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We slept in this morning, finally checked out. We began our way to see the field of tulip flowers but only saw a few rows. Han said we were about a month and a half too late. Was happy to see any at all.
Our special treat today was Madurodam. Han, like most Dutch kids, went there as a child and he knows how I am about miniature items.
The Park was established in 1952 as a war memorial for war hero and resistance fighter George Maduro, who died at the Dachau concentration camp on February 9, 1945. The parents of George Maduro provided the initial capital for Madurodam. It was founded to support charities.
It has the most amazing small replicas of old to new cities, canals, castles, trains, villages, cars, ships, churches, concert, city halls, airport, electric company, windmills, rivers, real trees and flowers and more than you can ever imagine. I was quite surprised by all the details and how interesting it was. I even paid one euro and a mini clog maker made me a pair of clogs and trucked them to where I was standing. Yes, it was so adorable. They have many interactive areas too and the biggest playground area that will make you wish to once again be a child.
It is a joyful little place to visit and I give it a two thumbs up.
After leaving there we proceeded to Den Haag (The Hague)
We ran around in circles trying to locate the Holiday Inn Express for at least one & half hours. It was getting ridiculous. The construction in the inner city is insane by the way. At least with running around, we were able to see much of the area without meaning to.
We saw a police car, asked them, they could not even explain “how” and just said, “follow us.” They escorted us and were very nice. Thank goodness because we would have probably never found it, as it was set back off any of the main roads and no signs. We had to pull into like a bat cave parking garage. The hotel is nice and right on a cozy town square with a statue of the “Father of the Netherlands”, William of Orange.
Our room is directly on street level and one of the windows was not tightly shut, so suddenly I smelled pot and so did Han. We made sure the windows were locked up after that.
We slept in very late after our overly eventful day yesterday.
Took the train to Amsterdam and my vocabulary is not large enough to describe this city or even if I “should” describe it all. lol
My simple definition is, “Spectacularly Trashy!”
I think more than anything I loved seeing with my owns eyes the scenes from well-known pictures, art and movies.
Everywhere you turn there is something new to see but usually gawk at. Where else will you see people walking around dressed like penises or wearing blow up ones on their heads? Where else are there scantily clad women advertising their wares in large windows? I even saw one eating her Burger King meal while on display. I guess they are not allowed actual lunch breaks? We saw brass art work embedded into the ground of a hand holding a breast, which was located directly in front of a church. Say what?
Or a little person dressed in a bunny suit!
Or signs with a person figure saying, “No Shit, No Pee, No Puke.” Really sad when you have to post signs like that. However you will be smelling pee a lot and I suggest wearing shoes that you can hose down later.
Pot cafes, pot candy, pot stores, pot merchandise, pot everything on every single corner in every type of variation and we were constantly walking through clouds of smoke. (smelled better than the pee)
Every imaginable restaurant to choose from too. We went to New King for lunch, which is located along an entire street of Asian eateries.
More shopping than you could ever do in even a whole week. Its like one big shopping mall. That was not so great to me, but I did buy some souvenirs.
We purchased some amazing Dutch chocolates at “Ganache” and they are superbly decadent.
We by chance walked upon the canal area where they were filming stunt scenes for a new Hollywood movie called, “Hitman’s Bodyguard” with Samuel Jackson. There all many videos on youtube from the locals.
More than any other city in Holland, you had best learn to move fast and dart quickly. The trams and cars are the least of your worries, it’s the bicycles that will mow you over if you step in front of them. There are so many designated paths that it leaves you wondering a bit about where the walk path actually is located. Stick to the back streets if possible.
We had coffee and little tiny pancakes called Poffertjes with powdered sugar called “poffertjes” and they are mightily delicious. They make beignets taste like blah dough. Seriously!
We witnessed someone who had obviously gotten evicted and their belongings dumped on the street. Looks as if many people had pilfered through the items for anything salvageable.
Spoke with three cool police on bicycles. I of course had to ask why the front of his bike bore three X’s. He said that is the accepted sign of Amsterdam now and everyone wears it. WOWZA!
Amsterdam used to have a huge flower market with fresh cut flowers, but that is no more and Han was a bit disappointed by that. Now they have bulbs you can buy and fake tulips. They are catering more to the tourist obviously.
I was able to take a photo of Han sitting where he used to sit 48 years ago while playing guitar on “The Dam”, which is the central gathering point in Amsterdam and it was extremely crowded like every other area.
Some think it may have been because Beyonce was in town today playing a concert at the Bijlmer Arena.
When we got enough of walking, we walked some more, but back to the train station to head back to our comfy hotel.
On the way, there was some weird goings on with two guys in their 20’s who were sitting behind me. All of a sudden, both were in the bathroom together, I got uncomfortable and went into the next car. Along came a train conductor and Han told him what was going on. He sat down to wait them out. I came back into the car and shortly they came out of the bathroom. They had been hiding from the conductor because they had somehow jumped the train without tickets. He put them off at the next station, but had called ahead to have someone investigate them. We got off at the same stop but got out of there because who knows what those two guys were up to?
Two Travel Hints:
I have walked many cobblestone streets in Europe, but none quite so difficult and uncomfortable as Amsterdam. Wear good, comfortable sturdy shoes. Your feet will thank you.
Carry a knife in your purse or pocket. You never know when you will be hungry for a piece of fruit or some peace of mind.
July 17 Day Two in Amsterdam
We visited Amsterdam again and walked our little feet off. I kept trying to find the perfect ratio of bicycle and canal for a picture but never really succeeded to my liking. I have a few, but nothing to make me overly excited.
Yesterday Han had mentioned he wanted a certain soup called Saoto. It is a Surinamese dish and I happened to round the corner of the Red Light District and there was a restaurant that served it. We had a very nice lunch, then walked through the Sunday market in the square. It was okay but I would have preferred just to walk around the natural settings.
We walked through some neighborhood areas and they were not as crowded. The crowds are really getting to me a bit, especially when you witness people being horrible pigs and throwing trash on the road and in the canals. I decided I did not want to do a canal trip after all due to the many people who were just so loud and obnoxious and it is over the top touristy now this time of year.
We spoke with some older locals and they are also saddened by the condition that Amsterdam is quickly becoming.
I shopped a little more. Replaced the items that I had forgotten in the train station yesterday. (I checked with lost and found but no dice.)
Met a nice gentleman from India who owned a store. He was truly charming and sweet. It is always such a pleasure to talk with uplifting people.
We had coffee and poffertjes (mini pancakes) again. To be honest, I asked my hubby for this treat, but instead of one portion (a dozen) he ordered two. My tummy cannot take much more. This was dinner for me.
We arrived back to the hotel about 7:30 and we were both fairly worn out. Time for some resting and sleep.
Sadly my first picture of the day was a traffic wreck.
We had just got off the Texel ferry, while waiting in traffic, we heard a loud crash and saw a person flying through the air, then tumbling across the asphalt and she landed beside our car on the pavement. It was horrific.
A 23 year old woman motor cyclist had clipped the front end of a car. The car had been pulling out of a side road. It was actually her fault in our opinion and something must have distracted her because she had plenty of room to swerve, as the car was barely across the middle line. I was out of the car so fast that I don’t even remember getting out. Han says I was the first one to get to her. Thank goodness she understood English when I told her to “don’t move and stay still”, as she was trying to get up.
There would have been zero chance of that, but I did not want her to struggle and cause herself more damage. A vacationing German female doctor and an EMT in training quickly showed up, as they were also in the traffic line. Myself, along with another other girl, kept her legs from moving and keep them steady. It was pretty freaking bad. Her right arm was mangled with abrasions across her chest, knee and other areas. After sliding for some 20 yards, she had landed on her back. So thankful she was wearing a helmet. She only had a swollen lip and scrape on her nose. Her right arm was bent in so many unnatural ways, that it still sickens me to think about it. I did my best not to look. She was not wearing any leathers except for gloves, which may have lessened her abrasions. We unclipped her helmet but left it on and unbuckled her belt.
Her boyfriend showed up out of nowhere, somehow, and she started getting very emotional. We actually had to remind him to not touch her, as he was overcome with worry. She started to overly fret over her motorcycle. I have been in a wreck and some weird things run through your mind that should not be a bother at the time.
The police arrived, then the ambulance, they began to stabilize her and give her an IV of fluids and pain medication. The worst part was when they had to move her onto the cart and she began screaming in agony. That is when I started crying. Had to close my ears as best I could. So difficult to see someone in pain and not be able to help them. The guy driving the car was beside himself with anxiety, we spoke with him after Han gave his story of what he saw to the police (left center of the photo shows police woman talking with Han through car window) and we assured him that it was not his fault. He was more worried about her, but thanked us repeatedly for being able to tell the police what happened. Very nice man and felt for him too, as everyone was kinda walking around him, and I thought he needed some help too. Some friends will disagree with me, but motorcycles make you too vulnerable. Just to think about how far she flew and tumbled from where her bike is laying, makes me have the shivers.
(When I went to sleep that night, she was still on my mind. I hope all is well and will fully recover.)
-Update- A newspaper account two days later mention that her injuries were less than initially thought and she would fully recover.
We were taking our time driving the remainder of the day, after this sobering experience, as we happened to see a street sign that read “Sint Maarten.” We met and used to live in St. Maarten/St.Martin in the Caribbean, so what else were we to do than go check it out and grab a cup of coffee too.
On the way we saw a field of tulips but we could not pull over for a photo op. We continued on into town, went through quite fast as it is actually a small village, turned around and headed back to the only place we saw open called “Café De Klimop.” It actually turned out to be what we “thought” was a bar, but ended up being SO much more. We ordered some coffee and, as we were the only ones in the place, began chatting with the owner.
It was one of those easy “feels like I have known you forever” kind of conversations with Ron, which was his name. He also had the bottled beer by Texel Brewery that I could purchase since I forgot to stop on the island. It is fantastic by the way.
As we talked, Ron was explaining that not only was his place a bar, it was also a cafe, banquet hall, pool room, darts tournament location, voting poll place, driver testing location, blood and urine lab work drop off point and probably more than I can remember right now. He may have been Mayor and just did not want to tell us. LOL
We had a blast. He was so sweet and kind. He gave me a Texel beer glass, then I asked for some beer caps and he had a few for me, but then he began giving me all kinds of beer items including four stacks of different beer coasters. It was like Christmas in July. I walked in a bit sad after that morning’s crash experiences, but walked out with gifts, beer, fond memories and a new friend on Facebook. This traveling is turning into an amazing roller coaster ride.
After we made it to Breukelen and checked into our hotel room, we called our St.Maarten friends Jay and Monique who now live outside of Amsterdam in a delightful little village.
Canals running all over, huge greenhouses selling the loveliest of flowers and cute homes dotting the landscape.
We enjoyed some wine and finger foods and when Han told them that I would love to hug a calf, they suggested we go visit the farm behind their house.
First I had to borrow some sensible shoes from Monique because I had sandals on.
I was super duper excited because I have been wanting to hug a calf for like months now.
We met the farmer and he gave us the enjoyable and informative tour. I am loving to learn new things every day.
I petted calves (one that was less than two days old) and even let a few suckle my hand. It helps with
their emotional needs since they are taken away from their mothers at birth. Sad but true, but these are milk cows after all. Be forewarned, if you let a calf suckle your hand, you will end up VERY slimy.
We were even able to see how the little ones are fed and taught from the one day old baby to full grown. There are so many stages they go through and they are very intelligent. One calf became overly rambunctious after eating. We were cracking up over her antics.
They only keep cows on their farm and any bulls who are born are separated immediately from the rest of the herd and sold when they are two weeks old.
The milking machine is nothing short of extraordinary in how it works, how the cows love it because they get treats and the efficiency is amazing.
I love cows, with their long eyelashes, how they enjoy human interaction, curiosity and even playfulness. I have never been a huge beef eater, but now I don’t think I can ever eat a precious cow again. I also talked to a few sheep. They had much to tell me and I returned a few “words.” Oh and met a huge german shepherd that thought he was a cow. He was very cool but he kept trying to put his nose up under my skirt. He was a piggy for attention.
We headed back to their lovely home and had a more delicious bites of food and relaxing wine. The best part was the conversation. So wonderful to see old friends and catch up on life.
We finally parted since it was getting dark and wanted to make sure we would make it to our hotel.
Made it just fine. Snuggled in for the night. Lovely room, comfy bed and quiet. The only negative is my noise fan stopped working and it was a little difficult to sleep.
Texel was actually one of the few places I specifically asked to visit in Europe. I read about it in Coastal Living Magazine and it sounded just the place I would want to see. I was right because I sure know me. : )
Most our time was spent riding around exploring every road we could find and taking some stunning pictures. We never did get on a bicycle, but there are definitely more bikes than vehicles, and many more paths that the bikes are allowed that when driving a car you miss out on. It is much larger than I had imagined it to be. It is almost 179 square miles which includes seven villages and a handful of smaller settlements and about 1/3 of Texel is a protected nature reserve. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texel – http://texel.de/en/texel.php
This island is what dreams are made of, and this is one of my favorite areas in the world now. People are so laid back and friendly, it’s extremely safe, animals far outnumber people and they are ALL free roaming, each town has its own unique personality, you are surrounded by nature, beautiful beaches with many treasures for collecting, delicious fresh organic food, no traffic jams with considerate drivers, was sunny majority of time we visited, entire island is animal friendly with dogs being allowed everywhere including restaurants, plenty of shopping, busy outdoor markets, family orientated, forest areas to hike, variety of lodging including camping and many fun activities to choose from and do.
I will be listing our activities, places we visited, and/or restaurants in no particular order.
We drove the island, visited each darling town and enjoyed a new and charming area around the many corners and roundabouts.
Two places we ate that I give two thumbs up are:
Van der Star Seafood next door to the beachcomber museum, I could not finish all my delicious Codfish, but relax nothing went to waste. We had a some french fries left that I carried outside to give to the little birdies looking for a handout. Extremely fresh fish, fries and an outstanding salad with a yoghurt dressing. You are able to choose from a large array of freshly caught fish which they have on display in windowed coolers that you can see and inquire about. Very helpful and knowledgable staff. You can also purchase fresh fish to take home and prepare for yourself. https://vispaleistexel.nl/voorpagina/viswinkel/
Restaurant de Horizon at the airport in De Cocksdorp. Yes, they have an airport here but it is all grass strips.
We were treated to a special sight because there was a plane called Karel Doorman preparing to take off into the blue skies. I find it extraordinary that humans have been flying commercially since approximately since 1914 but we are still enthralled by a plane taking flight. Especially one like this. It is a flying boat with dazzling propellors and blister panorama windows areas where people can sit. The plane was named after a Dutch Rear Admiral and was built in 1942 to honor his passing in that year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_Doorman
After the interesting preparation and take off, we finally settled in for a delicious meal.
You may choose seats outside directly facing the airstrip or comfortably inside. We sat inside and we had the owners dog leashed beside us and he made our day by welcoming us with kisses.
Han had ribs, fries and salad. I had chicken sate, fries and salad. They really outdid themselves. I gobbled up the salad first. They make the dressing in house and it was delicious. Once again, I ended up sharing with Han as I could not eat it all. We are trying a new idea of eating a healthy breakfast, having a piece of fruit for lunch then having an early yummy dinner. We want to enjoy our food but certainly need to cut down a bit. http://www.restaurantdehorizontexel.nl
It has been quite windy this week so we have been putting off beach time but we finally said we just have to literally face the wind. The beaches have lovely white soft sand. Plenty of shell and rock treasures to gather. Obviously it is too cold for us tropical travelers to swim here and the currents are hazardous, so we enjoyed our stroll, gazed out at the magnificent rolling North Sea and gathered some little treasures of our own.
When the sea is not overly violent, there are many wind surfers out grabbing some thrills.
You can also rent little cabanas to sit in or store your items. The day we went, only about three were rented.
All the beach areas have restaurants with nice wind shielded terrases.
We walked through De Koog, as they had an outdoor market (Braderie) with many vendors. It quickly became crowded with too many tourists, so we high tailed it out of there for quieter pastures.
We had more fun driving down a narrow road through the very extensive forest between De Koog and Den Hoorn.
Surrounded by nature was much more to our liking.
We stopped by a junk market in between towns and perused the items. Han bought a book and interestingly enough found some news clippings from 1988 and 2000 from the local newspaper. I picked out an interesting necklace and a misc. lot of 27 mini spoons. All in all, we spent a whopping four euros. LOL
We visited Kaap Skil Museum in Oudeschild and it is too much to describe the learning, amazing, educational and fun exhibits.
It was definitely one of our favorite places to enjoy. Make sure you give yourself enough time to slowly explore and take in the entire experience. They have one humongous room just to exhibit the finds that wash up on the beach. We rode in a simulated submarine (more for kids), walked through actual fisherman cottages and stores, watched as workers still ground wheat into flour inside the windmill and climbed rope ladders. http://www.kaapskil.nl/exhibitions
The absolute best store “Graaf Interior” for souvenirs, decorative home items, some clothing, all things wool (especially slippers), baby accessories, artistic lovely gifts and trinkets of all kinds from one euro and up. The prices are very reasonable, the staff are simply fantastic and we actually went back to this store for the rest of our island shopping desires.
They even have a huge concrete gorilla for sale, if you so choose, but good luck packing that in your luggage.
After shopping you can enjoy an espresso in the coffee cafe upstairs on the balcony where you can relax and watch the people who are out and about.
Before shopping anywhere, visit this store first, you won’t regret it. http://www.graafinterieur.nl
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.
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
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.”
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