The Netherlands
Cheese, Churches, History, Architecture, Genever (Gin), and a traditional Indonesian dinner
01
HAARLEM
Flew from sunset in one time zone to sunrise in another and ended up in beautiful Haarlem. After a day to ourselves to wander, acclimate and learn how to watch out for bicycles we officially started our tour!
It was a full day wandering this fabulous city. We tried LOTS of delicious Dutch cheese, then marveled at several churches and buildings that were built in the 17th century, had a tasting of both modern and old style Dutch Genever (we know this as Gin which was invented by the Dutch) and had an Indonesian rijsttafel for dinner (Indonesia was a Dutch colony until the mid-1900s and their food is still prevalent here) as part of our first group walking tour.
A wonderful day spent with our new group of friends!
Dishes we enjoyed in Haarlem
Indonesian Rijsttafel, Dutch cheeses and locally made Gin
Movies and Books that take place in Haarlem
Ocean's 12 - The train station scene was filmed in the Haarlem train station
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - The story of the Ten Boom family who hid Jews in their home during WWII.
History, Art, Cruising Canals, and WWII
02
AMSTERDAM
Started early today by hopping a train and then a tram into the center of Amsterdam. Took a history walk with a local guide, a leisurely cruise on the river and into the canals, and visited the home of the famous Dutch masters the Rijksmuseum all with our group. Ended our day with time on our own which we used to tour the Anne Frank house and have a Dutch dinner before boarding the train back to Haarlem.
Dishes we enjoyed in Amsterdam
Bitterballen, Dutch beer, and Stroopwafels
Movies and Books that take place in Amsterdam
Girl With a Pearl Earring - The story of Johannes Vermeer and the muse for his famous painting.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Unabridged.
Walking through history
03
ARNHEM
Stopped at the Netherlands Open Air Museum on the way out of the Netherlands and into Germany. It was truly fascinating to see these working windmills and historical buildings that have been moved here for preservation. The interactive exhibits gave us a wonderful glimpse into life in the Netherlands hundreds of years ago
