1936 On the Continent

their caps cocked, meet and discuss the topics of the day.
Flushing
    In nearby Flushing everybody’s Sunday afternoon walk leads to the harbour. The people go on the huge pier to look out over the sea and view the big ships sail into Antwerp harbour. The women of Flushing have a quaint though becoming headdress, a carefully ironed, spotlessly clean white bonnet adorned with huge gold pins. This is worn with different shawls, which take the place of a coat, and elaborate aprons and skirts, all of which have a meaning, indicating different states, such as matrimony, and so on. Even the tiny tots, their first hesitating steps directed by mother’s kindly, protecting hand, are all dressed in the centuries-old manner of the parents, which lends a particularly charming note to these enchanting islands.
    As to places of amusements, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and the other large towns do not differ from any other large town on the Continent. There are numerous cinemas where mainly British or American pictures are shown; there are theatres and concert halls; there isdancing at the hotels and restaurants, the formality of an introduction being waived. Amsterdam has its Thorbeckeplein (Thorbecke Square) with many bars and cabarets, in case Mr. Tourist wants to go out alone.
    Dutch orchestras are very good. In the first place, there is the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Willem Mengelberg, who has done remarkable work by introducing modern musical works from abroad. The Concertgebouw Orchestra gives a series of forty-five concerts every winter, and besides these, a series of twenty to thirty popular concerts (a condition imposed by the Amsterdam municipality) commencing in September and ending in the middle of July. The Residence Orchestra of The Hague is similarly a first-class orchestra. In summer it plays in the Kurhaus of Scheveningen under foreign conductors. Utrecht also has a famous municipal orchestra, and there are permanent orchestras in provincial capitals like Arnhem, Groningen, Haarlem, and Maastricht. The choral societies occupy an important place in the artistic life of the country. There are male choirs of international reputation. All these, as well as the numerous choral competitions organised yearly in different parts of the country, demonstrate the high place of song in the life of the Dutch people.
For the Ladies
    It follows from Holland’s international position that lady visitors will find everything they require as regards fashions, beauty parlours and hairdressers in the larger towns. In Amsterdam or The Hague reasonable make-up is not objected to, but on the whole it would be unwise to overdo it. The Dutch have long resented make-up, and painted finger-nails and crimson lips have long been considered bad form.
    Clubs there are few in Holland, and they are exclusive. There are women’s clubs at Amsterdam and The Hague, so-called Lyceum clubs, which welcome members of similar clubs abroad. The latest craze is bridge clubs. They may be found by the hundred in any of the larger towns. They charge a small entrance fee of a shilling or so, and every afternoon and evening you are sure to find scores of partners at any of these clubs. No introductionis needed and any hotel porter can give information about them. In most of the larger towns there are English churches. In The Hague there is an English women’s club, also an American. There are some hunting clubs, admission to which may be obtained by special introduction.
    A final remark might be added on the Dutch railways. They are really comfortable and cheap. The tourist need not travel first or second class. For smaller distances third class is also very satisfactory. The rates are about 10 Dutch cents per mile for a first-class day return ticket, approximately 7½ cents per mile for a second-class day return ticket and about 4½ cents for a third-class return ticket. A very cheap ticket is the eight-day season ticket which costs only 15 florins third class (2 guineas), and which enables the tourist to travel all over the country, 300 miles a day if he chooses to do so, for eight consecutive days.

DENMARK
by
M. C. JOLLIFFE
    TABLE OF CONTENTS

DENMARK
    I NFORMATION on travel to and in Denmark is obtainable gratis from: The Danish Tourist Society (Turistforeningen for Danmark), Bernstorffsgade 8, Copenhagen V; The Danish Tourist Bureau, 31 Haymarket, London; and United Shipping Co.
    Convenient small books on Denmark