Darts Around The World » Thorn Around The World, Part 27: “Delving Into Delft”
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It’s been a long time since I’ve written a Thorn Report. In fact, these stories are from 2011, from an adventure spanning three months, sixteen countries, and one World Cup of Darts. But don’t worry, …
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When I opened my eyes it was dark. The train was trickling down the track with that familiar click; most passengers had disembarked somewhere between London and the dwindling number of depots between the famous city and the eastern coast of Great Britain. The port of Harwich –and my overnight Stena Line ferry to Holland –was just ahead. I was about to enter my seventh country in three weeks.
I was tired from two days of high speed sightseeing through Wales and England, but nothing picks me up like the thought of a boat ride. This one would be like a poor man’s cruise, including a sleeping cabin, while I floated across the English Channel to the Netherlands.
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I boarded the large ship and quickly scouted out my stateroom and the decks. The moon was waning gibbous over the industrial docks. I made friends quickly, enjoying a few cocktails with other travelers traveling for reasons unlike mine. After a few hours of watching the night sea and listening to the surf off the hull, exhaustion set in again and I retired, dreaming about what I would discover in Holland.
Morning broke and I grabbed a steaming cup of coffee to enjoy while dawn turned to day as the coastal ports and modern Dutch windmills drew closer.
At age thirteen I toured Amsterdam with a school group on our way to Germany. This was my first return to mainland Europe in almost thirty years. So, I had no need to see the typical tourist trappings of Amsterdam–been there, done that. Instead, I was following the advice of Jacques Nieuwlaat , master caller for the PDC, top darts commentator for Holland, and a new friend from the WDF World Cup of Darts in Ireland two weeks earlier. He had invited me to join him in the commentating booth during his live broadcast of the 2011 PDC World Grand Prix , and I wasn’t going to miss the chance. That’s why I was taking a train from the ferry to Delft , his home town and a marvelous example of classic Holland life.
By chance, a fellow passenger on the train–which was packed with people and students on the morning commute to various jobs and classes–was from Portland. We got to know each other quickly, and he helped me find a super hotel in Delft before whisking away on his bicycle, disappearing into the two-wheel traffic that whizzed through the cobble streets and over the quaint canal bridges that made Delft a maze.
I checked into the Hotel de Ark , one of several fabulous boutique bed and breakfasts that speckle Delft’s long antique streets. My room, the service, and the food was fantastic–I recharged my engines with a beautiful buffet by the window overlooking a canal while catching up on the DartsAroundTheWorld podcasts. And, I emailed Jacques. Before my last sip of fresh squeezed orange juice, I got his reply: he’d meet me that afternoon, show me some of his town, and then we’d head for RTL7 , the radio and television station that would be broadcasting the second day of the 2011 Grand Prix of Darts, taking place in Dublin, later that night. All of the greats would be playing.
But soon, I was wandering the streets of Delft, taking pictures of buildings, churches, and monuments that truly epitomize Dutch architecture and history. I watched little boats chug up the canals and lost count of how many bikes blew by. But mostly, I scoped around for potential dart bars.
Knowing how popular darts is in The Netherlands–with players like Raymond Van Barneveld, Co Stompe, Vincent van der Voort and countless other top players–I knew it wouldn’t be hard to find. Just down the block from Hotel de Ark was the SnookerCafe–a great billiards and darts sports bar. But, being late morning, I had to wait for it to open. I ambled the streets some more, poking into coffee shops and cafes and then surfing the internet sitting outside along the bustling main square. It was a beautiful soft sunny day in Delft.
Around lunch, Jacques emailed me again and said he’d meet me in an hour. By then, the SnookerCafe had opened and I was already throwing my first few darts in The Netherlands.
Soon, Jacques appeared. It was one of those eeire moments where you see someone you know in a new place and it makes the world feel smaller. Certainly, it was exciting that this new friend was also a professional darts commentator and emcee. I was beyond grateful and thrilled to be a guest of Jacques in his home town–what better way to experience the real life in Holland, and get an inside look at the Dutch dart world as well.
For starters, we played a few legs at SnookerCafe, and Jacques–a top local league player–basically kicked my butt several times, quickly. nonetheless, a person as fun and happy as him is a pleasure to lose to. Soon, we were walking the streets, seeing little bits of his life and talking a mile a minute–Jacques is more than fluent in a handful of languages. He showed me his team’s home bar, although it was still closed. Then, we went to another park square to eat some classic Dutch delicacies and drinks at one of his favorite restaurants, also owned by a friend, the Cafe Brasserie Belvedere . We sat outside, soaked up the atmosphere, relived some of the World Cup and talked about darts now and the future.
Before I knew it, Jacques said, with his omnipresent smile, “Ok, I have to go prepare for the broadcast tonight. I’ll be back to pick you up later this afternoon and we’ll head to the station.” I grinned broadly, we bumped knuckles and parted.
Two hours later he picked me up outside Hotel de Ark and–I could hardly believe what was happening…I was about to sit in the booth next to the top PDC commentator for all of Holland, doing a live Dutch version of the World Grand Prix of darts, with tens of thousands of listeners. As we left town and got on the freeway, Jacques noticed my giddy mood. He looked at me said, “You’re going to love this.”
Over and double out.
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