Jason and I spent our 18th anniversary in Amsterdam. We were able to talk some friends into staying with the kids, and we took off for a couple of nights. Amsterdam was beautiful. We went on an evening canal cruise to take in the sights of the city and enjoyed dinner.
Day 2
But we didn't go to Amsterdam to hang out in the city. We went hoping to get out in the country. Day 2 was close to what we were looking for. It was a bit of a tourist destination, but heck! We're tourists, right? It was great! This little town called Zannse Schanz! It's this little town that once was filled with 600 windmills. We got to sort of see what it was like several hundred years ago. How the people lived. The town is super cute! We saw a guy making wooden shoes, checked out a little dairy where they make cheese, climbed up into a windmill and learned a bit more about these awesome industrial machines, and we even rode bikes. It was a really fun day. I just loved it there. I felt some sort of connection, like I belonged there. How weird is that? I should probably start doing some genealogy and get to the bottom of that thought.
Oh wait! I almost forgot to share. There was this chocolate factory just across the bridge from this town. And every 15 minutes or so, we'd just take in this amazing aroma of chocolate in the air. And every time it would happen it would catch me by surprise as if I was smelling it for the first time! I just couldn't get over it. An amazing place AND it smelled like chocolate.!? Get out-a-here!
Oh wait! I almost forgot to share. There was this chocolate factory just across the bridge from this town. And every 15 minutes or so, we'd just take in this amazing aroma of chocolate in the air. And every time it would happen it would catch me by surprise as if I was smelling it for the first time! I just couldn't get over it. An amazing place AND it smelled like chocolate.!? Get out-a-here!
Day 3
Our last day we headed out to Delft. This is home to Royal Delft pottery. We walked through the Royal Delft factory, they've been in production since like the 1600s when some Dutchmen began imitating porcelain from China. Well, they did it well, and it's been a thing since. We all recognize it! So for our anniversary we bought our first real piece of Royal Delft! We also hiked up the burnt out bell tower of the New Church in Delft (I lost track at 338 steps)! It's sort of funny that it's the "new church" since it was built in the 1400s. We never did make it over the Old Church; and there really was and "Old Church." It was so lovely to eat outside there in the town square right in the shadow of the church and enjoy some people watching.
Oh, and I didn't even say anything about bikes. Bikes! Bikes! Bikes! EVERYWHERE> There are just so many little roads, alleys, with these canals and rows of buildings. Mom's riding bikes with carts in the front to lug around groceries and children. Professionals on bikes, grandmas on bikes. There's this vast network of biking lanes. Every train station had tangled metal messes of bikes. I found it all just fascinating. It's interesting to see how other people get around. Here in London everyone walks everywhere because the public transportation is so good. And in the Netherlands, everyone rides bikes! And not a helmet to be seen.
Oh, and I didn't even say anything about bikes. Bikes! Bikes! Bikes! EVERYWHERE> There are just so many little roads, alleys, with these canals and rows of buildings. Mom's riding bikes with carts in the front to lug around groceries and children. Professionals on bikes, grandmas on bikes. There's this vast network of biking lanes. Every train station had tangled metal messes of bikes. I found it all just fascinating. It's interesting to see how other people get around. Here in London everyone walks everywhere because the public transportation is so good. And in the Netherlands, everyone rides bikes! And not a helmet to be seen.