Tales from the road: Part 3 – creativity among the tulips

As part of my two-month road trip around Europe, I’d always planned to finish up in The Netherlands. I’ve been visiting there for work and for fun over the last few years, with Amsterdam easily being my favourite city in the world.

I love the cycling culture (and its infrastructure), the beautiful canals, the gorgeous architecture and the hard-to-explain buzz of the place. It’s also a fantastic city for art lovers with so many great galleries to pick from and general appreciation for the creative world.

Recently, a few of my creative friends have decided to make The Netherlands their home. Mimi and I have known each other since school – and after years working as an art buyer for a London advertising agency, she’s now the co-founder of a new company, Darklight Art. They harbour a global photography community, advising on careers and portfolios and sell affordable small edition prints.

“People here in The Netherlands seem really plugged into culture,” says Mimi – who borrowed my Dune for a photo session. “There’s definitely more of an appreciation for photography as a fine art form here than in the UK.”

“People in The Netherlands seem really plugged into culture”

As you can see in the photos, Mimi loved wearing the C65 Dune Automatic Christopher Ward lent me for my trip. The classic, unfussy design suited her outfit – and proved that quality watches look just as good – or better! – on the female wrist as the male.

Another creative person finding their feet in The Netherlands is Tom – a photographer, set builder, lighting designer and motorcyclist (among many other talents). Tom and his girlfriend Malou live near Gouda, and he’s currently following the Formula 1 circuit, building VIP areas, and giving him the chance to photograph the action on race day. I took some lovely shots of Tom on the beach near The Hague, wearing my C60 Trident Pro 300 – which he seemed reluctant to give back!

“Since moving to The Netherlands from the UK, I’ve discovered one of the flattest places on earth still has lots to offer,” he says. “There’s everything from dunes that float into the sea, small villages and quirky architecture to cities that seem to never sleep and parties that can last for weeks.”

Talking to people like Mimi and Tom – and the surfers, travellers and workers from the previous diary articles – has inspired me as I’ve toured Western Europe in my van. I’ve loved taking time off from work and connecting to the world: from the drop-dead gorgeous beaches of France to the waves of Baleal in Portugal and the mediaeval town of Deba in Spain.

And, of course, I’ve loved wearing – and sharing – my Christopher Ward watches. It’d be impossible to choose my favourite: the C60 Trident Pro 300s were built for the surf, while the C65 Aquitaine managed to be both a daytime beach watch and a smart evening piece. And let’s not forget the C65 Dune Automatic – beloved of English creatives in The Netherlands. The only downside to the whole adventure is I have to return the watches – well, until my next trip!