The following morning we parked just outside the campsite and walked the kilometre or so to the town centre which was bustling being a Saturday. Once we had familiarised ourselves with the vast number of cyclists coming from all directions, we managed to negotiate the narrow lanes to the market with many cheese and flower stalls and reached the main square. There was also an antiques market alongside the narrow canals and bikes of all shapes and sizes parked everywhere. After lunch we drove to the mootorway and headed east past Utrecht then on the main road through Zeist  to Ede and a minor road to Otterlo and the Droome Parke holiday complex with a separate wooded area for touing pitches. We decided to stay for three nights as it was near several attractions we wanted to visit.

The next morning was sunny and pleasantly warm so we drove the short distance to the Hoge Veluwe National Park, a large area of sandy heathland and pinewoods. It is possible to park at the entrance gates and use the free bikes but we paid the €6 per vehicle entrance fee and drove to the Kroller-Muller sculpture garden and art gallery. The sculpture garden covers 25 hectares and about 160 works are on display by some well known artists including Rodin, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. The original gardens, opened in 1961, are laid out in formal grass areas but later extensions are among woodlands. Some of the modern works are more challenging to interpret especially the larger constructions.


After lunch we visited the art gallery where a wide range of paintings were displayed, from Dutch Masters through the Impressionists - Monet, Pissaro, Seurat and Van Gogh (of course), to more modern paintings by Mondriaan and Picasso. We had bought advance tickets online at €19 each but thought it was an excellent opportunity to see so much art in one place.