Aesthetics

Dinner at Julia’s Kitchen

Autumn trees along the road

View from the room balcony

Trails

Lunch time

Orange is the new Black

Airborne Museum Hartenstein – deer park

Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?

Autumn foliage

Airborne Museum Hartenstein gardens

Pancake house in the village

Autumn leaves

Autumn colors

Autumn colors

Hotel interiors – reception

Oosterbeek trail

Bilderberg Oosterbeek front driveway

Fries

Enroute from Amsterdam to Oosterbeek

Hotel interiors – corridor

Hotel Bilderberg Oosterbeek

Deers in the park

Table tops

Perch

A glass of wine

Bilderberg Oosterbeek interiors

Airborne Museum Hartenstein

Hotel Bilderberg Oosterbeek

Walking along

Mushrooms

Dutch countryside

Steak

Walking to the town

Scapes

Tall drink

Across from the pool

Trail to the town

Autumn table arrangements

Autumn colors

Scapes

Spaghetti

We must!

Building in front of Bilderberg

Cosy reading corners

Club sandwich

Cycle on the porch

Farmer’s omlette

Shroom in the forest

Bilderberg Oosterbeek grounds

We had a tranquil weekend in the east of The Netherlands, nestled in the Veluwe, at the Oosterbeek Bilderberg. About an hour’s drive from Amsterdam with plenty of walking trails in autumn hues Oosterbeek was everything we wanted it to be and some more. The ability to unplug and exhale in the middle of a hectic schedule was pure luxury. It also brought with it time away to reconnect as a family without the worry of work, school, and everyday humdrum.

The Veluwe has the ability to act as a cocoon, a secret space, a hidden wonderland that engulfs you, squirrels run by, deers graze, large trees spread their arms and entrench large networks of roots, and one feels little, small, tiny yet sheltered. The forest holds and keeps you. A feeling that I often get when I swim. The texture of water flowing over and under, like the leaves of trees, shielding and yielding.

The Bilderberg property is in the midst of sprawling greenery and has a relaxed vibe. It is a popular multinational off-site destination, while we were there KPMG had an event, and the trays of pastries looked promising. They have a game room, which was great fun. Evening sessions of table tennis revealed hidden talent in the family. The room decor had an old world charm, floral curtains, and a fluffy orange carpet. Some would say dated but I would call it endearing, for me it went with the atmosphere.

On day one we grabbed a quick lunch at the hotel bar, walked to the town through one of the trails, had ice creams in the local parlor, and later enjoyed dinner at Julia’s Kitchen in the hotel. The candle lit tables and fireplace added much warmth to the nippy autumn evening. As we closed the first day of our weekend break with a glass of wine we raised a toast to many such fulfilling trips.