Kurhaus, Scheveningen

We continue our journey north to the ferry. This time we are stopping for four nights at the Kurhaus in Scheveningen a suburb of The Hague. This is one of my favourite hotels anywhere, not least because of the dining room (Kurzaal) which is really spectacular, and for the free champagne at breakfast. In the days before the building was transformed into a hotel the Rolling Stones (and many others no doubt) performed here.

Scheveningen is the seaside resort of The Hague. It is also a working fishing port. Charles II left from here when he was invited to come back to England as King. Unfortunately his subsequent relationship with The Netherlands was rather strained as the Dutch and English navies clashed on several occasions, and the English navy usually came off worst.

The journey north was uneventful today except for a few minutes when the heavens opened and it was scarcely possible to see as far as the end of the bonnet. Several people just pulled off the road, and others slowed to walking pace.

We go the hotel in the early evening, in time for a stroll along the promenade before dinner.