It would be accurate to say that Holland is pretty cheesy and I'm not just referring to the souvenir shops with fluffy bedroom slippers shaped like wooden shoes or blue delft china made in... where else... china.
The good part of the cheesy bit is the cheese. We have sampled an awful lot of diffferent types. Some award winners and some barely passable. Ya gotta love a good cheese with fruit and a glass of chilled wine.
We did not fnd the Queen in residence when we were in Apeldoorne (though she did wave to as we walked along the street here in Amsterdam). The palace is lovely and the grounds magnificent but this was our last day with the car so we were heading off.
The countryside around Apeldoorne is bursting with colour from the rhododendrons. I can't grow a small bush and theirs are as big as some of the houses. Flowers are everywhere in Holland. As we drove north we passed immaculate farm houses with stunning gardens. It seems like an ideal way to live. We saw quite a lot of it because of road detours and my not following the GPS instructions. It was all just so pretty that we had to go down that road and then down the next. Little canals beside us and bicycles on the other side. Hmmmm... and the sun was shining!
Farther north we came to what must have been reclaimed land. Found some amazing wooden sailing ships in a town called Lampen.
From there it was just miles of farm land with swans swimming in the canals and the odd windmill working the water (or wind turbine churning up power).
Knowing that British Airways was on strike we decided to head off on the freeway not knowing what to expect when I checked at their counter. They did get me on a flight but I have to leave earlier than I wanted. Dorth gets to sleep in.
Well at least I have a flight. Now if only we can keep the ash cloud from forming again!!
Having figured out my flight we boarded a bus and went right back to Haarlem staying at the place Shane and I stayed three weeks ago. Dorth had never been there which made me the tour guide this time. I got my hair cut and we sipped wine at the Grot Markt square watching the world go by. It is the most interesting thing to do...
Next day we hoped the train to Amsterdam...stored our luggage and hopped back on the train to spend the day in Zeanse Schans. This is a kitchy little village north of Amsterdam that has 8 working windmills, a cheese factory (lf course), a clog museum where they even show you how it is done. I have never seen so many clogs in my life. They even have wedding clogs and some with big platforms on them to go through the peat bogs. It is just so much information!
I climbed up to the top of a windmill that was grinding dyes for paint. Great view from up there (I was wearing a skirt so I'm not too sure what the view was like from down below). The locals actually still wear the clogs (some of them) insisting that they are comfortable.
Part of that experience was lunch. Had to have a Dutch Pancake lunch. Been there done that... don't have to do it again. Tasty but too heavy for my liking.
Back in Amsterdam we checked in and then wandered around, stopped to sip wine beside Signel Canal again enjoying the wild and not so wild life that Amsterdam has to offer.
Today is our last day and we started out in style by touring the Rijksmuseum. Bright and early we were there when the door opened and spent the morning strolling through the artwork. I am still enamored by the doll houses and the attention to detail. Yeah there were lots of Rembrants but I'm willing to bet he probably enjoyed doll houses too!
Took in the Bloemen Market (flowers) with all the bulbs, pots and touristy stuff. Very nice to see the display of flowers. Don't know where they found the tulips still in bloom.
Having spent three weeks travelling a lot farther than we thought we would and seeing much more than we had planned it still seems strange to be sitting in our converted convent hotel room and thinking about travelling home.
Our first morning in Amsterdam we ordered a coffee at the cafe down the street and found that you could order a joint to with it if you wanted. How did we ever find ourselves there? Then just outside our 'convent' room is a place selling home grown seeds.
There is so much more to talk about and, as always, I will have to do one more blog entry with thoughts and reflections. Right now we are going to head back out and explore the area of the city called Jordaan. We've heard it's pretty nice and Dorth has never been there.
Hopefully I get lots of rest tonight.... I have a 7 hour layover in Heathrow and no one with me to harrass!