In Hoboken, there’s a 100-metre-long legal street art wall along the Jef Van Linden cycle path. A quick excursion before we watch Paris–Roubaix on TV. #bearinBelgium #streetart

Venetiaens Blondje is a spicy, top-fermented Belgian blonde house beer (7.0%), brewed specifically for the café Den Venetiaen in Hoegaarden. #smallbearsneedbeer

Hoegaarden White is the original Belgian wheat beer. Almost 600 years ago, a group of monks in Hoegaarden experimented with adding unique botanical ingredients from all over the world to their traditional wheat beer. #bearinBelgium #smallbearsneedbeer

The Mariadal monastery complex, of which St Roch’s Chapel forms part, is one of the many gems in the rich heritage of the municipality of Hoegaarden. #bearinBelgium

There were 39 breweries in Hoegaarden during the golden (beer) age, the 18th century. It was a tax haven for brewers. The beer was exported as far as Antwerp, where it was praised for its quality. #bearinBelgium #smallbearsneedbeer

Palm Sunday is the day on which the joyful entry into Jerusalem of Jesus is celebrated. In the Middle Ages, the custom of holding a procession arose. In Hoegaarden the Society of the 12 Apostles was founded in 1631. The oak statue of Christ on a donkey is carried through the streets. #bearinBelgium

Today we went on a guided behind-the-scenes tour at Planckendael Zoo. That was pretty cool. All the animals have their own bucket in which their food is transported. It was a sunny day and there were lots of monkeys outside, playing or lazing about. #bearinBelgium

Lunch on a terrace. Spring is in the air. #bearinBelgium #heistopdenberg #smallbearsneedbeer

On the church square stands a 17th-century pillory. Under the Ancien Régime, the magistrates’ court could sentence someone to the pillory. The offender was chained to the post, where they could be mocked by passers-by. “I am innocent!” #bearinBelgium

At the top of the Heistse Berg (the second highest hill in the province of Antwerp) stands a 32-metre-high water tower. The tower pumps water from a water catchment area in Westerlo. It supplies water to the town and the surrounding area. #bearinBelgium

Hof van Riemen is a moated building dating back to the Middle Ages. The entrance gate consists of a walkway with two round arches. #bearinBelgium #heistopdenberg

We come to Heist-op-den-Berg almost every year for a cycling race. But now we're here to have a look around the town for once. #bearinBelgium

Bus number 2 from Lier to Heist-op-den-Berg. The scenic route. #bearinBelgium

Human has bus tickets that expire next week, so we’ll be taking the bus a lot over the next few days... On our way to Heist-op-den-Berg. Bus number 1. #bearinBelgium

We were in Antwerp at the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. #cycling

Happy Easter friends. Hope you have a peacefull day. We are watching the Ronde van Vlaanderen. #happyeaster

The Van der Stucken brothers were German immigrants in Antwerp who chose to join the resistance in 1914. Felix was killed in action at Ramskapelle in October 1914. Edmond spent the entire war in the trenches. A few days before the armistice, he died of Spanish flu. #bearinBelgium

J.H. Laurence was one of the sailors who crossed the Channel with Churchill to defend against a German offensive in the autumn of 1914. The operation ended in disaster. The inscription ‘known to be buried in this cemetery’ is given to those whose exact resting place was unknown. #bearinBelgium

A walk through Schoonselhof Cemetery in Hoboken. In 1914, it was decided that this would be the site of the military cemetery. There are also graves of Belgians who fell in battles abroad, such as in Korea. One of our uncles fought in Korea. I wonder if he knew this soldier. #bearinBelgium

Hallerbos with a friend. Not yet in full bloom, but there are already some lovely wild hyacinths. #walkingisfun #bearinBelgium

Snepkensvijver is one of the oldest nature reserves in Flanders. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun #herentals

Long ago Zwart Water lay in an open dune landscape where the wind had free rein. Sand was blown away down to a hard layer in the subsoil. This didn´t allow water to pass through giving rise to a fen. Peat or turf developed here giving the water a dark colour. Hence the name. #walkingisfun

It must be absolutely lovely here when the heather is in bloom. At the moment, there’s mainly silence, the chirping of birds and the bleating of sheep. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

Walking in Herentals. Heiberg is part of the Kempense Heuvelrug, a large inland dune. Lots of heather and Corsican pines. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

We’re at the Zoo. A guided tour for members. Very interesting. Learned a bit more about the history of the Zoo and how they try to stay relevant these days, despite everything. #bearinBelgium

Now that we are heading home again, a glorious sun is beaming down. This morning, we’ll first visit Huis Willet-Holthuysen at the Herengracht, an 17th-century canal house that showcases the opulent lifestyle of the 18th century Amsterdam elite. Welcome to my humble abode. #bearinHolland

Lots of bears living in a Dudok house of the 1920s. #Hilversum

The city council asked Dudok in 1920 to draw up plans for the construction of a ‘public bathhouse and some 30 workers’ homes’. From 1921 to 1975, the bathhouse served as a bathing facility for the surrounding neighbourhood. In 2018, the building was converted into two private homes. #bearinHolland

The flat roof, the brick façades and the long, rhythmic rows of windows gave the Juliana School a ‘strict’ appearance, but the decorative ornaments soften this. Dudok designed it in 1925. #bearinHolland

In 1925 Dudok designed a primary school on Fabritiuslaan. He adapted the appearance of the buildings to suit the rural surroundings. The school was given white-plastered façades and thatched roofs. #bearinHolland

Nienke van Hichtum School is a nursery school. The layout is tailored to the child’s perspective. Large windows, cheerful colours, low walls with no sharp corners. A striking feature is the semi-circular bay window with panes reaching almost to the floor, appreciated by bears too. #bearinHolland

So today we’re in Hilversum, walking the Dudok trail. Hilversum Town Hall (1931) is the crowning achievement of Willem Marinus Dudok’s work. It is a sculptural building comprising cubist volumes and horizontal façade lines, culminating in a 48-metre-high tower. #bearinHolland

I think Hoorn would have been nicer if the sun had been out. It’s a lovely little harbour town with narrow, charming streets. #bearinHolland

The Hoofdtoren is one of the last surviving defensive structures in Hoorn. It is now a restaurant. #bearinHolland

The Westfries Museum has been housed in the former Statencollege since 1881: a listed building dating from 1632 in the heart of the historic port city of Hoorn. It will be closed until mid-2027 for a major renovation. #bearinHolland

Still finding it tricky to take selfies. 😉 Behind me you can see the Oosterpoort. Built in 1578 on the former defensive moat around Hoorn. #bearinHolland

On a train to Hoorn. It was raining this morning, but should stop around noon. Fingers crossed. #travellingbear #bearinHolland

Frans Hals was born in Antwerp in 1582 or 1583. His family moved to the Northern Netherlands after the Fall of Antwerp. Along with Rembrandt and Vermeer, he is an important painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He is particularly appreciated for his portraits of contemporaries. #bearinHolland #Haarlem

There is a bear cheerfully blowing bubbles here. #Haarlem

The Müller organ is the main organ of the Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem. It was played by G.F. Handel in 1740 and 1750, who travelled there especially for this purpose, and in 1766 by the then 10-year-old Mozart. #bearinHolland

We are in Haarlem, about half an hour by bus from Amsterdam. Haarlem is first mentioned in a document from the 10th century. In 1245, it was granted city rights by William II of Holland. By the end of the Middle Ages, Haarlem had become one of the most important cities in Holland. #bearinHolland

You could make a bottle with your own caption here, but the number of characters was too limited. I wanted to put "small bears need beer," but that wasn't possible. That's a shame. #smallbearsneedbeer

Ah, this is what it's all about. (Although I don't think this is the best beer in the world). A bit chauvinistic perhaps, but I love Belgian beer. #travellingbear #bearinHolland #Heineken #smallbearsneedbeer

The interactive tour of the Heineken Experience runs through the original brewhouse where the first barrels were filled in 1867. #travelingbear #bearinHolland #Heineken

Gerard Adriaan Heineken was the founder of the Heineken brewery. In 1864, he took over the De Hooiberg brewery on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam, where he began brewing a new beer. #travellingbear #bearinHolland #Heineken

The old Heineken Brewery, an enormous red-brick building on Stadhouderskade. Now the Heineken Experience. #travellingbear #bearinHolland #Heineken

A longer train journey due to the strikes in Belgium, but we made it to Amsterdam. Lovely hotel room. In the bathroom, the bin is fixed to the wall at a height. I think that's a good idea. #travelingbear #novotel

I find quiet zones on trains very pleasant. But isn't it strange that they have to be specially designated? Shouldn't it be generally understood that you should speak quietly in public places and not disturb other people? #travellingbear #travellingbytrain 🚅

At the car wash, woah Talking about the car wash, yeah Come on y'all and sing it for me Car wash, wooh, car wash, yeah

Oh spring is surely coming Her couriers fill the air Each morn are new arrivals Each night her ways prepare I scent her fragrant garments Her foot is on the stair. (John Burroughs)