Even though we had to get up early (4am!) , I was really looking forward to The Netherlands and the early hour didn't seem to affect either of us too much. Josh has been several times and I have been once, and we both really enjoy it. We are staying with Josh's Uncle Ron and Aunt Aria and I was excited to meet them after hearing so many stories (most proving pretty accurate in retrospect!).
The first time I came to The Netherlands, it was only for a couple of days and the bulk of the time was spent in Amsterdam. My cousins, Sam, and I enjoyed the canals by going on a boat ride that served wine and cheese, and we also had a goofy time paddle boating and having little races. We did the typical things that young tourists might do in the red light district and did a lot of shopping (some more than others!). We also toured a cheese factory and I brought some cheese home for my family who seemed to think it tasted too much like meat to enjoy because it had been smoked.
This time however, we are staying in Rijnsburg, which is about a 45 minute train ride to Amsterdam. I am looking forward to spending more time wandering the streets, wasting time (well, not really!) at coffee shops, and maybe doing a little shopping. We do have some day trips planned and I am looking forward to a few museums and seeing Anne Frank's house (I have just reread A Diary of a Young Girl but more on that later). Oh and definitely enjoying more of the cheese- it is just amazing!
The first night we arrived was very relaxing. I have been hearing about Ron and Aria's house for about four years and was really excited to see it for myself. When they originally purchased it , there had been a fire and one of the walls was severely damaged and in general, it had not been properly maintained by the previous owner. You would never know this now though because it is very beautiful with large windows filtering in the natural light, gorgeous marble type flooring, and a huge backyard with a wild, yet restrained look about it . It is now declared a heritage site since it was originally built in 1900 and they have done such an amazing job of restoring it. The part I find the most charming is the steep stairwell that will only allow for the width of one foot on each step- it is fun to navigate them !
Poking around the house is like looking at a museum with all the artwork and treasures that have been found along the way. Ron has collected anything from an old coin from the Crimea war to a sea turtle fin washed ashore in Greece. I particularly enjoyed sitting on their plush rug, feeling the heat from their indoor fire place with the flames dancing before my eyes coupled with their favorite Greek music; the atmosphere could not be more perfect.
The next day we slept in late to recover, and then headed into Liden for the day. We lazily walked around, popping our heads into interesting shops and did some people watching. It is a beautiful place with characteristic houses. I don't really know how to describe it but somehow when you see photos of these houses, you just know immediately that it is Holland.
When we came back for the evening, we had a lovely dinner party with some of Ron and Aria's closest friends and their daughter, also named Nikki and her boyfriend Geoffery. We had excellent food and great music from theirs friends and even Josh took a turn entertaining us ! As always, it was fun to discuss the differences between our countries and with most of us being in healthcare, the conversation quickly turned towards that . The biggest surprise for us was that people are not automatically insured and have to pay for health care. However once they are insured, medications fall under that umbrella also . Another interesting thing is that most people start with five weeks of holidays and it is not uncommon for people to have eight weeks off per year. Of course this sounds pretty good to me and I wish Canadians would expect a little more regarding work life balance.
We slept in again since the previous evening did not end until 3am (I know- we are having some wonky sleep patterns!). We had a wonderful day today walking to the beach . Once there, they somehow convinced me to swim in the ocean "just for the story" so I conceded, and as suspected, it was really chilly! Needlessly to say, that was a pretty quick story!
I had been hearing about how great the petats (French fries) were from Josh and I finally tried some with their amazing peanut sauce. I swear I finished a whole plate to myself (we had two plates between the four of us- oops!) and I relished in every bite! Would it be so bad to eat that every day until we leave ?
Apparently we are extremely lucky with the weather and tomorrow is going to be 27 degrees! We are not sure of the best way to utilize this treat but I know with certainty that we will have another great day . :)
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