#Eurotrip - Holland Recap

Today is all about Holland aka The Netherlands. The Netherlands are unique to Continental Europe in that they are much more similar to their northern friends, the Scandinavians and English. They are unbelievably friendly, kind and tall. For once Dan didn't stick out like such a giant!

We were really able to travel all over the place since we had a car. It definitely made road triping much easier and allowed us to really experience four very different places. We were captivated by the adorable Uni town of Maastricht, endeared to the quiet fishing town of Hindeloopen, excited by the fun and vibrant city of Amsterdam, and educated by the shipping town of Schiedam.

The perfect canal shot of Amsterdam. Follow me on Instgram for more shots.

Maastricht
Our first stop on the trip through Holland, was Maastricht. A university town, Maastricht was vibrant and bustling while never feeling too big. We arrived in the evening to our hotel and after a brief run in with the police (we had accidentally parked in a spot reserved only for Doctors while checking in), we were off to experience the city.

What first surprised us was just how late everyone was out. We did not sit down to dinner before 10pm and this seemed pretty commonplace. We were able to snag a table at a cafe on the square where a dress rehearsal of Andre Rieu's concert was underway, so we even got a show with dinner.

For those of you who don't know Andre Rieu, he is a very accomplished composer and musician. I only knew of him that night because Sasha Cohen had skated to his piece Dark Eyes during the Olympics a few years back. I had been so taken by the piece that I downloaded it to my iPod. After our lovely dinner and show, we were off to bed as it was already midnight.

The next day we explored a different square of town, the one right off our hotel, where the weekly market was underway. This is where Maastricht still held onto its small city roots. The market was vibrant and bustling with beautiful fresh flowers, yummy cheeses and fragrant fruits all displayed for purchase. There were also some stands selling Oranje gear in preparation for the big match; Dan was definitely tempted to grab something.

After our breakfast on the square we took a drive out to the local tunnels that served as a rock quarry for hundreds of years. It also served a hideout/refuge for the town during multiple wars including the invasions of Napoleon. In addition to being a safe house, it was also a type of art gallery. On Sundays, locals used to tour the mines to take in the beautiful carvings and drawings on the wall made but local artisans and stone cutters. The tunnels also served as a smuggling route during WWII to get supplies between Holland and Belgium. During the tour you were even able to spot carved names from US soldiers who were there during WWII.

Dan was one of three tour guests responsible for lighting our way.

What a typical tunnel drawing was like.

Hindeloopen
Hindeloopen was our second stop on our tour of Holland and was what perhaps most people imagine when they think of a quintessential Dutch town. Located right on a dyked lake, the town had tiny canals weaving through the streets and the tinest little bridges to traverse. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast right in town and arrived just in time for a dinner on the harbor and for the France/Germany World Cup Match. 

Hindeloopen during twilight.

We dined at a lovely outdoor restaurant right in the harbor and were able to simultaneously watch the match since the bar next door had a tv in its outdoor seating area. Even in this small town, the residents were alive with excitement for the World Cup, and their team wasn't evening playing until the following evening.

After dinner and a devastating French loss, we toured the village and the dykes during sunset. Sunset, which was well after 10pm, gave us ample time to explore in the twilight. Then the following morning, we rented bikes from our sweet proprietress and headed on a tour the way the Dutch do it. We biked to a nearby village, traveling on a bike route among farms, horses and windmills. What is amazing is that their bike paths did not skirt the main road but instead cut their own path through farms. The bike tour, while difficult with a full leg brace for my knee, was beautiful and exactly what you expect when you think of rural Holland.

Dan and I at sunset overlooking the dyke.

At the end of our tour, we stopped at IJsselmeer, the lake formed by the dykes. Now freshwater, this lake is very shallow and serves as a sporting hotbed for wind surfers and parasailers alike. We stopped to take a look at all the locals soaring through the sky and decided to take a dip ourselves. For those wind surfers and parasailers out there, you could not do better than IJsselmeer. The winds are strong and the lake is not deep.

Amsterdam
After Hindeloopen we were off to Amsterdam for a few days. When people think of traveling to the Netherlands, they always have Amsterdam on their itinerary and there is good reason why. This was hands down one of the most fun cities I have ever been to. Now this may be because we arrived the night of the Netherlands vs Costa Rica match, but either way it was hands down a great time. The only caution I would make is to ditch the rental car. It is terrifying to drive in Amsterdam. With the bikers flying through intersections without pause and pedestrians everywhere, just sitting in the passenger seat had me scared.

The bike. The only way to travel in Amsterdam.

We rented apartments in Amsterdam through a local rental company, so we really got to experience how the locals lived. We weren't on any touristy road, but instead along the canals in these adorable walk ups where the stairs were steep and getting suitcases hauled upstairs was difficult but worth it. The views from these top floor apartments were adorable and the breeze wasn't half bad either.

After we got settled in, we started a tour around the city. Our first thought was to stop at the Anne Frank House, but the line was insane. If you are planning a trip, book your tour slot a few weeks in advance, otherwise be prepared to wait in line. Since we didn't want to wait and thought we would instead arrive early the following morning, we headed down to the Van Gogh Museum near the Rijksmuseum. While a very interesting stop, a lot of his most famous works are scattered across the globe, so there is no Starry Night here

After the museum we went in search of a brown bar, which is a local bar that is dark inside, had lots of beer on tap and is often family owned. Think old man bar. We found an adorable brown bar where we drank fantastic half brown ale and lemon genever. The proprietor was 11th generation owner of the establishment and filled us all in on the history of genever, the predecessor to gin.

After a beer we grabbed dinner and then went in search of a location to watch the game. Dan and I both had our Oranje jerseys on and we we ready for a great game. For the first half, we joined the locals by grabbing beers and standing outside on the sidewalk to watch the game. All the local bars had set up TVs and chairs outside to create stadium seating viewing areas. Then during halftime we hopped bars again and found a table upstairs, where we could watch the game and order a mini keg to share.

Dan and I ready for the big game!

For those that don't know the Dutch won the game in a shootout over Costa Rica. And when I tell you the city erupted, it erupted. Dan, Dominique and I went out for some celebrations with the locals and we found ourselves bar hopping along the route back to our apartment. It was hands down the most fun I have had celebrating a sporting win ever in my life, and I've partied post World Series and Superbowl wins, but nothing was like this. We quietly rolled into our loft apartment a little after 3am, and I'll admit the following morning was a tad rough.

What a street viewing party looks like.

Our second day in Amsterdam, after we had all recovered a bit, included a tour of Anne Frank's House, which we still had to wait in line for, more brown bars, dinner in the old First Class lounge of the train station, and a tour of Bols, which is a liquor company that makes genever. I have to say the Anne Frank House is on everyone's to do list of Amsterdam and I understand why. The museum is very well done and the exhibit itself is very moving. I'll admit the space is bigger than I thought, but to be trapped inside for 2 years seems overwhelming. It also inspired me to add The Diary of Anne Frank to my reading list, as I never read it as a child.

Schiedam
And finally our last stop of the tour of Holland, was Schiedam. Once larger than Rotterdam, this shipping town is home to the Kettle One Distillery. Family friends set up a tour for us and I have to say it was fascinating. The factory is state of the art. With half their production on one side of the canal and the rest on the other, Kettle One built a tunnel under the canal to transport bottles from filling and packaging to storage and shipping. The automation of it all was fascinating to me as an engineer. We also got to tour the more historical part of the building including a stop to the original kettle, marked with a 1 on it. It is still in production today and where the company gets its name. Kettle One is a family run business and has always been and it was really special to see that multiple generations of the family are there day in and out.

The Kettle that started it all. Still in use today.

After our tour and lovely lunch, we left Kettle One and were headed back to Belgium. Stay tuned for my tips and tricks for visiting the Netherlands and recaps and tips for both Belgium and Scotland.

Dan and I at the windmill along our bike ride in Hindeloopen.