Lauwerhof Water Tower apartments; Utrecht, Netherlands
Today I will make good on my promise from Monday — less talk and more photos. And today’s pictorial offerings will concentrate on the historic city center and canals.
Voorstraat, Utrecht, Netherlands
Large swathes for these 900-year-old canals were paved over back in 1979 for a highway, but in 2019 Utrecht tore up that section and restored the canal system. The result, I’m sure, is much more photogenic than looking at multiple lanes of concrete and vehicles:
Utrecht, Netherlands canals
So, let’s spend the rest of today’s article just enjoying a relaxing stroll around the city center and canals. In the photo gallery and slide show below, you’ll find views at both canal-level and looking down at the canals from above:
I‘m going to try something a bit different over the next four weeks. I’m going to let my photos of Utrecht carry the burden while keep text to a minimum. I’m doing this for the following reasons:
There’s not much needed to describe this charming destination. The sights are centered around the canals, which is near where we stayed, and the photos speak for themselves.
As I write this, I’m pressed to pre-post a bunch of articles before we head to our next adventure, this time in the South Pacific.
Y’all are probably sick of reading my writings anyway. I’m giving you a break!
But don’t fret. I will give you at least some information.
As you may recall, Ursula and I began this journey in late April of last year, starting with a flight to Fort Lauderdale followed by a transatlantic crossing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. I began the series on this journey on 1 August 2022 with Transatlantic 2022 — Vision of the Seas to La Palma, Canary Islands. That transatlantic was followed by a back-to-back aboard Vision to uncommon destinations in Spain and France. After that we took a side journey to Germany and a visit to Limburg, which I finished up a couple of weeks ago. Next stop is the destination you see today, Utrecht, Netherlands, to which we arrived on 26 May 2022.
Our stay in Utrecht would last two nights because we had yet another ship to catch in nearby Amsterdam. This would be another in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, this time Jewel of the Seas, on which we would do three back-to-backs to various destinations. That series will begin after this four-week look at Utrecht.
Utrecht, Netherlands
So, if we have a ship to catch in Amsterdam, why are we in Utrecht? Well, Ursula and I wanted to try something different for a change, and Amsterdam is a short train hop away. Besides, we would hit Amsterdam four times — before the first cruise, between cruises one and two, between cruises two and three, and after disembarking for the flight home. But… I’ll tell you right now that given the choice between Utrecht and Amsterdam, I may never again set foot in the latter. I definitely will go to great lengths to avoid flying again out of Schipol. We were so disappointed in this once great city that I interrupted a series I was doing on the Caribbean and posted a special article on that disgusting visit and flight out the very next day upon returning to the U.S. See: Trashy Amsterdam and the Hellhole of Schipol
Utrecht, Netherlands
As charming as Amsterdam once was, Utrecht definitely makes up for what Amsterdam has become:
Lauwerhof Water Tower from 1895; now an apartment building
And, yes, Utrecht has that ubiquitous European fixture, the Gothic church. This one is called St. Martin’s Cathedral and Domkerk (Dom Church). Domkerk began life as a Catholic cathedral, but in 1580 the Utrecht city counsel transferred the church to the Calvinists. It’s been in Protestant hands ever since.
St. Martin’s Cathedral/Domkerk
See you Wednesday for the next Utrecht installment.
We had one full day left on our visit aboard Vision of the Seas, and we were once again in Valencia, Spain. We’d stopped off here nine days earlier, during our transatlantic voyage. This stop was in conjunction with our follow-on Mediterranean cruise. And as we’d been here before (follow this link for the beginning of that series: Transatlantic 2022 — Valencia; Our Next Port of Call), Ursula and I opted this time to just set out on foot, look briefly around, and enjoy the dish for which Valencia is famous, Valencia paella. But, first, let’s look around:
Now it’s time for some Valencian paella. As we wandered the streets near the port, we bypassed the obvious tourist choices along Calle del Dr. Josep Juan Dómine. Instead, we turned north onto a smallish street. Here we discovered a charming little establishment with two outdoor tables. After searching Google Maps, I’m about 95% sure that the place where we lunched was Ca Rakel on Calle del Dr. Llurch. As neither Ursula nor I were particularly hungry (we were, after all, on a cruise ship), we decided to split an order.
As we sat outside awaiting our paella, a lovely couple from I believe Slovenia took the next table. I was a bit concerned when I saw the wife had placed her purse in such a manner that it could be easily snatched (Europe, especially southern Europe stretching from Greece through Spain, is notorious for pick pockets and purse snatchers. I advised her that perhaps she might want to better secure her purse, which she did. This led us all to striking up a conversation that lasted through our meals and a little beyond even though my Slovene leaves a lot to be desired. I hadn’t spoken Slovene since George Santos and I were sent to Station L (Ljubljana) for some late Cold Warwetwork back in the early ’90s.
Just kidding, of course. I’ve never been to Slovenia, and I’ve never done wet work for The Company. Thus, poor George went to Slovenia by himself. That was back when he was a contractor for the 00 Section of MI6 using as cover his Goldman Sachs credentials as an international financial expert. Don’t believe me? I’m quite sure that’s on his résumé. Here’s George on his return from his much-decorated mission to Ljubljana:
George Santos with a few of his post-mission awards
Anyway, I don’t speak Slovene. Not even a little. Rather, it was our charming neighbors who expertly switched over to English. We discussed post-Cold War conditions in the Slavic nations, international affairs, children, careers, places we’ve traveled, and a whole lot more. The time just flew by. But I’m sure your more interested in lunch, so here it is:
Valencia Paella with crusty bread Valencia Paella with crusty bread
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 