And now for the Amsterdam installment of our visit with family...
We returned from London late on Saturday evening, so Sunday was a slow, relaxing day. We made breakfast and introduced Dad, Sherry, and Grandma to Greg's new favorite - poffertjes! We sat around drinking coffee, looking at pictures of the new Shipley landscaping, opening Ben's early birthday gifts, and then...napping. All except for me, how does that keep happening? ;) Later that evening, we walked around our neighborhood and down our "shopping" street before dinner. It was a great day of being together with family and getting some much needed rest.
Tuesday morning was swim lessons, so Dad and Sherry got up early to join me and Ben. They took some good photos - with their camera, so I'll have to share photos of my little fishy once I get them. We relaxed the rest of the morning and headed out for sightseeing after naptime. We saw the Waag, built in 1488 it is Amsterdam's oldest surviving gatehouse. Then, we walked through Chinatown and through the Red Light District. It was late afternoon, so the atmosphere was fairly "mild". Really, it seemed there were a lot more provocative shops than ladies in windows - at least down the main streets. Notice the red lights in between Dad and Sherry in the picture below. You are not really allowed to take photos of the "windows" (for obvious reasons), but this photo seemed pretty safe as the windows themselves were down a small, narrow street out of view. Also in the heart of the RDL is the Oude Kerk (Old Church), a Gothic style church dating back to the 14th century.
From there, we walked a few short blocks to Dam Square. On our way, we passed by The Bulldog, apparently the first "coffeeshop" in Amsterdam, or so it says. In Dam Square, we saw the National Monument (commemorating Dutch WWII casualties), Koninklijk Paleis (still used occasionally for official royal functions), and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church, also dating from the 14th century). We took the tram home and stopped off to get pizzas for dinner. We even found Dr. Pepper at the grocery store for Sherry! We snacked on cookies after dinner, and Grandma is now officially addicted to stroopwafels!
On Wednesday morning, we took a canal boat cruise through the city. I know these are touristy, but I still love them as being such a great way to see so many different parts of the city in a relatively short period of time. We saw views from the harbor by Central Station, the canals and bridges, the Opera House, house boats, and canal houses with the various roofing architecture. Dad, Sherry, and Grandma enjoyed the cruise, and even made reservations for a candlelight cruise on Thursday evening to see the city at night. Took the afternoon easy, had dinner, and then ventured out for an evening ice cream cone. (Because there's nothing an almost 2 year old needs more right before bed than sugar!)
Thursday morning was Little Gym class. Sherry was my photographer, and I think she got quite a workout chasing us around to snap photos. (Thanks again Maw Maw!) The first one is of Ben and his American friend, Kaia. I was so glad that Thursday was finally here because everytime we asked Ben what we were going to see today, his answer was "Kaia". A first girlfriend, perhaps? Anyways, we took the afternoon pretty slow (see photo of Ben and Paw Paw relaxing on the couch, pretty sure they were watching Veggie Tales) because the candlelight cruise was that night - starting at 9 p.m. for 2 hours. I wasn't sure that all 3 of them would stay awake, but they did! Very impressive! And, they made it to and from the dock all on their own - and using public transportation. I think we have got ourselves some world travelers here!
Greg took Friday off work to stay home with Ben and Grandma in the morning while Dad, Sherry, and I went to see the Westerkerk and climb the tower. It wasn't that Grandma wasn't invited, but she wasn't sure about the 186 steps it would take to reach the observation level. We had a guided climb at 11 a.m. - and it was true, the stairs were very narrow and steep. The guide showed us that we were only actually able to go up part of the way, not to the very top (tallest tower in the city at 85 meters). There were, thankfully, several levels where we could rest and he would point things out, such as the bells of the carillon. Once we made it to the observation level, I was so glad we climbed all those stairs...the view was amazing! It was very fun for me trying to find some landmarks now that I know the city a little better. After climbing back down (yes, what goes up, must come down), we had a few minutes to enjoy the sanctuary of the church (love the organ) before meeting Grandma, Greg, and Ben for lunch.
Ah, lunch at the Pancake Bakery, yummy! I couldn't wait for everyone to try some pannekoeken. Grandma and Sherry had apple, Dad had apple and banana, Greg and Ben had poffertjes, and I had ham and cheese. Everyone looked at me funny when ordering, but guess whose pancake everyone liked the best? :) Greg was very sweet to spend the afternoon with Ben while the rest of us went to the Anne Frank House. I had read the Diary of Anne Frank again once we moved here, and so it made it much more real to me as we walked through the house. She was so young, but what a legacy she was able to leave through her words. Really moving experience. We walked around the city a bit more afterwards for some shopping and spent the evening at home.
We went to the outdoor market on Saturday morning for some fruit and fresh fish. We got packed up and headed to Haarlem around noon, about 15 minutes by train. What a great city! Haarlem is the commercial capital of North Holland province and the eighth largest city in the Netherlands. We arrived and walked towards one of the windmills, so Dad, Sherry, and Grandma could say they'd seen a Dutch windmill. :) Then, we walked to Grote Markt for lunch. The host at the restaurant was very interested to talk American politics. It is amazing to see how involved they are here with U.S. news - I've even seen campaign stickers on boats along the canals in Amsterdam. We visited the Grote Kerk, very beautiful ceilings and organ - Mozart played there as a small child. From there, we window-shopped and had some gelato, mmmmm. Then we came upon an outdoor market in the town square...and found gigantic homemade stroopwafels! The man in the picture has been making them for over 40 years. So tasty! More shopping, and Grandma trying out some clogs before heading back home for a quiet evening.
Sunday morning was church. Grandma didn't join us because she had been fighting a bad cough/cold since London, and she needed to get some rest. After church, Greg stayed with Ben while the rest of us went for some more shopping in Dam Square. The city was chaos - the Dam to Dam run was on Sunday. Greg had been signed up to run, but his knees have been bothering him lately, so he's going to save his legs for the ING half marathon later this month. From Dam Square we went to Rembrandtplein, and Grandma found a beautiful watercolor painting of a canal to take home. Dad and Sherry found one too. It was a short walk to the Bloemenmarkt, the flower market floating on the Singel canal. Saw lots of pretty flowers and lots of tulip bulbs. Headed home and grabbed Chinese take-out for dinner. Wasn't bad, but definitely tastes a little different than what we are used to in the States.
Monday morning was market morning again, but this time with famous Winkel 'appelgebak met slagroom' (apple pie with cream) at the end of our shopping. I had heard lots about this pie and it is in many of the guidebooks as "best in the city". Well, I haven't tried any other, but it was heavenly, so it's tops in my book! We spent the rest of the day packing, cleaning, and just being together.
Tuesday morning was a sad one...time for family to go home. :( We got to Schipol about 9:30 a.m. to drop off Dad, Sherry, and Grandma for their 11:45 flight. It was hard to see them go, as we had such a great time with them here. But, we hope they enjoyed their time with us and the chance to explore some new places. Thanks for coming to visit guys, we LOVED having you here!
We returned from London late on Saturday evening, so Sunday was a slow, relaxing day. We made breakfast and introduced Dad, Sherry, and Grandma to Greg's new favorite - poffertjes! We sat around drinking coffee, looking at pictures of the new Shipley landscaping, opening Ben's early birthday gifts, and then...napping. All except for me, how does that keep happening? ;) Later that evening, we walked around our neighborhood and down our "shopping" street before dinner. It was a great day of being together with family and getting some much needed rest.
Monday was another low-key day. There is an open-air market on Lindengracht near our home on Monday mornings, so we walked there around 11:30 a.m. Fresh juice, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, fresh flowers...and lots of clothes, fabric, and other odds and ends. This was right up Grandma's alley! The market packs up around 1 p.m., so we came back home for lunch and naps. The afternoon was relaxing too, we walked to a small play area near our home for some swinging and blowing bubbles. Ben loved having so many extra playmates! Had a yummy taco fiesta for dinner.
Tuesday morning was swim lessons, so Dad and Sherry got up early to join me and Ben. They took some good photos - with their camera, so I'll have to share photos of my little fishy once I get them. We relaxed the rest of the morning and headed out for sightseeing after naptime. We saw the Waag, built in 1488 it is Amsterdam's oldest surviving gatehouse. Then, we walked through Chinatown and through the Red Light District. It was late afternoon, so the atmosphere was fairly "mild". Really, it seemed there were a lot more provocative shops than ladies in windows - at least down the main streets. Notice the red lights in between Dad and Sherry in the picture below. You are not really allowed to take photos of the "windows" (for obvious reasons), but this photo seemed pretty safe as the windows themselves were down a small, narrow street out of view. Also in the heart of the RDL is the Oude Kerk (Old Church), a Gothic style church dating back to the 14th century.From there, we walked a few short blocks to Dam Square. On our way, we passed by The Bulldog, apparently the first "coffeeshop" in Amsterdam, or so it says. In Dam Square, we saw the National Monument (commemorating Dutch WWII casualties), Koninklijk Paleis (still used occasionally for official royal functions), and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church, also dating from the 14th century). We took the tram home and stopped off to get pizzas for dinner. We even found Dr. Pepper at the grocery store for Sherry! We snacked on cookies after dinner, and Grandma is now officially addicted to stroopwafels! On Wednesday morning, we took a canal boat cruise through the city. I know these are touristy, but I still love them as being such a great way to see so many different parts of the city in a relatively short period of time. We saw views from the harbor by Central Station, the canals and bridges, the Opera House, house boats, and canal houses with the various roofing architecture. Dad, Sherry, and Grandma enjoyed the cruise, and even made reservations for a candlelight cruise on Thursday evening to see the city at night. Took the afternoon easy, had dinner, and then ventured out for an evening ice cream cone. (Because there's nothing an almost 2 year old needs more right before bed than sugar!) Thursday morning was Little Gym class. Sherry was my photographer, and I think she got quite a workout chasing us around to snap photos. (Thanks again Maw Maw!) The first one is of Ben and his American friend, Kaia. I was so glad that Thursday was finally here because everytime we asked Ben what we were going to see today, his answer was "Kaia". A first girlfriend, perhaps? Anyways, we took the afternoon pretty slow (see photo of Ben and Paw Paw relaxing on the couch, pretty sure they were watching Veggie Tales) because the candlelight cruise was that night - starting at 9 p.m. for 2 hours. I wasn't sure that all 3 of them would stay awake, but they did! Very impressive! And, they made it to and from the dock all on their own - and using public transportation. I think we have got ourselves some world travelers here! Greg took Friday off work to stay home with Ben and Grandma in the morning while Dad, Sherry, and I went to see the Westerkerk and climb the tower. It wasn't that Grandma wasn't invited, but she wasn't sure about the 186 steps it would take to reach the observation level. We had a guided climb at 11 a.m. - and it was true, the stairs were very narrow and steep. The guide showed us that we were only actually able to go up part of the way, not to the very top (tallest tower in the city at 85 meters). There were, thankfully, several levels where we could rest and he would point things out, such as the bells of the carillon. Once we made it to the observation level, I was so glad we climbed all those stairs...the view was amazing! It was very fun for me trying to find some landmarks now that I know the city a little better. After climbing back down (yes, what goes up, must come down), we had a few minutes to enjoy the sanctuary of the church (love the organ) before meeting Grandma, Greg, and Ben for lunch. Ah, lunch at the Pancake Bakery, yummy! I couldn't wait for everyone to try some pannekoeken. Grandma and Sherry had apple, Dad had apple and banana, Greg and Ben had poffertjes, and I had ham and cheese. Everyone looked at me funny when ordering, but guess whose pancake everyone liked the best? :) Greg was very sweet to spend the afternoon with Ben while the rest of us went to the Anne Frank House. I had read the Diary of Anne Frank again once we moved here, and so it made it much more real to me as we walked through the house. She was so young, but what a legacy she was able to leave through her words. Really moving experience. We walked around the city a bit more afterwards for some shopping and spent the evening at home.We went to the outdoor market on Saturday morning for some fruit and fresh fish. We got packed up and headed to Haarlem around noon, about 15 minutes by train. What a great city! Haarlem is the commercial capital of North Holland province and the eighth largest city in the Netherlands. We arrived and walked towards one of the windmills, so Dad, Sherry, and Grandma could say they'd seen a Dutch windmill. :) Then, we walked to Grote Markt for lunch. The host at the restaurant was very interested to talk American politics. It is amazing to see how involved they are here with U.S. news - I've even seen campaign stickers on boats along the canals in Amsterdam. We visited the Grote Kerk, very beautiful ceilings and organ - Mozart played there as a small child. From there, we window-shopped and had some gelato, mmmmm. Then we came upon an outdoor market in the town square...and found gigantic homemade stroopwafels! The man in the picture has been making them for over 40 years. So tasty! More shopping, and Grandma trying out some clogs before heading back home for a quiet evening. Sunday morning was church. Grandma didn't join us because she had been fighting a bad cough/cold since London, and she needed to get some rest. After church, Greg stayed with Ben while the rest of us went for some more shopping in Dam Square. The city was chaos - the Dam to Dam run was on Sunday. Greg had been signed up to run, but his knees have been bothering him lately, so he's going to save his legs for the ING half marathon later this month. From Dam Square we went to Rembrandtplein, and Grandma found a beautiful watercolor painting of a canal to take home. Dad and Sherry found one too. It was a short walk to the Bloemenmarkt, the flower market floating on the Singel canal. Saw lots of pretty flowers and lots of tulip bulbs. Headed home and grabbed Chinese take-out for dinner. Wasn't bad, but definitely tastes a little different than what we are used to in the States.Monday morning was market morning again, but this time with famous Winkel 'appelgebak met slagroom' (apple pie with cream) at the end of our shopping. I had heard lots about this pie and it is in many of the guidebooks as "best in the city". Well, I haven't tried any other, but it was heavenly, so it's tops in my book! We spent the rest of the day packing, cleaning, and just being together. Tuesday morning was a sad one...time for family to go home. :( We got to Schipol about 9:30 a.m. to drop off Dad, Sherry, and Grandma for their 11:45 flight. It was hard to see them go, as we had such a great time with them here. But, we hope they enjoyed their time with us and the chance to explore some new places. Thanks for coming to visit guys, we LOVED having you here!
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