Four days of typical Dutch: 4: Zuidlaren-Apeldoorn

Dining room, Jufferen Lunsingh

Zuidlaren to Apeldoorn, November 9, 2017—

Zuidlaren to Apeldoorn, November 9, 2017—

WE AWOKE TO BREAKFAST marred only by a tedious hotelkeeper, complaining about his problems supplying WiFi, about Russians taking more than they eat, lecturing at length on Drentse history. But I have to admit that the bed had been comfortable and the breakfast plentiful.

We did not look around Zuidlaren but went immediately to Westvelde, where it had originally been our intention to spend the night at a tranquil counntry hotel particularly recommended by an Amsterdam friend. Alas, a website misunderstandig had led us to believe it was unavailable excerpt for its restaurant. We stopped for coffee, promising to return for lunch.

Then we drove on to nearby Veerhuizen, site of a penitentiary and a former colony for paupers and the homeless. Like so many country museums in The Netherlands, it offers a fine cafe with a particularly fine applecake and an absorbing gift shop full of items (including books) related to the history of the place.

•Bitter En Zoet, 9341 AR Veenhuizen; 📞+31 592 385 002

The prison museum itself was most moving; we spent a good hour contemplating the history of detention and hopeful improvement of mankind. Today there are only 600 or so prisoners in the nearby active penitentiary, some of them Norwegians — the two countries cooperate, attempting to solve the problem of too many prisons, too few prisoners. (USA take note.)

Then, free at last, we drove back to the country hotel for a fine light midday supper: mosterdsoep met prei; salade met visrilletes. My mustard soup was quite different from yesterday's, very pretty, bound with particularly good cream and floated with a fine olive oil.

The salad contained cod and mackerel rillettes — I was a little worried about the latter, as I find mackerel unpleasantly oily: but these blocks of rillete were really nicely done, easily taking their place among perfectly fresh salad greens. (I suspect from their own garden.)

•De Jufferen Lunsingh, Hoofdweg 13, Westvelde; 📞+31 592 612 618

It was a long drive home, but we had time to stop in Zwartsluis for hareng. This is an absolutely delicious and indispensable Dutch specialty: raw herring, eaten simply either as a broodje (in a soft bun, which is how my delicate Contessa prefers it), or cut into pieces and eaten with knife and fork (as Hans prefers), or simply by flipping the two halves of the herring into the chopped raw white onion, then, holding them by the tail, bending your head back to take them in whole — as I do.

•De Vollenhoofse Poort, Stationsweg 3, Zwartsluis; 📞+31 38 386 61 40

But one does not live by herring alone: let's have a last Dutch pannekoeken. Where better than the pannekoekenhuis in Hoog Soeren, a charming little village outside Apeldoorn? It was crowded, and for good reason. The beertap had run out of steam but everyone was in a good mood. I had my favorite: speck-gember — the dinnerplate-size thin pancake perfectly cooked, covered with strips of delicious Dutch bacon, and topped with a generous spoonful of candied ginger. Drizzle it with stroop, of course, that extra-light molasses, similar to Lyle's Golden.

•Berg en Dal, Hoog Soeren 30; 📞+31 56 519 12 19

☛RESTAURANTS VISITED, with information and rating: 2016      2015     2017