If Germany is the land of potatoes, "Kartoffelland", then Holland is the land of Stroopwafles & Tulips. Ask me a year ago if I would ever find myself in Europe- let alone a place I have heard so much about when growing up? No you'd be crazy, there's no chance. But, against all odds, here I was in Amsterdam with my girls.
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| Pick your Stroopwafle of choice |
It was an enchanting place, a huge city, but still decked with flowers along the charming labyrinth of canals. The train ride there from Bonn was sleepy, but the closer we got to Amsterdam the more real it became and the excitement sunk in. I love riding the trains in my travels- getting to see the Rhineland turn into farmlands with windmills, and the German houses turn into the Dutch domed roofs.
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| Canals of Amsterdam |
The Dutch have a very special place in my heart thanks to the Den Harders. My Dad played soccer in college and has kept the game in his life by coaching in his free time. When I was little he coached a group of boys with quadruplets on the team. The boys were born in the states, but Cora & Peter were from the Netherlands. Our families grew really close together over the years. Peter & my Dad both coaching for the club teams, and the boys being our adopted older brothers. The boys would come over and babysit us as a team, and honestly were among the only successful babysitters of the five of us kids. Anytime I would come over to their house, Cora would lay out a huge blanket and dump buckets of Leggo's on top for us to play. Other times I came over, she and I would cook sugar pies and other Dutch sweets together. Cora remains one of the most organized human beings to exist.
I loved their house decorations- the boys were colored coded at birth and their little onesies were framed on the walls. They had all of their wooden shoes by the front door, and tulips all over the house. The living room had a view of the Dutch flag, and the kitchen had Delft pottery.
So experiencing the country that formed Cora and Peter was a true privilege. The bikes all over the place, the extremely tall natives, the abundance of flowers, and the Dutch pancakes.
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| Flower Market |
Sunday we found a cool place with outstanding (gluten free for our sweet Carol) pancakes, and had some great conversations. One of my favorite moments of the trip was getting to go to Mass, in English, in this beautiful little church squeezed in between stores. There are many little churches like this throughout Europe, and I think it's the neatest thing. The rest of our Sunday we spent at a small little restaurant, where our hilarious waiter was the menu. I loved the vibe of the narrow street it was on, and the fresh food and wine.
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| Pannenkoek |
If you get the chance to go to Amsterdam do the following- stay at Hotel Casa Amsterdam, drink the excellent coffee, see the Rijk's Museum, eat a fresh stroopwafle, laugh with friends, buy a coffee and spill it all before drinking any, then be graced by Carol's generosity, enjoy the parks and flowers, see the Tulip market if in season, eat a fancy meal or two, and soak in the beautiful culture.
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| Classic Me |
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| Classic Art- Rijk's Museum |
I plan to go back and spend more time exploing the small little Dutch cities at some point in my life- maybe sooner rather than later... Cora & Peter- I may sneak into your luggage next time you visit home.
-much love Mary-Cate
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| See ya soon Holland |
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