The Netherlands

It's been 2 1/2 years since we moved here and since then we have visited 12 countries, but for some reason we haven't visited the one country that has woven our history - The Netherlands! So, we took our last road trip and headed to the land of wooden shoes.

Our first stop was to Kinderdijk - a small village in South Holland that is home to 19 working windmills. It was pretty amazing to stand on one end and see all the windmills going. Most were built in the 1700s. It was almost as if time had stood still. We took our time walking along the dyke, trying hard not to fall in due to the high winds.

On to Haarlem, where we would be staying while we toured. Haarlem is just Northwest of Amsterdaam and is much quieter and perfect for a young family, although it still has the Red Light District. (Just ask Tom, who was retching after taking a walk through!) Getting to the hotel was a bit of a nightmare thanks to the satnav not knowing what was a pedestrian road and which was not. So, we ended up driving in the town square - well, almost we had to back up down the one way street trying not to hit too many bikers! But we got there and had an enjoyable night watching the kids run through the market square, although I was nervous that they'd get hit be bikers!

The next day we were met by cloudy skies, but we stuck to the plan of Kuekenhof gardens. The gardens are massive and were gorgeous. Sadly, they weren't as gorgeous as they could have been. The cold winter and spring meant for late blooms. So, we were only able to see daffodils, hyacinths, and early blooming tulips. Not to worry, there was a lot to see plus a huge indoor display of all the flowers. We spent all day there, but had to leave in time to visit the Dutch seaside, which the boys were begging for!

With wellies on (for the boys), we headed down to the sandy beaches and dunes that reminded us of Holland, MI. There was a reason for settling there - landscapes are almost identical! We had a great time running along the water, but I did discover that my boots were not waterproof when I had to go in after Jeb!

That night we dined at a pancake house. We each got a pancake as big as our plate (thin with your choice of sweet or savory), served by the owner herself. If I would have closed my eyes I would have sworn I was 8 years old, sitting with my grandma and grandpa at Cnossen's restaurant and eating that same pancake. But, when I open my eyes I see that sitting beside me are two boys - one ready to spill his hot chocolate and one announcing that he doesn't like chocolate milk. Reality bites.

Easter Sunday. The church bells were ringing in the huge church outside our hotel. Sadly, the church is only open May to October. So, we had our Easter service in the car. The boys probably got more out of it anyway. That, and an Easter egg hunt in the hotel room, made it a holiday to remember.

Zaans Schans - an open air museum, was our destination. We first watched wooden shoes being made and Tom got totally sucked in by announcing that we all needed wooden shoes. Hmmm. Don't think so. Jeb and Aiden got a pair since Jacob already has one. (Side note, Aiden is constantly wearing them all over the house now that we are home!) Anyway, next was the cheese farm where we saw cheese being made. Tom, once again, got sucked in, handing me 3 cheeses for a total of $30. Nope, got one (btw, Tom doesn't like Gouda cheese!) We walked through the village and the boys painted Easter eggs with some nice Dutch women. It was a very Dutch day, perfect.

Looking back on the weekend, I am really glad that we went. It's interesting to see the similarities between 'our' dutch and 'their' dutch. But it's also sad to see some of the differences and wonder why that didn't get taken to the new world. Like biking - we saw so many people biking - to work, to the bar, with kids, etc. I found myself thinking, 'wow, I wish I was dutch.' Wait, I am. The landscape is similar and we even made our way up to Freisland, where it is exact. Makes me wonder if more of us in West Michigan are Freis rather than Dutch (I know I am!).

So that is it for us on European road trips and the Eurotunnel. Glad we made the Netherlands our last. The way it should be...plus they pronounce our name right!