fbpx
Home / Articles and Features / Netherlands 2024 Tour Recap and Photo Log

Netherlands 2024 Tour Recap and Photo Log

by Clark Barclay & Shane Barclay

Check out our two Instagram Reels directly below for a quick glance at our entire trip, and then keep reading to get a full taste of our tour via daily recaps and photos.

Day One – July 14, 2024

Day 1 of Honkbalweek is a wrap! We watched Japan vs. Spain, with Japan clinching a 5-4 comeback victory. It was a beautiful day filled with delicious Dutch ballpark food, goofy dancing, and top-tier baseball!

The youngest JapanBaller, Brooks, takes in the game with dad Shane.
Nothing better than beer and baseball!
The group walks towards the ballpark for the first game of the week.
The tour group enjoys the first game of Honkbalweek.
A baseball statue of a young boy pitching at the Dutch Baseball Museum at Pim Mulier Stadium.
Stroopwafels as the ballpark!
A different take on ballpark food: fried herring!
Dutch fries might be the best in the world..these are at least the best ballpark fries you’ll ever have!

Day Two – July 15

Day 2 of Honkbalweek is in the books! We started our day with a scenic train ride into Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum, then returned to Haarlem for a delectable Dutch-Indonesian fusion lunch at Brasserie van Beinum. 😋

The group started the day with a scenic train ride into Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum.
The group and an incredible Dutch-Indonesian fusion lunch at Brasserie van Beinum.
A stand up paddle boarder navigates a Haarlem canal.
Bikes are the preferred form of transportation in the Netherlands.
A look down a beautiful Haarlem street in the Netherlands. You can see historic St. Bavo Church in the distance.

The day wrapped up with more thrilling Honkbal action: Italy defeated Spain 10-3, and USA edged out Chinese Taipei 6-5 in an intense extra innings showdown. 😵‍💫

Shane and Kathy getting into the between-innings fun at the ballpark.
Enjoying an after-game snack.
Team Italy celebrates their win against Spain.

Day Three – July 17

Another unforgettable day filled with scenic sights, tasty bites, and endless Honkbal action. We started the day with a dreamy private boat excursion through the Haarlem canals, followed by an eye-opening tour of Adrian’s Windmill. Who knew windmills could be so fascinating and influential in human history?!

The day started with a private boat excursion through the Haarlem canals.
De Adriaan has been a fixture of the Haarlem skyline for centuries.
The group learned about the inner workings of Haarlem’s most famous windmill, the Adrian.

Afterward, we enjoyed a VIP dinner at Pim Mulier Stadium.

Our VIP dinner at Pim Mulier Stadium was phenomenal!
The group enjoys dinner outside.

Today’s games featured Italy vs. Japan and Netherlands vs. Spain, with Japan and Netherlands securing the victories. Naturally, the home crowd was ecstatic, and the stadium was stacked!

Netherlands and Spain line up prior to their game.
Manny the Honkbalweek mascot fires up the Honkbal crowd.
Jessie smiles with the official #Honkbalweek photo frame.
A little typical Dutch rain can’t dampen our groups’ spirits.
Brooks is clearly on his way to becoming a life-long baseball fan.

Day Four – July 17

Day 3 in Amsterdam! We kicked off with a visit to the iconic Rijksmuseum, marveling at the Dutch Masters. Lunch followed at The Hoxton in the heart of downtown.

There are several model ships of the Dutch East Indian Company inside the Rijksmuseum.
The Cuyper Library at the Rijksmuseum in the largest and oldest art / historical library in the Netherlands.
One of the many iconic canals in Amsterdam.
The group poses in front of an Amsterdam Canal.
The group enjoys lunch in the heart of downtown Amsterdam at Lotti’s at The Hoxton Hotel.
Brooks enjoying his lunch at Lotti’s.

Some of us then explored the Heineken Experience, and our final stop was the Anne Frank House. We wrapped up the day watching Japan triumph over the Netherlands 5-1!

Some of the group explored the Heineken Experience, sampling tasty beers in a former brewery.
Team Japan’s roster sheet, autographed by every player!
A beautiful Netherlands baseball sky behind Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem.

Day Five – July 18

Today was the penultimate day of our Honkbalweek tour and we’re already feeling nostalgic. We saw USA beat Netherlands in a close 2 – 1 game and Japan beat Chinese Taipei in a not-so-close 8 – 0 shut out. Hayato Takagi would have thrown a no-hitter if it wasn’t for a single bunt in the 7th. Excitement is building for tomorrow’s championship game!

Team USA beat the Netherlands in a close 2-1 game, advancing to play Japan in the championship.
Brooks prepared to catch his first foul ball.
Team USA celebrates their narrow win over The Netherlands.
The group shows off their scorecards from the the semifinals.
Spotted a Japanese baseball fan!
The Barclay family does as the Dutch do and enjoys a scenic bike ride through town.
Lingonberries at the local market in Haarlem.
One of the best parts of any JapanBall tour is the food!
Cured herring – a Dutch classic!
We were pleased to learn that cinnamon rolls are a local specialty. Every cafe has their own take!

Day Six – July 19

Today marked the grand finale of Honkbalweek, and it ended with a literal bang! 🎆 It was only fitting that the championship game was between USA and Japan, with Japan ultimately claiming the trophy. Between the Netherlands vs. Chinese Taipei midday bronze medal game we enjoyed a sunny picnic replete with Dutch charcuterie and cold beverages. We can’t wait to return in two years!

Filling in the final scorecard of Honkbalweek.
Brooks gets a better view of the ballgame, courtesy of dad.
A Chinese Taipei player signs an autograph for a member of the tour group.
The group enjoys a picnic between the bronze and gold medal games.
The Barclays take one last photo with the official #Honkbalweek photo frame.
Jeff and Dee ham it up for the Honkbalweek camera.
Leon and Henry pose in front of the diamond.
Brooks and Shane enjoying another day at the ballpark.
Honkbalweek’s finale was an absolute blast.

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Close