Netherlands

Dear Netherlands, we will hold you close & hope to meet again.

There is something about this country that is so gentil and welcoming. There are families biking, people out and about, tasteful design, wonderful foods, canals, windmills, lots of cows, swans and swan babies everywhere (wild it seems). People constantly made an effort to make eye contact and say hello. The cost of groceries was lower then we’ve seen. We were really not wanting to leave / now wanting to return.

Someone had mentioned that the monkeys at the Amsterdam zoo were special so, naturally, that was our first stop. http://www.artis.nl/en/artis-royal-zoo/ was splendid animals, plants, and architecture. This zoo was founded in 1838!   Since Elmir sat out the water park, I volunteered to sit out the Zoo. This was first a strategy to save money and ended up being a way for me to catch up on some alone time. I sat in a park for 10 mins then got curious… 3.5 hours could get me to the city centrum & back;)

I gleefully let myself get lost in the downtown core of Amsterdam. Feeling the freedom of less weight and people, I walked in silence, bought some funky earrings, perused the vintage markets, crossed many canal bridges, got lost, admired the many canal boats made to look like floating gardens, asked for directions, visited kite shops and juggling shops, smelled the smokey scent that make Amsterdam famous, dodged bicycles, jay walked, and found myself again.

I wish you could have seen the bicycle culture here. There were bike lanes on each side of the road everywhere. Families transported their children either in a cart at front (one dad going to the zoo had 3 4-6yr olds in the wooden front cart), or on bike seats (sometimes 2 per bike). Bikes were lined up everywhere some chained, some not, some with flower garlands, some spray painted in unusual colours.

Drivers diligently stopped for every pedestrian.

Amsterdam by day in the centrum was busy yet calm and quiet. Not at all what I had imagined – my vision has widened.

We then went to walk around a slightly more northern town called Alkmaar. Apparently on Fridays there is still a market where cheese is delivered on traditional wooden carriers. It was past market time of the day – instead we were mesmerized again by all the warmth. The boys got some delicious fresh ice cream for the walk.  We wove ourselves along the cobblestone street through people dining on patios. We soaked in the atmosphere of lighthearted joy.

I asked Elmir to park before driving into Germany because I really wanted to wake up to my Birthday in Holland.  Driving towards Germany ..funny.. Elmir ordered a coffee with milk at McD.. (where we get free internet). The woman said “oh, so you want a child’s coffee?” Elmir: “no, just a coffee with lot’s of milk” Woman: “all that we have is cappuccino or child’s coffee” -he had a cappuccino.