Den Haag

While Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, Den Haag (The Hague) is the seat of government.  It is here where the Dutch Parliament is located.  It is also where the United Nations has a large presence, including the International Court of Justice.  Den Haag is an easy day trip from Amsterdam -- it's less than an hour by train and it seems like every 10 or 15 minutes a train is leaving Central Station that stops there.

Dutch Parliament Complex

After we visited the Anne Frank House, we left late morning for our visit.  The region between Amsterdam and Den Haag is the major bulb growing area and we passed many fields in bloom along the way.  Our agenda included visiting the Dutch Parliament, the International Court of Justice, and the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery where Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring resides.  What we envisioned was going to be at least a half-day visit turned in to something much less.  The Mauritshuis closed on April 2 for renovations, but we didn't find that out until we showed up at the front door looking to get in.  Fortunately for us, they moved the Vermeer to another gallery down the street -- The Prince William V Gallery.

The Prince William V Gallery is only one room (sweet!!), so it made for a very quick visit.  We took a tram to see the International Court of Justice knowing in advance that they have temporarily stopped giving tours so we wouldn't be able to actually go inside.  We did walk the grounds of the Parliament complex, but no tour there either.  We had also planned on going to the Escher museum, but once we found out it was reproductions and not originals, it wasn't as much of a priority.  All in all, we were done with what we wanted in about 2 hours.  While there is certainly more to do and see in Den Haag than what we chose to do, there was more for us waiting in Amsterdam so we took advantage of our extra time there.

Windmills

Zaanse Schanse is between Alkmaar and Amsterdam, so it is convenient to pair this with a visit to the cheese market.  It's an open-air museum that recreates 17th century Dutch culture along the Zaan River in the town of Zaandijk,  It has several old historic windmills that are still used for various activities including a saw mill.

There's a collection of traditional activities you can experience such as a clog making demonstration and cheese making.  It very much caters to tourists, but it is an easy way to see old windmills still in use which was our main purpose in coming.

Giant Wheels of Cheese!

The center of Dutch cheese making is found in Alkmaar, about 35 minutes north of Amsterdam by train.  Cheese has been produced and sold here since the 1300s.  The time to visit is on Friday mornings when the cheese market takes place.  We took the train and were in Alkmaar by 9:15 so we could there before things got started at 10:00.  The Dutch were the first to export cheese to others and remain the world's largest exporter.

Giant wheels of cheese are lined up in the main square to be auctioned.  Cheese is examined by buyers up and down the rows and a handshake signals the cheese is sold.  It is then taken with much fanfare to the Weigh House to be weighed before being taken to carts for delivery.  The cheese is is put on wooden sleds and carried by two cheese carriers.  The market lasts from 10:00 to about 12:30.  The entire square and surrounding streets are lined with stalls selling all kinds of goods and the Town has a festival-type vibe.  This is probably where Mom got here giddiest on this trip -- excited by the activity of the market but probably more excited to buy something with those last five euros burning a hole in her pocket.

Money, Money, Money

Americans traveling to Europe typically find things to be expensive relative to home.  With the conversion rate currently $1.30 for 1 Euro, the exchange isn't all that favorable.  To gauge the relative level of cost, I compare the cost of a Big Mac Combo at McDonald's.  The Golden Arches are universal around the world, and if there's one thing they do well, it's the consistency of their product around the world.  This is the best apples to apples comparison I can find.  The current price of a Big Mac combo in Amsterdam is 5.95 euros.  Converting to dollars, this equates to $7.78 -- probably what you'd pay at an airport in the U.S.

Gas on the other hand is a different story.  It's not a good comparison because of taxes and other factors.  The current price per liter in Amsterdam is around 1.80 euros.  When you convert liters to gallons and apply the exchange rate, it comes to $8.96 per gallon.  This is probably why everyone rides bikes.

At the grocery store, you can buy really good bottled beer individually (you don't have to buy a six-pack) for 70 euro cents which is less than a dollar -- about 91 cents per bottle.  I guess it's not so bad.

Living like a Local

We're renting an apartment in Amsterdam for the week instead of staying in a hotel.  If we had not done this, we would need two hotel rooms since there are four of us.  Given our location on Reestraat near the Prinsengracht canal in the "9 Streets" neighborhood, the apartment is just as economical as two hotel rooms.  Plus we get a full kitchen which we have used extensively to cook meals instead of eating out all the time.

Our apartment has three levels above a store selling ladies clothing.  We found it on the internet and the information said narrow steep staircase.  This picture in no way captures how narrow and steep the staircase actually is.  This is the view from the street through the front door up to the first floor.  We're probably going up about a 60 degree angle.  It's like we're climbing a 20 foot extension ladder -- except with a landing in the middle.  Getting our luggage up the stairs was quite the challenge.  The stairways to the top two levels each turn 180 degrees like a spiral staircase going up about 10 feet with 12 steps.  The steps themselves aren't wide enough to fit your entire foot.  If you are looking closely, you will see that there is a definite lean to the left --it's not the angle of the camera.

Our first floor has a small living area with large windows looking down on the street.  There is also the kitchen and built in table.  The top two floors each have a bedroom and full bath.  The stone atop the gable indicates our building was built in 1897.  We've noticed that all the row houses and canal houses have similar narrow staircases, which begs the question--how do they move furniture or other large items into these houses?

The answer is hoisting hooks.  Every building in central Amsterdam has one.  The ones hundreds of years old have them and the ones built ten years ago have them.  The white posts sticking out from the top of each building have hooks where you can fasten ropes and pulleys to hoist up most anything and pass them through the windows.  In addition, all of the buildings are built leaning forward so you don't hit the front of the building when raising and lowering items from the hooks.  Between the intentional lean and the fact that most if not all of the buildings are built on reclaimed land, I doubt there's any row building or canal house in Amsterdam that is plumb and square--but it does make for great architecture.

Bicycle Ubiquity

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike;
I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like.
-- Freddie Mercury and Queen (1978)


Ubiquitous.  Omnipresent.  Bicycles.

To say there are a lot of bicycles in Amsterdam is almost like saying there is a lot of water in the ocean.  Bicycles are all over.  I believe it is a prerequisite for living in the city.  Amsterdammers ride their bikes everywhere -- to work, to shop, to school, to eat.  While I certainly don't know any numbers, I would wager the ratio of bicycles to automobiles in central Amsterdam is at least 20 to 1.  There is even a multi-level garage at the central train station strictly for parking bikes.  Almost every street in the city has a dedicated bike lane and there are even electronic signals for bicyclists to follow much like the signals at crosswalks for pedestrians.  Bikes are parked and locked everywhere -- including along the railings of every canal bridge in the city.

We've seen bikes of all shapes and sizes.  Most bikes have baskets and saddlebags for transporting groceries, briefcases, pets -- you name it.  Men in suits, ladies in skirts and high heels, young, old -- everyone rides a bike.  It's simply the best way to get around.  What you don't see -- overweight people riding bikes.  Everyone here appears very trim.

Another ubiquitous item in Amsterdam?  The rrrring, rrrring of the bells telling you to get out of the way or else be run over.

The Secret Annexe

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is probably on every high school required reading list and has been read by millions around the world.  It has been translated in over 70 languages.  About two blocks from our apartment, along the canal at 263 Prinsengracht, is the Anne Frank House where she and her family hid from the Nazis from July 6, 1942 until the house was raided on August 6, 1944.  The family hid in a secret annex at the back of the building, accessible only through a landing hidden by a movable bookcase.  Touring the house provided, at times, a stark reminder of the impact the hiding had not only on the Frank family, but on those trusted individuals of her father's business who were helping to hide them.  Anne was planning on writing a book she titled The Secret Annexe, but she died of typhus in the concentration camp at Bergn-Belsen only a few weeks before the camp was liberated by Allied forces.

Seeing the house gave each of us a new appreciation for her diaries, which each of us plan to re-read once we get home.

I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young, and know that I'm free.
--Anne Frank, 24 December 1943

So true.  We rejoice in our freedom.

Touring Canals by Bus

The central portion of Amsterdam is ringed by four main canals, with numerous offshoots and smaller canal that crisscross the city.  While I've never been to Venice and cannot begin to make a comparison, the canals certainly help define this city.  Amsterdam's canals are dotted with numerous small boats that residents dock near their homes -- then there are the houseboats that line some of the canals where people literally live on the water.

The Canal Bus company offers a hop-on/hop-off tour of Amsterdam via three different routes through the canals of the city.  Of course, you're not actually on a bus, but a flat-bottomed boat designed to pass through low narrow openings under most of the City's 1,250 bridges.  This is a great way to see Amsterdam, as you pass by many of the City's major sites.  We really enjoyed the perspective of seeing the City from water level as well as the convenience of getting to some of the places we wanted to see.

I think this picture captures the essence of canal life in Amsterdam.  Homes line the narrow streets along the canal with boats docked along the side.  This scene repeats itself throughout the city, which only adds to its appeal and charm.

Floriade

Every 10 years, the Netherlands hosts Floriade, a world horticultural expo.  After seeing the beauty of nature at Keukenhof Gardens, we traveled by train 2 hours to the City of Venlo where Floriade is being held.  Venlo is in the southeastern portion of the Netherlands along its border with Germany.  It's difficult to capture exactly the essence of Floriade, but the best way I know to describe it is to say it is like the World's Fair, except with a horticultural theme.  Check out Floriade's website.

Standing in front of the Netherlands' exhibit --
showcasing the latest in sustainability
(and perhaps architecture?)

There were numerous educational exhibits describing the latest advances in horticulture and agriculture, as well as exhibits of different countries displaying gardens representative of their culture.  And of course, the park was also superbly manicured with lots of flowers throughout -- there was even a large greenhouse showcasing the world's tropical plant life.  The neat thing about Floriade is that the park is purpose-built for the expo and will be used as a business park once the expo is over, utilizing the latest sustainability techniques.  It just opened on April 5 so we visited during the first week.  While the flowers were yet to be in full bloom, it was great from a crowd perspective as it wasn't filled with wall to wall tour buses.  I suspect by summer time, it will be wall to wall people.

Easter at Keukenhof

We awoke to a glorious sunny Easter morning.  What better way than to spend part of our day seeing God's glory in nature.   Keukenhof Gardens was set up in 1949 to serve as a showcase for bulb growers and currently has several million bulbs planted over about 80 acres of spectacularly manicured grounds.  The name Keukenhof Gardens literally means "kitchen garden" and its location near Lisse is the former estate of a 15th century Dutch Countess who grew vegetables and herbs on the property.

We took the train from Amsterdam to Leiden, and from Leiden took a bus to Keukenhof.  Billed as the largest flower garden in the world, it's only open for about 2 months each year -- during the Spring when everything is in bloom.   Although it appears we were about 2 weeks before the peak for tulips, it was still an amazing display of color and variety -- tulips, hyacinth, and daffodils of all shapes and sizes.  They also had exhibition halls featuring displays of orchids and roses.

Keukenhof is in the heart of the Netherlands' bulb growing region, and during our journey we could see many fields in bloom.  Later in the day, our sun disappeared and the temperature dropped, but it was still a magnificent experience.  I may have to take extra allergy pills, but it will be worth it.

Yes they're made of wood, but please call them clogs.

Pop trying is hand at making clogs

One of the things we Americans identify with the Netherlands are wooden shoes.  However, the Dutch don't refer to them as wooden shoes.  They call them clogs.  During our first day here while exploring our neighborhood and getting our bearings, we cam across a gentlemen demonstrating the craft of making clogs.  With Pop's background in woodworking, we were quickly into a conversation about how these shoes are made.  He showed Pop the different tools used and told us that clogs are typically made out of willow trees.  Now that he's seen how it's done, don't be surprised if home-made clogs make it into stockings this Christmas.

We Finally Made It

For better or worse, airline travel isn't what it used to be.  The frequent complaints of the day -- crammed planes, baggage fees, long security lines, etc. -- are all too prevalent in today's travel world.  We're flying US Airways for this trip and our flight from Philadelphia ended up being delayed.  We had actually boarded, left the gate, and were taxiing for take-off when the Captain came on the loudspeaker and indicated we needed to return to the terminal to investigate a maintenance issue.  Long story short, one of the fuel pumps was not working properly.  We ended up getting a replacement aircraft and had to disembark, go to another gate, and wait for our original plane to be unloaded and reloaded on the new plane.  The staff at US Airways was very professional and kept us informed with frequent updates and did a great job of getting us on our way.  Even though we left three hours late, we made up some of the time en route and arrived about 1:45 later than expected.  The rest of the trip over was uneventful.  Admittedly, I'm one to complain about airline travel, especially when it seems you're never on time or there's some other hassle that interferes with a pleasant trip.  However, this is not one of those times.  Here's a big tip of the hat and kudos to US Airways for a job well-done.  Thanks for the extra effort to get us here safely.

And We're Off

We've successfully made it to Philadelphia for our connecting flight to Amsterdam.  A big thank you to the PHL Airport Authority for having free wi-fi in the terminal.  It will greatly help us with the 3 1/2 hour layover.  More airports should follow their lead.  Traveling with the in-laws is always an adventure.  No matter how much we prepare and tell them about the TSA rules, inevitably one or the other either sets off the alarm (Check!) or gets pulled aside for extra screening (Double Check!).  This time both the checked bag was opened for inspection as well as the carry on.  This happens on every trip, so I'm not sure it would be the same experience if it didn't happen -- it always livens the conversation.

The other veritable truth with the in-laws, especially when traveling to new places, is the reversion (devolution, maybe?) to child-like giddiness.  It's already started and we haven't even left the country yet.  The most memorable of these instances was when we traveled to Australia back in 2006 and Mom got to ride a camel in the Outback.  For some reason known only to her, and of which we are completely unaware, she harbored a life-long dream of riding a camel.  She was first off the bus waving her money in the air and running to be first in line.  Definitely one of the funniest and most memorable experiences of that trip, although I'm not sure the picture truly captures the moment.  I'm not sure where that moment will be on this trip, but I know it will come.

First Edelweiss....Now Tulips!

Surrounded by Edelweiss in Murren

We leave next week for Amsterdam to spend a week in the Netherlands.  We're looking forward to being there while the tulips are in bloom.  Back in 2008, we had a fantastic two week trip to Switzerland and Austria.  We spent five nights in Interlaken and took day trips to the Jungfrau and surrounding areas.  One of our day trips was to the little village of Murren.  It was here we found ourselves surrounded by Edelweiss.

Edelweiss is a low-growing ground cover, but we found some growing over a retaining wall next to the hiking path we were on.  We thought it made for a perfect picture as it's not everyday you can be surrounded by it.  With our upcoming trip to the Netherlands, we're hoping to see a panoply of tulips in bloom.  I hope to be able to add another great picture to the collection.

The best laid plans.......

When I started this blog, my intention was not to write only when I'm actually traveling.  Well, here we are almost a year after I started, and voila --- I haven't written anything since the last trip and am getting ready to travel again.  In preparation for our upcoming trip to Amsterdam, I'm going to write a few posts about trips prior to starting this blog.  Hopefully, this will inspire me to continue writing and not have such a lag between posts.