wind, we make a stop at The Hague and its seaside resort of Scheveningen.
	The Dune landscape is known for its pure drinking water production and Ans Groenewegen from Dunea tells about this unique process and how the dunes are managed as a nature reserve. After a visit to the nature centre we share the trail with horse-riders and cyclists and eventually come face to face with Highland Cattle grazing the barren landscape. Our next stop is at Katwijk, a quiet coastal resort on the never-ending strand facing the North Sea. We discuss beach life over a pint with two waitresses who work in the unusual seaside hut and bar/restaurant known as Paal 14 ...		Part two ~ Discovering Amsterdam
			Arriving at the Central Station we meet tourism director Machteld Ligtvoet and city guide Muriel Hoetjes who give an entertaining introduction to this fabulous historic planned city. Our walking trail starts naturally at the magnificent Central Railway Station, which is the hub of Amsterdam's extensive canal network radiating to the south. We explore the Damrak and the Old Side, which contains the infamous Red Light District and Chinatown. Stepping out across Dam Square and the Royal Palace, we cross streets, canals and bridges to reach Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House. In a rooftop interview Annemarie Bekker tells of the Secret Annexe below and how it hid the family from the Nazis for two years.
	It's not far then to the bigger coastal town of Noordwijk where Dave samples raw herring in a bun, a rare Dutch treat! Back into the bracing dunescape once more we come across more wildlife in another water company's nature reserve before treading the" Visserspad", a traditional fisherman's path... to our finish at the historic Dutch town of Haarlem. After hearing the carrillon in the old town square we make our way past Adriaan's Windmill and catch the train to Amsterdam to begin our city walk.		With a stop at the famous flower market we head towards the Museumplein... a park containing not only Amsterdam's top attractions (the Rijksmusem and the Van Gough Museum) but the Coster Diamond Factory... after visiting their glittering museum, Theo Vrachtdoender shows us how these fabulous stones are cut and polished on a cast iron wheel. Our city trail takes us to the river Amstel, the main waterway into the city. Muriel tells us about Amsterdam's distinctive town houses and their magnificent past. We pass the Rembrandt House, the Jewish Quarter, the Artis Zoo to reach the end of our trail: Oosterdok... the historic berth for many voyages and rich cargoes from the East.
			Music composed and performed by: *http://www.barnabysmith.* useful links: Holland's Kustpad Noordwijk *I Amsterdam*
	© Grindelwald Productions 2010		More about the companion DVD to Footloose in Holland: Keukenhof Gardens and the Dutch Flower Parade