Quick visit to Utrecht the city I was born

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

It always feels familiar to get to or be in Utrecht, I was born there and although I left the city at a very young age I still have great memories of it. Mostly because my grandparents were living there and I often visited them. Some very dear memories go back to those days. I remember staying there on holidays and doing all kinds of fun things like visiting the Spoorwegmuseum (railway museum) and climbing the Domtoren.

Caption: Oudegracht in Utrecht with in the background the Domtoren (see also this list). EXIF: Canon EOS 5D Mark III,ƒ/16, 1/60sec, at 35mm ISO1250

Edit in: Lightroom CC with Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin (was freeware from Google)

NIK Collection
For those of you who might be interested in the stand alone collection and plug-in for LR and PS here is the freeware download.

Utrecht Central Station
I’m only here for a short time as I’m coming from Zeist and are on my way to Amsterdam Central Station. The Utrecht Central Railway Junction (Utrecht Centaal) is the largest and busiest station in the Netherlands. It was once built for about 35 million travellers a year, now about 88 million people use the station every year.

Caption: Utrecht Centraal the enormous undulating station concourse is a design by Benthem Crouwel Architects

From here the ICE departs for Germany as well as the special museum train to the Spoorwegmuseum (railway museum).

Caption: ICE arriving at Utrecht Centraal Exif*:* Canon EOS 5D Mark III, ƒ/6.3, 1/60 sec. at 16mm ISO500

I took the ICE train to Amsterdam Central Station. which was a very comfortable and luxurious train ride.The next few days I will be in Amsterdam to explore the city some more. My goal is visiting some of the great breweries that are here as preparation for the upcoming International Beer Meet-up
(Read more here)

For more information on stuff to do and see in Amsterdam I like to point to some great post by my friend @Emmik20 :

1. AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL STATION

2. What is it Like Seeing De-gooyer, the tallest wooden windmill in Netherlands

3. A Photowalk along the Canals.

4. STATUES: WHY DO WE LIKE TO SEE THEM

5. Historical landmarks , Towers & Spires

6. It is Time to Explore Street Gardens and Flowers.

[FaridTDF]

Muy lindas fotos nocturnas @Erik_van_den_Ham pero lo que más me gusto, son los detalles en tu viaje.
ahira lo que me sorprendió es el gran crecimiento de 35 a 88 millones de usuarios al año, sería muy lindo poder contar con una foto 360 del hall de entrada de la estación ora poder tener una idea de lo grande que es en su interior. .

Que bueno nos compartas los link de los otros post relacionados

Saludos Farid

For the case that has difficulty, in reading my answer, in the upper right part of the screen, in the drop-down menu of languages, you can select the language, in which you want to read the post.

[Ewaade_3A]

The pop of colors in this Post!

You do Photography that makes the eyes pop.

One question please, if you don’t mind my asking;

“How was the picture shot?”

I mean the angle…

the one of the Utrecht Centraal

@Erik_van_den_Ham

[Sophia_Cambodia]

@Erik_van_den_Ham when talking about hometown, my imagination runs out to old town in countryside, with bulls and horses, grassland and farms… which is not your case. Your hometown looks so civilized and very new.

[LilyanaZ]

It looks that this was a nice trip down memory lane @Erik_van_den_Ham , thank you so much for sharing it with us, especially when you presented it with those amazing photos . The railway museum looks like something straight out of a Christmas movie. And wow, that train station looks so beautiful as well!

P.S. for some reason the second picture does not display properly, would love to see it as well, and thanks for the great list!

[Emmik20]

Hi @Erik_van_den_Ham . You always impressed me with quality posts and superb pictures. May be you should plan a second meet-up on photography at a later date.

Back to the topic. I like Netherlands more than ever before now. I work for a Dutch organisation.

My colleagues at work have shown me how Dutch are warm, friendly and jovial.

I can equal felt the air of freedom in the Netherlands when I was in Amsterdam.

Utrecht is truly beautiful. The Utrecht rail station is massive and I will like to visit it.

l hope to attend the International beer meet-up. I drink once in week, specially on Friday.

And big thank you for the links to my posts.

[TusharSuradkar]

Getting an opportunity out of our busy schedule to visit the place of birth especially where one’s grandparents is full of joy.

Rekindling childhood memories attached to monuments is a pleasureful experience.

Thanks for sharing wonderful photos @Erik_van_den_Ham

However, I am unable to view the 2nd photo captioned “Oudegracht in Utrecht with in the background”

Do not worry though, it could be just me and my browser that have a problem viewing it.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hello @FaridTDF thank you for your kind comments. The growth from 35 to 88 Million is not in one year When the station was first built they estimated the capacity for the future needed to be 35 M, (not sure what year that was) . Recent numbers (before Corona) showed 88 million people passing through this central place in the Netherlands.
Yes 360 pictures would most certainly be great. I will be able to borrow a good 360 camera soon to test it out so if I get close I will keep this in mind. There is however one problem to take pictures inside one needs permission, this was told me last time by some very kind police officers. These places could be a target for terror so they like to keep some control.

Thank you for appreciating the fact I shared @Emmik20 posts. I was reading them with much pleasure at the time he posted those. I think it’s always great to read the experiences of tourist/visitors to your country. I always hope the people have a good time, not get bothered with nasty things like pickpockets and have a good or wonderful time here.

Best regards, Erik

[RosyKohli]

@Erik_van_den_Ham

Thanks for sharing your childhood memories, your grandparents place you of visit there enjoying all kinds of fun. Sharing awesome photo also.

My sister had visit Amsterdam ,she had click the photo it’s beautiful place.

My uncle was first sikh to go Holland he was know as Mr Singh there, now he is no more. But his kids & grand children are staying in Holland.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hello @Ewaade_3A thank you for the kind words. One of the tricks I use is HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. So what actually is done is I take three pictures on the same place. Using a function in my camera that’s called bracketing.

What actually happens is my camera takes one shot that is like he measured the light conditions. A second shot which is 2 F stops darker and a third that is 2 F stops lighter.
I import all the pictures into Lightroom and let the program combine the three pictures in to one HDR picture.This high dynamic range is what makes the dark tones and the light ones look like you could have seen them. You would have probably seen that when you take a picture of a sunset or sunrise the sun gets bleached out or the shadow parts turn to black. While your eyes could still see colour in the shadow parts en did not make the sun look like a super white ball. This is what happens when these three shots are combined.

Caption: The three pictures on top are ‘as shot’ the large picture is those combined to HDR

The three pictures are also shot in RAW what also makes them have more dynamic range as a same JPG.

The picture of the Utrecht Centraal was taken from above the whole building is actually on a first floor with the train tracks below. I’m standing here on the level of the fist floor. So you are looking down on the busses in front and the train tracks behind that.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hello @Sophia_Cambodia as my family moved away from Utrecht whe moved to a small village that is probably more like your hometown. I grew up between farmland, cows, forests and nature. I loved it! I think the city is great but so much is going on and it can be hectic. The people are more individualistic in the city while the small town is more cohesive and people are more in contact, In my village we greet each other as we pass by, if I was to do that in Amsterdam or Utrecht people would wonder if they should know me.

I love visiting the big cities but prefer to live more quiet.

[Ewaade_3A]

Wow!

Now, I understand.

Thanks for putting on such a great show.

You don’t disappoint at all

@Erik_van_den_Ham

[MayuriKubal]

@Erik_van_den_Ham What a great post Loved the cool captures too. Indeed visiting grandparents is awesome Thanks for sharing things to do in Amsterdam too.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hello @LilyanaZ that it was fur sure. Even if the city has changed over all these years it’s still dear to me. Some of these changes are really great,
There was a problem with the ‘sharring’ of the second picture. The problem should be fixed now, thank you for the heads up on that,. Reminds me I need to check in incognito mode after posting. The picture was visible for me.

The setting of the spot in de museum is just like that they build an very old town around this train and a cool history story is played as you go along.

[Sophia_Cambodia]

@Erik_van_den_Ham oh, do you mean it was like that before?

Because through the photos, it doesn’t look like rural area to me

[Emmik20]

Hi @Erik_van_den_Ham it is quite true. Reading about tourist perception of one’s country is the best source of candid unbiased opinion.

As for the pick pocket , I never encountered one during my stay in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is an open Museum. A lot of beautiful places to experience. News about pick pocket should not come up in the first place , from any media.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hi @Emmik20 I feel quite the same about your posts. It;s not just the subjects you choose but more the whole approach. It makes it fun to read and it’s always informative, I would love to do a meet up on photography. But I also need to take care of my time. I mean spending time here is fun. I also need some food on the table.

I share some of the things I do at random posts when it comes up. Like that too as it’s a sort of interaction I really like. I do however have in mind to do a post on tele lens or perhaps better said the millimeters and how they affect a picture. The do’s and don’ts and more.

OK that is so great to hear that your team works so well. You got m very curious now what organisation you work for. But don’t tell me if you won’t like to share.

I have scoop for you. I just made up my mind tonight and the online beer meet up will be planned on October 4, need to find out what is the best time (please tell me yours) as we are all over the world.
I’ve also come up with a title for it,

It will be:

Oktoberfest

In honour of the oldest beer festival that had to be cancelled this year.

"NO OKTOBERFEST IN 2020
It’s now official, last night it was already buzzing with rumors. This morning, the Prime Minister of Bavaria announced that there will be no Oktoberfest in Munich in 2020 together with the mayor of the beer capital of Germany and the operators of the beer tents have reached this far-reaching decision.

“Living with corona means living carefully” according to both gentlemen. “Until there is a vaccine, it is irresponsible to receive more than 6 million guests from all over the world.” The risk is therefore too great to receive all these visitors, largely from abroad, in Munich.

BITTER PILL FOR MUNICH
The Oktoberfest is not only a big party for the visitors, many companies also make a living from the income of these 3 weeks. Last year, the gastronomes on the Wiesen and the hoteliers in and around Munich achieved a turnover of around one billion euros.

Normally, the Oktoberfest would take place from September 19th to October 4th. The cancellation of the Oktoberfest comes earlier than expected, they actually wanted to wait until the last minute. The construction of the beer tents does not start until July. Still, the government has decided to make the decision earlier not to give false hope.

It is not the first time that the Oktoberfest is cancelled, It is now the 25th time that the beer festival is cancelled, the last time was in 1948. It is also not the first time that the Oktoberfest is cancelled due to a pandemic, in 1854 and 1873 the popular festival was cancelled because of the cholera."

[LilyanaZ]

I am glad I gave you the heads up @Erik_van_den_Ham - the picture is stunning!

[Emmik20]

Hi @Erik_van_den_Ham I understand we need to engage in other activities. We all need to make a living.

Covid-19 is affecting everyone. Sad to hear Oktoberfest is cancelled. I usually watch it on DW live.

As for the time , for your coming meetup, my time zone is + 5 GMT. Except 12th of September , I am available on any other day.

[Erik_van_den_Ham]

Hello @TusharSuradkar my grandparents both died long ago still the beautiful memories remain. Happy days as child eating Italian ice cream at Il Mulino which is still there.
No the missing of the second photo was all my bad. Something went wrong with the sharing from Google Photos and it is fixed now. Thank you for the meaningful words.