The Netherlands Week 1
I am about to attempt to condense a two-week holiday with Laura, Alan, and Laura's family in the Netherlands into hopefully no more than two blog posts. Hopefully they won't work out to be quite as long as my post detailing Seana, Steph, and Erin's visit to Oxford.
Our journey began almost before the sun was up on Sunday morning 6 August. Laura, Alan, and I left the House of Fun at 6am to catch a bus to London where we would take a train to Harwich and then the ferry to Hoek van Holland. Our ferry was delayed, as is normal with the Stena Line these days, but we arrived safe and sound in Holland nonetheless, with Laura's dad meeting us at the ferry terminal to drive us to her house in Zaandam. Awaiting us in Zaandam was Laura's entire family: her mother, older sister Berber with her husband Michel and two children Amber (5) and Simon (almost 2), and younger sister Lotte. We had a delicious cheese fondue for dinner and felt immediately at home. Simon even jumped onto my lap to cuddle just a few minutes after we met.
The next day (Monday 7 August) we had a bit of a lie in to catch up on lost sleep and then headed to Zaanse Schans, a traditional village just a short walk from Laura's house. Although the morning was cloudy, we were treated to some sunshine as the day progressed and there were plenty of windmills, clogs, and Dutch green paint to enjoy.
Laura and I try on some matching clogs (on our last day I came back to buy a pair of these - they've come in quite handy for wearing around the house).
Alan and I do the tourist thing and try on some giant clogs!
Laura and Alan (in matching turquoise) with some windmills in the background (including one under construction).
The sweet shop where we stocked up on plenty of candy. The Dutch do know how to make their sweets!
After a lunch Laura, Alan, Lotte, and I took a trip into downtown Zaandam, where I discovered the wonders of HEMA and began what became a theme of the trip: purchasing things in lime green, my new favorite color. HEMA has almost everything in lime green, and on this first trip I could not resist purchasing a lime green pair of pj pants and a lime green picture frame. Although I found HEMA irresistable, Alan had a different opinion. He managed to refuse a pair of quality HEMA socks, much to Laura's frustration. Laura did make out well in H&M, though, where Lotte and I became fashion consultants for the afternoon and Laura found a nice purple blouse to start her new teacher wardrobe.
On Tuesday (8 August) morning Laura, Alan, and I cycled to West Zaan where Alan took a walk and Laura and I got our hair cut. After the cut we all took a walk to another windmill.
Me inside the windmill sporting my 'new do.'
That afternoon (after Alan made friends with the cat), Laura's friend Helene joined us and we headed with Laura's dad and his trusty blue Volvo to Enkhuisen, a lovely sea port. Though the weather was threatening in the morning, thankfully we were greeted by sunshine for our afternoon excursion.
Alan and the cat in Laura's living room.
Me with the harbor at Enkhuisen in the background.
Laura and her Dad in front of Cafe Bok, Enkhuisen.
The Cathedral, Enkhuisen. Most of Holland is very fond of what we in Oxford might call Keble-style architecture. That is brick, and lots of it.
Despite grey weather on Wednesday (9 August), Laura's dad drove Lotte, Laura, Alan, and I to the Kroller-Muller museum and park, where we hopped on some free white bicycles and made the most of the national park's copious cycle paths.
The Kroller-Muller hunting lodge.
One of the many colorful tiled ceilings in the hunting lodge.
Cycling in the rain.
Great caption. Sculpture garden, Kroller-Muller museum.
White bike collection point (notice how the sun is coming out, just as we are ready to leave).
On Thursday (10 August) we headed to Baarn, where Laura's older sister Berber lives with her family. We got to spend the day hanging out with Berber's fabulous two children, Amber (5) and Simon (2). In the afternoon we even took a walk into the center of Baarn to visit Berber's husband Michel at the bookstore where he works. Amber insisted on pushing Simon in his carriage for most of the way there. Despite the fact that the children do not speak any English, I still managed to read to them, and actually keep their attention (for a while)!
Alan and I with the children in Berber's living room.
Friday (11 August) morning we awoke to heavy rain. Despite the downward turn in the weather, we headed to Alkmaar and their famous outdoor cheese market. They had far less cheese for auction because of the weather, but we still got a sense of how the whole thing worked. Merchants bid on huge blocks of cheese which are carried from the center of the market to the weighing room (indoors) on a fancy red sleigh carried by two cheese carriers. The cheese carriers have to walk really funny while carrying the cheese because it is so heavy and they need to protect their backs. Another set of cheese carriers carry the cheese from the weighing room back out to the market where the cheese is taken off the sleigh and loaded onto a wagon to be brought home.
Two cheese carriers carry a sleigh of cheese to be weighed.
That afternoon we caught an organ concert in the cathedral, where Alan got a CD, before going shopping at the Oilily outlet, where Laura and I both got some colorful items of clothing.
The organ in the cathedral at Alkmaar. The church is no longer consecrated, and is used mainly for concerts and art exhibitions. There was an exhibition of Russian modern art set up, which is why there are large dividers in the photo above.
Some vaulting in the cathedral at Alkmaar.
The weather threatened on Saturday (12 August), but we headed into Amsterdaam for the morning and managed to avoid the rain while exploring a fun outdoor market that had everything from pigeons to vegetables for sale. Laura and I purchased a colorful throw to cover the drab and cold white fake leather couch in the House of Fun living room. We wandered the streets of the city through the morning, stopping at a bakery for a snack and to buy some granola. Our last stop in Amsterdaam was the Athenaeum Booksellers, where Alan had hoped to pick up a copy of the Chap magazine, but could not find it.
Laura sporting her lovely Oilily blouse outside the bookshop.
Saturday night means pancakes for dinner in the Bok household. So even though we spent the afternoon in Heemskerk visiting some friends of Alan's parents (and being fed far too much food), we came back to Laura's house in Zaandam for dinner.
On Sunday (13 August) Alan and I ventured into Amsterdaam on our own since Laura and her Dad were joining Berber and her family at the IKEA Family Day (Berber just started working at a new IKEA in Baarn). We started by catching a service at the English Reformed Church in Begijnhof, a small village that used to be a convent and still maintains its quiet and solemn atmosphere. The church service was in the tradition of the Church of Scotland, which is the church Alan grew up in. It was different for me, especially in comparison to the High Anglican style of worship at Mary Mag's, but still a lovely and welcoming place of fellowship and prayer.
The entrance to the English Reformed Church, Amsterdam.
Inside Begijnhof. Clearly the weather was lovely.
Alan and I were thwarted in our efforts to spend the afternoon checking out the many museums Amsterdaam has to offer. The line at the Rijksmuseum was far too long, so we gave up on that and headed straight for the Van Gogh museum. Although there was a line there as well, we decided to wait. The Van Gogh museum was one of the highlights of the trip. They have the largest collection of Van Gogh in the world, and have organized his paintings in chronological order. It was amazing to see the evolution of his style as an artist, and the torment that comes through in his paintings as his mind became more and more troubled.
The Cocertgebauw, Amsterdam's famous concert hall, as viewed from the park behind the Van Gogh Museum.
We attempted to find the Stedelijk modern art museum, going all the way to its temporary location near the train station only to find that all of their major collections are in storage while their old site is renovated. We ended our day with a trip to the Nieuwe Kerk, another deconsecrated cathedral which was housing a fashion show that we didn't think was worth paying to view. We still were able to see most of the church from a free viewing platform. This was the church where the Dutch crowned prince was married.
Detail of the interior of the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdaam. I had to try pretty hard to find an angle to take a picture that did not include the hideous fashion items on display corrupting the purity of the church iterior.
The central train station, Amsterdaam, with its very cool dial indicating the direction of the wind.
To be continued...
Our journey began almost before the sun was up on Sunday morning 6 August. Laura, Alan, and I left the House of Fun at 6am to catch a bus to London where we would take a train to Harwich and then the ferry to Hoek van Holland. Our ferry was delayed, as is normal with the Stena Line these days, but we arrived safe and sound in Holland nonetheless, with Laura's dad meeting us at the ferry terminal to drive us to her house in Zaandam. Awaiting us in Zaandam was Laura's entire family: her mother, older sister Berber with her husband Michel and two children Amber (5) and Simon (almost 2), and younger sister Lotte. We had a delicious cheese fondue for dinner and felt immediately at home. Simon even jumped onto my lap to cuddle just a few minutes after we met.
The next day (Monday 7 August) we had a bit of a lie in to catch up on lost sleep and then headed to Zaanse Schans, a traditional village just a short walk from Laura's house. Although the morning was cloudy, we were treated to some sunshine as the day progressed and there were plenty of windmills, clogs, and Dutch green paint to enjoy.
Laura and I try on some matching clogs (on our last day I came back to buy a pair of these - they've come in quite handy for wearing around the house).
Alan and I do the tourist thing and try on some giant clogs!
Laura and Alan (in matching turquoise) with some windmills in the background (including one under construction).
The sweet shop where we stocked up on plenty of candy. The Dutch do know how to make their sweets!
After a lunch Laura, Alan, Lotte, and I took a trip into downtown Zaandam, where I discovered the wonders of HEMA and began what became a theme of the trip: purchasing things in lime green, my new favorite color. HEMA has almost everything in lime green, and on this first trip I could not resist purchasing a lime green pair of pj pants and a lime green picture frame. Although I found HEMA irresistable, Alan had a different opinion. He managed to refuse a pair of quality HEMA socks, much to Laura's frustration. Laura did make out well in H&M, though, where Lotte and I became fashion consultants for the afternoon and Laura found a nice purple blouse to start her new teacher wardrobe.
On Tuesday (8 August) morning Laura, Alan, and I cycled to West Zaan where Alan took a walk and Laura and I got our hair cut. After the cut we all took a walk to another windmill.
Me inside the windmill sporting my 'new do.'
That afternoon (after Alan made friends with the cat), Laura's friend Helene joined us and we headed with Laura's dad and his trusty blue Volvo to Enkhuisen, a lovely sea port. Though the weather was threatening in the morning, thankfully we were greeted by sunshine for our afternoon excursion.
Alan and the cat in Laura's living room.
Me with the harbor at Enkhuisen in the background.
Laura and her Dad in front of Cafe Bok, Enkhuisen.
The Cathedral, Enkhuisen. Most of Holland is very fond of what we in Oxford might call Keble-style architecture. That is brick, and lots of it.
Despite grey weather on Wednesday (9 August), Laura's dad drove Lotte, Laura, Alan, and I to the Kroller-Muller museum and park, where we hopped on some free white bicycles and made the most of the national park's copious cycle paths.
The Kroller-Muller hunting lodge.
One of the many colorful tiled ceilings in the hunting lodge.
Cycling in the rain.
Great caption. Sculpture garden, Kroller-Muller museum.
White bike collection point (notice how the sun is coming out, just as we are ready to leave).
On Thursday (10 August) we headed to Baarn, where Laura's older sister Berber lives with her family. We got to spend the day hanging out with Berber's fabulous two children, Amber (5) and Simon (2). In the afternoon we even took a walk into the center of Baarn to visit Berber's husband Michel at the bookstore where he works. Amber insisted on pushing Simon in his carriage for most of the way there. Despite the fact that the children do not speak any English, I still managed to read to them, and actually keep their attention (for a while)!
Alan and I with the children in Berber's living room.
Friday (11 August) morning we awoke to heavy rain. Despite the downward turn in the weather, we headed to Alkmaar and their famous outdoor cheese market. They had far less cheese for auction because of the weather, but we still got a sense of how the whole thing worked. Merchants bid on huge blocks of cheese which are carried from the center of the market to the weighing room (indoors) on a fancy red sleigh carried by two cheese carriers. The cheese carriers have to walk really funny while carrying the cheese because it is so heavy and they need to protect their backs. Another set of cheese carriers carry the cheese from the weighing room back out to the market where the cheese is taken off the sleigh and loaded onto a wagon to be brought home.
Two cheese carriers carry a sleigh of cheese to be weighed.
That afternoon we caught an organ concert in the cathedral, where Alan got a CD, before going shopping at the Oilily outlet, where Laura and I both got some colorful items of clothing.
The organ in the cathedral at Alkmaar. The church is no longer consecrated, and is used mainly for concerts and art exhibitions. There was an exhibition of Russian modern art set up, which is why there are large dividers in the photo above.
Some vaulting in the cathedral at Alkmaar.
The weather threatened on Saturday (12 August), but we headed into Amsterdaam for the morning and managed to avoid the rain while exploring a fun outdoor market that had everything from pigeons to vegetables for sale. Laura and I purchased a colorful throw to cover the drab and cold white fake leather couch in the House of Fun living room. We wandered the streets of the city through the morning, stopping at a bakery for a snack and to buy some granola. Our last stop in Amsterdaam was the Athenaeum Booksellers, where Alan had hoped to pick up a copy of the Chap magazine, but could not find it.
Laura sporting her lovely Oilily blouse outside the bookshop.
Saturday night means pancakes for dinner in the Bok household. So even though we spent the afternoon in Heemskerk visiting some friends of Alan's parents (and being fed far too much food), we came back to Laura's house in Zaandam for dinner.
On Sunday (13 August) Alan and I ventured into Amsterdaam on our own since Laura and her Dad were joining Berber and her family at the IKEA Family Day (Berber just started working at a new IKEA in Baarn). We started by catching a service at the English Reformed Church in Begijnhof, a small village that used to be a convent and still maintains its quiet and solemn atmosphere. The church service was in the tradition of the Church of Scotland, which is the church Alan grew up in. It was different for me, especially in comparison to the High Anglican style of worship at Mary Mag's, but still a lovely and welcoming place of fellowship and prayer.
The entrance to the English Reformed Church, Amsterdam.
Inside Begijnhof. Clearly the weather was lovely.
Alan and I were thwarted in our efforts to spend the afternoon checking out the many museums Amsterdaam has to offer. The line at the Rijksmuseum was far too long, so we gave up on that and headed straight for the Van Gogh museum. Although there was a line there as well, we decided to wait. The Van Gogh museum was one of the highlights of the trip. They have the largest collection of Van Gogh in the world, and have organized his paintings in chronological order. It was amazing to see the evolution of his style as an artist, and the torment that comes through in his paintings as his mind became more and more troubled.
The Cocertgebauw, Amsterdam's famous concert hall, as viewed from the park behind the Van Gogh Museum.
We attempted to find the Stedelijk modern art museum, going all the way to its temporary location near the train station only to find that all of their major collections are in storage while their old site is renovated. We ended our day with a trip to the Nieuwe Kerk, another deconsecrated cathedral which was housing a fashion show that we didn't think was worth paying to view. We still were able to see most of the church from a free viewing platform. This was the church where the Dutch crowned prince was married.
Detail of the interior of the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdaam. I had to try pretty hard to find an angle to take a picture that did not include the hideous fashion items on display corrupting the purity of the church iterior.
The central train station, Amsterdaam, with its very cool dial indicating the direction of the wind.
To be continued...
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