Texel is the largest of the Dutch Wadden Islands and caught our eye when preparing for this trip. On the first day of our trip to the island, we went down (Han’s) memory lane in a few towns and did sightseeing from the car.
Our first stopover was in Amersfoort, a old town near the Royal Palace. We drove through the town, it was extremely busy being it was Saturday afternoon, so we decided to find some lodging and delve deeper into the town on Sunday.
I was getting a headache and the only place we could find with internet to look up a reasonable hotel to stay, was at a McDonalds. You would think I would have learned my lesson in Vienna, but no, I am a glutton for punishment.
We ordered a coffee and doughnut, however we were served up a slew of literally screaming, running children with a mix of very loud talking adults thrown in for good measure. I have honestly never seen such hectic, mayhem, unruly McD’s in the states. Not saying there are none, just have never been witness to them. The Dutch are very lenient with their children, so much in fact that in wanting their children to have freedom, they often end up treading on others.
We quickly made reservations at a nearby hotel and gathered our coffee and donuts to picnic in the car.
We checked in, and arriving in our room we were pleasantly surprised by such elegant surroundings. Comfort in every corner which included a free mini bar, luxurious beds and bedding, classy, large picture window, cold airco, bathroom amenities, large bed, quiet and so much more. This hotel chain (van der Valk) is “off the chain” and I will be reserving more rooms in the near future. It is also very affordable. All was a great combination for us. It even had some TV stations in english. https://www.hotelamersfoorta1.nl/en
We happened to be there on a day that we were enchanted to see dozens of hot air balloons float by. That is one adventure I have yet to do and we may have to try it. It looks romantic.
July 10th
Woke up to a beautifully rested sleep. My, my how that can change your perspective! After checking out the hotel, we went into town to have breakfast but with enjoying a long lazy morning (check out is noon!) we had to settle for lunch instead. Great sandwiches on delicious breads. We were very happy to have stopped in. The owner/baker is quite enjoyable to speak with and he is trying to find a spot closer to the center of town. If in the area, look him up. http://www.leperron.nl/amersfoort/
We walked the downtown area of Amersfoort for about an hour and luckily found some back streets to get a better view of local living.
Gorgeous gardens of flowers, fruits and vegetables. A small building that had welcome signs for refugees with a most amazing wall art of a toucan. Town Square was already busy with cafés bordering the entire area and many people enjoying the precious few of truly sunny warm weather days in Holland. Many of the stores that are farther from town center were closed, but as you get closer, you have more of a choice. It was Sunday after all and many store owners like to be home with family. They are not overcome by the almighty dollar.(or Euro in this case).
The next village to explore on our way up was Giethoorn, often called the Venice of the Netherlands and was one of the more unique side trips to date. When we arrived, we treated ourselves to coffee and a sweet treat at Smit for a little energy. Han’s treat was better and he shared some with me. Try the warm cherries over Belgium waffle with homemade whipped cream. It was decadent. I had the apple pie and it was okay.http://www.smitgiethoorn.nl/english/
This idyllic village has no roads, and the only access is by water over the many beautiful canals or on foot over its wooden arch bridges. The locals use boats, bikes and their feet to get around, as cars have to remain outside the village. Located in the province of Overijssel, there are four miles of canals, charming gingerbread homes and farmhouses with thatched roofs dating back to the 18th century. The gardens among these homes are an active art in motion and tended lovingly. So many vibrant flower colors and lush greenery to admire and photograph.
With Han’s knee acting up a bit from so much walking, we decided not to walk all the way into center of town, but got quite the stroll in nonetheless down paved narrow paths, across small bridges, up and over larger arched bridges. It was extremely crowded due to being July vacation and school out, yet it was still enjoyable. I would love to go back and spend more time there and really take in the surroundings.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093144/Giethoorn-The-village-Netherlands-roads.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giethoorn
http://www.tourismontheedge.com/hidden-places/europe/giethoorn-holland-the-small-venice-of-the-north
We drove into the province of Friesland, stopped on the outskirts for some photos and continued to our second day stopover in the town of Joure, famously known for the fact that Douwe Egberts (DE) started and still continues its global presence from here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joure
We were a little late arriving at our reserved B&B accommodations, but when we rang the owner Els, she immediately came to let us in and what a sweetheart she is. We were instantly charmed by her and our room. There are only two rooms in the B&B, so it is very quiet. It also has a lovely view of one of the many canals running through the town.
There was also a fan in the room, so I was immediately at home. If you know anything about me, you will know that this Florida girl was raised with fans and I find it difficult to sleep without one. Hence we travel with a small fan that I fit in one of my suitcases. I have no shame. LOL
The Bed & Breakfast is called OP ’T ZAND. http://www.benb-op-tzand.nl
We walked next door to a small cafe for a bite to eat. The locals here are very friendly here and it was funny at times and also enjoyable to hear them call out greetings to each other while biking, boating or walking by. I am fairly sure due to the size, that most everyone knows everyone else in town.
July 11th
We woke up to a filling well thought out breakfast. We had the table to ourselves and was so very relaxing. The owner came in for a little bit to visit. I highly suggest you staying here if you are in the area.
We packed up and got on our way to our much anticipated Texel Island vacation spot.
However along the way, Han had to mention the famous Makkum village and it being known for their pottery and ceramics. So we obviously had to make an unplanned visit and of course had to find a store to purchase one of the well-known tiles that made the Makkum Pottery famous.
Our search found us in the antique store called “Frisian Art & Antique” and Han purchased an antique tile for me dated 1830’s.
The store has been in business for 38 years and the owner was very helpful. He surely knows his history and merchandise. I love history/learning lessons like he bestowed on us. http://friesekunstenantiekhandel.nl
Next we left Friesland for the cross-over to the province of North Holland from where we would connect to Texel. In 1927 the Dutch started building a 30 kilometer dike with two dams that reclaimed a huge piece of the North Sea then called the Southern Sea (Zuiderzee). The Afsluitdijk is a masterpiece of how the Dutch have engineered Dikes and Dams to keep the North Sea under control, considering that most of the country is situated below sea level. In the years since the Dutch have filled in large pieces of the lake that was formed into new cities and villages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afsluitdijk
On the other side, we enjoyed our serene, surrounded by water, slow drive to the ferry service (which is owned and operated by the Texel people) that transported us over to Texel. The ferry ride is only about 20 minutes and cost Euro 37.50 for a round trip ticket if you are bringing a car. https://www.teso.nl/en/
We checked into Stayokay Hostel Lodging. I wanted to try something different. The hostel is geared for families which was fine, but I surely was not expecting two bus loads of children on a school trip with two chaperones who seemed never be in sight of their wards and the kids were running amok like ants on a damaged hill.
We noticed that the French, German and Belgium children were well behaved. Who were the hellions? Yep, little Dutch devils. LOL
Han and I both have noticed that the Dutch raise their children with so much freedom, that it sadly treads on the freedom of others.
These are basic accommodations, you make up your own beds, you need to bring your own towels or can rent some from them ($3 per pack), they have bike rentals, breakfast is normal european fair, but bread is outstanding, staff is nice and helpful, they have a bar area, comfortable gathering areas and friendly folks to converse with.
Also the showers run for 40 second intervals. You have to keep pushing the button to get more water. It makes shower time more challenging. I kept laughing to myself and thinking “no more hostels for me.”
The bar has a TV which runs sports all day long and one TV in a common room but I never saw it on. https://www.stayokay.com/en/hostel/texel
Hint: Not to go into details, but travel with your favorite brand of laxative. Constipation is one of the major problems to run into when traveling.
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