Pennod 2 Ar y Lein

-# THERE SHE GOES - The LAs #

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-Having followed

-the 52-degree line of latitude...

-..through Wales and England

-and across the Channel...

-..I've arrived in Holland.

-When I was a little girl, the only

-thing I knew about Holland...

-..was the story about Peter

-walking alongside a dyke.

-There was a hole in the dyke

-and water was pouring through it.

-He plugged the hole with his finger

-and saved his country from drowning.

-There's no truth to the story -

-an American made it up!

-This is the real truth

-about Holland.

-The land is low

-and the estuaries are deep.

-A large proportion

-of the country's imports...

-..flow up this river

-towards Rotterdam.

-Parts of Holland

-have been reclaimed from the sea.

-Much of it remains

-five metres below sea level.

-Every now and then, the waves

-try to reclaim some of the land.

-A huge storm caused

-widespread flooding in the '50s.

-1,800 people were killed

-and the Dutch people promised...

-..that such a thing

-would never happen again.

-Here's what they built -

-the Maeslantkering.

-The largest flood prevention scheme

-in the world.

-Margrit Dokter is the

-Maeslantkering's liaison officer.

-It's a big tourist attraction

-these days.

-Many people visit to see

-this huge machine in action...

-..from local students to engineers

-from as far afield as Egypt...

-..who have to cope

-with similar aquatic problems.

-The machine is controlled

-by a computer.

-When the wind and the sea

-reach a particular level...

-..these two arms, the same length

-as the Eiffel Tower...

-..move two huge pieces of metal

-across the harbour...

-..to restrict the water flow.

-Basically, it's a quick-fire dam.

-Severe storms are very infrequent.

-But nature

-is an unpredictable beast.

-Knowing that the Maeslantkering is

-there is a huge comfort to everyone.

-In Den Haag, the capital city,

-life is very laid-back.

-There's an old saying in Holland.

-You spend your money at night

-in Amsterdam.

-You work hard and make your money

-in Rotterdam.

-And you rest in Den Haag.

-Den Haag is also the home

-of the Dutch government!

-This shopping centre in Naaldwijk

-won an award...

-..as one of the best centres

-in Europe.

-They have a sly way

-of making you spend your money.

-The bins are very fragrant!

-Flowers in the spring...

-..chocolate in the summer

-and cinnamon at Christmas.

-They're meant to make you

-shop harder!

-Nice enough, but it doesn't make me

-want to buy anything.

-Now, if they'd put

-a fresh loaf in there...

-Dutch people live life

-at a leisurely pace.

-They spend hours drinking coffee

-and eating scrumptious cream cakes.

-They also have a relaxed attitude

-towards language and culture.

-Jacob Burger and his family

-live in Naaldwijk.

-I asked him what he found different

-between the Netherlands and Holland.

-Holland is a small section

-of the Netherlands.

-Holland is like England and the

-Netherlands are like Great Britain.

-Welsh people are annoyed when

-people refer to Britain as England.

-The same happens here -

-but it doesn't bother them.

-Does that make

-Welsh people paranoid?

-I noticed that the English language

-plays a big part in their lives.

-Every birthday card I saw

-was English-only.

-Again, they weren't too bothered

-with that. There are more of them!

-Some of the town's oldest houses

-are found nearby.

-They date back

-to the seventeenth century.

-There, a lady called Yani De Bruin

-invited me into her house.

-I showed my house.

-She was quite a character.

-She spoke perfect English...

-..after spending time

-working as a nanny in Surrey.

-She knew about Wales -

-she'd even visited Betws-y-coed!

-This was in the 1600s and the 1800s.

-I don't know exactly.

-She has a wonderful house

-but doesn't want to live in it.

-She doesn't even want to live in

-the Netherlands because of the rain.

-Her only reason for living here

-is to stay close to her mother.

-She's 94, and has suffered

-three heart attacks.

-When her mother dies,

-Yani will move to Portugal.

-Yani and her noisy parrot!

-Hello! Behave yourself!

-He doesn't like me.

-He doesn't look too serious.

-He just wanted some attention.

-Look at him

-playing up to the camera!

-When you see a tram,

-you know you're abroad.

-They still give you a shock...

-..when you're trying to remember

-to drive on the right!

-There's a good choice

-of places to stay.

-This was our hotel -

-far better than the name suggests.

-On we went.

-The land is totally flat.

-That's why they're so fond of bikes.

-We didn't have to travel far to

-reach our next destination - Delft.

-You can't visit Delft without

-visiting the Royal Delft Factory.

-The most famous china in the world

-has been produced here since 1653.

-The original idea came from China

-but the Dutch made it their own.

-And it's not cheap!

-Every single piece is hand crafted.

-Everything is painted by hand.

-Wilma Plaisier is one

-of the youngest employees.

-She works with her mother and her

-uncle worked here for over 40 years.

-You need patience in this job.

-A steady hand and the ability

-to sit still for hours.

-You can't do this

-after a night on the lash!

-THEY SPEAK DUTCH

-I asked her how long

-she'd worked here.

-Wilma has worked here

-for three and a half years.

-She wants to become a master artist

-- which takes ten years.

-More training than a doctor

-or a vet.

-The salary is much lower, though.

-The designs have transcended

-the centuries...

-..and are as popular today

-as they've ever been.

-First, they use a template

-that's full of holes.

-They rub a dirty cloth over it and

-the pattern appears on the plate.

-Then, the painting work begins.

-Tourists visit the factory

-by the busload every day.

-Most come from America and Japan.

-Fewer Americans have visited

-since the 9/11 tragedy.

-But those who come, love the place

-and spend a fortune in euros here.

-I liked the Netherlands.

-The people are very welcoming.

-My journey so far was great. And

-then we parked our cars in Gouda!

-But I can assure you, it wasn't

-going to be a good day in Gouda.

-Last night we parked a Ford Mondeo

-here and a Ford Fusion here.

-Now - there's Ford all here!

-I don't know if you heard that...

-..because they stole

-our microphones, too!

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-I'd like to report two cars stolen.

-A Ford Mondeo and a Ford Fusion.

-No - they weren't in the bin.

-You've got them?

-You've got them?

-

-"You" being the Gouda police.

-When they find cars without windows,

-they take them to a car depot.

-Why are we following

-a rubbish lorry?

-The driver knew where the depot was.

-The thieves smashed five windows

-but didn't manage to open the doors.

-Most of our gear

-was still in the car.

-Even my rucksack was found later -

-smelling of cat wee!

-We paid the police 200...

-..and followed the rubbish lorry

-to a windscreen shop.

-While all the fuss

-was happening with the cars...

-..I was meant to be waffling here.

-More on that later.

-This is the lorry driver

-who helped us this morning.

-So, hartelijk bedankt, Willhelm.

-Hartelijk bedankt.

-HE SPEAKS DUTCH

-You'll be welcome in Wales any time.

-A good man!

-Thank God for good men, even though

-I couldn't understand him.

-With the cars sorted out,

-I went to see more of Gouda.

-It's a pleasant place!

-This is a clock!

-Which reminds me - it's high time

-I went to see those waffles.

-These aren't the waffles

-I was expecting.

-I was expecting huge square waffles

-dripping with syrup.

-Those are Belgian waffles.

-These are Stroopwaffels.

-Traditional waffles

-from the Netherlands.

-You can buy them in Wales...

-..but they're also made

-by a family from the Netherlands.

-Right -

-I'm going to taste a waffle now.

-My coffee is strong and black -

-perfect after the morning I've had.

-Here goes.

-Mmm!

-Lekker, as they say

-in the Netherlands.

-"Lekker" means tasty.

-But I was still hungry.

-I went to look for some cheese -

-Gouda cheese.

-They don't make it here any more -

-they only sell it here.

-I couldn't visit Gouda

-without sampling its cheese.

-THEY SPEAK DUTCH

-That's nice!

-There are many different types -

-the goat's cheese was my favourite.

-Mmm!

-Super goed? Or super lekker?

-Super lekker!

-Dank u wel.

-One of Gouda's main attractions

-is the Church of St Janskerk...

-..the longest church

-in the Netherlands.

-There's a superb view

-from the tower.

-Maurits Tompot

-is the church's curator.

-Quite a character - and no, he

-doesn't dress like this every day!

-Catholic and Protestant services

-are held in this church.

-But not at the same time!

-The stained-glass windows

-are the church's main feature.

-Over 50 of them.

-HE SPEAKS DUTCH

-There have been numerous fires at

-the church since the 14th Century...

-..but the windows

-have always escaped serious damage.

-Some date back to the 16th Century.

-Each one depicts a biblical story...

-..or an aspect

-of the Netherlands' history.

-This one caught my eye - it depicts

-the atrocities of World War II.

-No, I'm not in Africa.

-This is De Hoge Veluwe

-National Park.

-There are a thousand

-white bikes here.

-Anybody can use one free of charge.

-But they're not like our bikes.

-The brakes are on the pedals -

-not the handles!

-Don't cycle backwards

-or you'll fly over the handlebars.

-It took me some time to get used

-to riding one.

-Soon enough, I was king of the road!

-One of the park's other attractions

-is the Kroller-Muller Museum.

-It has a garden full of sculptures -

-one of the largest in Europe.

-The picture gallery

-is the biggest attraction.

-The founder, a rich woman

-called Helen Kroller-Muller...

-..loved Van Gogh's paintings.

-She bought 300 of his paintings.

-Today, all are on show here.

-This is the largest collection

-of Van Gogh originals in one place.

-This one's in my kitchen -

-a copy of it, anyway.

-It's nice to see the original,

-though.

-Van Gogh himself

-painted this picture.

-His fingerprints are on it.

-When I was there...

-..they were celebrating

-Van Gogh's 150th birthday.

-His work wasn't appreciated

-when he was alive.

-He was totally bonkers

-by the end of his life.

-But boy, could he paint!

-You're scared to speak

-in galleries like this.

-The final stop on my trip

-through the Netherlands...

-..is a town which has strong

-connections with Great Britain.

-Arnhem isn't the prettiest of towns.

-It used to be - until it was

-demolished in World War II.

-Some of the old buildings remain.

-Glass and concrete eyesores blot out

-the sunlight in some places.

-The town was rebuilt in a hurry -

-money was scarce.

-There's not enough money to restore

-it to its former glory now.

-This bridge has made Arnhem famous.

-If you've ever seen the film

-"A Bridge Too Far"...

-..you'll know that this

-is that bridge.

-A huge battle was fought here...

-..between the Germans

-and the British and Polish armies.

-The Germans won the battle.

-They crossed the bridge, destroyed

-Arnhem, killing hundreds of people.

-Mrs Jos Caspers remembers it all.

-She was a 17-year-old schoolgirl

-at the time.

-It was September 17th, 1944.

-She remembers seeing hundreds

-of British parachutists landing.

-It was a wonderful sight.

-Everyone was happy,

-believing that freedom was nigh.

-But that wasn't the case.

-Her children and grandchildren

-don't talk about the War.

-Only her contemporaries

-understand what happened.

-60 years have passed since then.

-There are no problems when

-she meets young Germans nowadays.

-But it's difficult when she meets

-Germans the same age as her.

-Some of the most fierce battles

-in Europe were fought here...

-..only 60 years ago.

-Tragically, 17,000 British soldiers

-were killed in Arnhem.

-Operation Market Garden

-was a very ambitious mission.

-It was meant to end the War...

-..by preventing

-the Germans crossing the bridge.

-Unfortunately, for the British

-and Polish soldiers...

-..and the residents of Arnhem,

-it failed.

-I've only spent a short time

-in the Netherlands.

-But even in such a short time...

-..I've sensed a strange relationship

-between the Dutch and the Germans.

-It's a very fragile relationship.

-Arnhem was once a beautiful town

-with grand, elegant buildings.

-It was completely destroyed

-in the intensity of battle.

-Today,

-it resembles a concrete jungle.

-The scars of war are very evident.

-I don't think the Dutch will forgive

-the Germans for quite some time.

-# THERE SHE GOES - THE LAs #

-Next week, I'll be in Germany,

-and crossing the border into Poland.

-S4C subtitles by

-TROSOL Cyf.