Up along the North Sea coast, about 40 kilometres northwest of Amsterdam, lies Bergen, not to be confused with Norwegian Bergen. The Dutch coast consists of beaches and dunes, and in some places the dunes are forested; with broadleaf trees in the area around Haarlem, and with pine trees in the area near Bergen. Haarlem is a city of patricians, its close proximity to Amsterdam has always meant a close relationship with the capital city. It is the birth place of Harry Mulisch. Bergen, together with Bergen aan Zee, are twin villages, far enough from Amsterdam to be seen at a distance, but for convenience still close to Alkmaar, a small city of merchants and farmers. Up until 1955, Bergen was conveniently connected to Amsterdam b rail, operating a steam engine.

In its hey days, between 1900 and 1950, Bergen was an artists colony, and the Roland Holst family, Adriaan Roland Holst, the poet, and his cousin Rik Roland Holst, the architect, are among the most well-known artists who resided and worked in Bergen. Henriette Roland Holst, a novelist, was his wife.

Rik Roland Holst is mainly knows as an architect, sculptor are graphic designer, but has published a number of essays. Most of these essays are about art, but Overpeinzingen van een bramenzoeker (English: "Ruminations of a Bramble picker" is a work of a more general nature. The prose style is rich, symbolic and mainly atmospheric. However, it does not convey a clear message or inspiration. ( )