I’ve done the whirlwind tour of Europe with that inescapable ‘if it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium’ feeling. That was on my first trip abroad and when I was determined to get my money’s worth and see as many places as I could. Then I could nonchalantly say, ‘Been there, done that’.

But subsequent holidays taught me that it was so much more rewarding to take in the sights leisurely and get a feel of the place. Not having to rush around with the thought of being in time for the departure of the coach was a relief. Fortunately for me, family members migrated to different countries, so that gave me an opportunity to travel without being hampered by time or financial constraints.

So, this most recent trip to the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom was a most relaxed time. I spent time with family and friends, with no pressure to see this or that. Of course, I had already ticked off many places on my bucket list, so it was nice to just sit back and catch up on news and go out only if I felt like it.

My first stop was Amsterdam. I was introduced to the latest member of the family of my niece and her husband — their Basset Hound — whose fame had spread far and wide among the family. It was the first time that I was seeing such a breed in the flesh as it were. And everything I had heard about him was true. He loves to sleep, trips over his long ears and gets tired easily on account of his short legs.

One day, we decided to visit a place called Giethoorn in the east, also known as the Venice of the north. Giethoorn is a picturesque village dependent on its canals and where many houses cannot be reached by road.

My first impression was that it looked surreal, like something out of a picture book we thumbed through as children. As we punted on a canal, we passed thatched houses with colourful flower pots hanging outside and rich green embankments.

I learnt that Giethoorn’s name originates from the first inhabitants’ discovery of hundreds of goat horns (gietehorens) in the marshland, remnants of a 10th-century flood.

The Basset Hound attracted a lot of attention. A passer-by stopped to look and laugh and even asked if the dog was genetically modified, much to the chagrin of his owners. The place was awash with Chinese tourists, many of whom stopped to stare at this strange looking species and then asked if they could take a photo of him. Aldous, named after Aldous Huxley, was soon a tourist attraction, and seemed to take it all in his ‘short’ stride. He posed patiently, his mournful brown eyes winning many hearts.

Then it was time to put him in the boat. I don’t think he was pleased with the idea but was willing to put up with the foolishness of humans. His owners were prepared with a bag full of emergency goods in case he fell into the water. It’s not that they were of a pessimistic disposition as it had happened once before.

As we cruised down the canal, we looked with delight at the quaint houses and the lush, overhanging plants drooping into the water. It was a sight for sore eyes.

Later, we walked a fair bit through the village. However, our pace was dictated by that of Aldous, whose legs could only move at a snail-like speed.

Mention needs to be made of the fact that the delights of Giethoorn were made known to the Amsterdam residents by a family member in India who had read about it. This proves that the voyage of discovery can be made by anyone these days without having to visit the place.