Rail Trials and a Town Not Forgotten (by some)
Any semblance of a Dutch love affair ended today with the biased transportation system. In Germany there are very helpful machines that provide rail information and easy access to tickets. The Dutch version is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The machines only accept Dutch issued Debit cards or a prepaid rail card (I guess VISA isn't everywhere you want to be... Sorry Mabel) or coins. What tourist carries 37 Euro worth of coins around in their pockets? (Two more confused and annoyed tourists.)
So, you are forced to take a number and quay up in their new, modern service center. They are happy to take your cash here and of course add a nice "service fee" that has been conveniently arranged to target foreign travelers. Why not be honest and simply add a rail tax to each ticket issued to a foreigner, much like Thailand's airport duty, and install the German machines that appear to be used in every other civilized EU country. I mean come on, Orange Men, you used to run the free world and Poland, who has been free for less than two decades, has a better rail ticketing system than the Dutch. The net result for Holland is a long line of disgruntled tourist, who's final memories are getting obvious bilked by a thinly veiled scheme.
Whew... enough venting for one day. The town of Arnhem is a historic landmark of the second world war, when it was basically razed by the Germans in retaliation to the British and Polish" Operation Market Garden". Today, the town is lively, with rebuilt narrow streets in the traditionally older part of town and wins the award for "First Christmas Lights" of the season.
Despite the bleak, drizzly, day, Arnhem was still in full Autumn charm. Arnhem has the reputation for being more closed and unfriendly to each other and tourists, than some of the neighboring towns. This position was echoed by a few of the locals. The irony was that by sharing the opinion, they were actually reaching out to a tourist and being engaging. So I didn't experience the blind coldness from the "old timers" but it was felt from the younger generation, e.g. the cash register clerk at the grocery store.
Every town must have its huge towering church and this is Arnhem's. The spire was so high that it felt like it was stirring the clouds into dropping more drizzle, as it coincidentally started to pour in the plaza.
Despite the bleak, drizzly, day, Arnhem was still in full Autumn charm. Arnhem has the reputation for being more closed and unfriendly to each other and tourists, than some of the neighboring towns. This position was echoed by a few of the locals. The irony was that by sharing the opinion, they were actually reaching out to a tourist and being engaging. So I didn't experience the blind coldness from the "old timers" but it was felt from the younger generation, e.g. the cash register clerk at the grocery store.
Every town must have its huge towering church and this is Arnhem's. The spire was so high that it felt like it was stirring the clouds into dropping more drizzle, as it coincidentally started to pour in the plaza.
For you WWII movie buffs, this is the actual "Bridge Too Far", spanning the Rhine River.
A bus load of Brits were very excited to see the memorial and walk the bridge. I'll have to find out more of the story tomorrow.
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