Date of trip: May 2008

Will and I have always been fans of the famous blue and white Delft porcelain so we decided to check out the city where it’s made. The train ride was about an hour from Amsterdam but it was scenic and pretty. I expected the city to be quaint but it was actually quite active with plenty of shops and restaurants. There were also a lot of people and most of them were zipping around on bikes so we had to keep our heads up and watch where we were walking.

Highlights:

-Our first stop was the Royal Delft Factory, the top producer of the aforementioned Delft porcelain. There is a museum where you can learn all about the history of the company and see antiques made in years past. You can also walk though the production room and watch actual pieces being created. Guided tours are offered at different times depending on the season, but it’s very easy to find your own way around. Before you leave, you can visit the showroom to buy souvenirs. Although Delftware is expensive, the shop has a number of smaller and on sale items at reasonable prices.

-Delft’s Old Church is, as its name suggests, the oldest in the city. The floor is covered in grave stones making it uneven and somewhat tricky to walk. Although there are 400 people buried within the building, the most famous is Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer of “Girl With a Pearl Earring” fame. The artist was a resident of the city and his plaque is easily found as fans often cover it with flowers. Also of note in the church are the 27 magnificent stained glass windows by Joep Nicolas.

-Not far away stands the New Church. Although construction began in 1396, it’s 150 years younger than the Old Church. If you pay for admission to one church, the ticket is also valid to visit the other. The New Church is the final resting place of the royal family of The Netherlands. There is a long spiral staircase that visitors can take to the top of the church’s tower for an additional fee. It is a difficult climb, but worth it as the view from the top is the best in the city.

Delft is a great walking city. Everywhere you turn there is something to see. Even though I enjoyed the places we visited, my favorite moment in Delft was completely unplanned. As we rested in the shade of some big trees in an old farmers square called Beestenmarkt, a street organ rolled up and began to play. It reminded me that travel is full of unexpected surprises and those are often what you remember long after you’ve returned home.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Delft Links:
Delft Official Site
Royal Delft Porcelain Factory
Delft Old Church
Delft New Church

Date of trip: May 2008

Although Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands, The Hague is official seat of the government. It is home to the Dutch Parliament, their Supreme Court, monarchy and most foreign embassies. Since it is easy to reach by train and takes just under an hour from Amsterdam’s central station, Will and I found it the perfect place for a day trip.

Highlights:

-The courtyard where Parliament meets and the office of the Prime Minister is located is known as Binnenhof. Although most of the buildings are closed to the public, there is a small visitor center where you can sign up for a guided tour. The tour begins with a short video about Binnenhof and the political history of The Netherlands. It includes visits to the Hall of Knights and the Second Chamber of Parliament, providing the rooms are not in use during your visit. The Hall of Knights is where the queen officially opens Parliament in a ceremony every September. She arrives by golden coach and proceeds to her throne to deliver a speech describing government business for the year ahead. It’s quite an honor to be among the guests invited to the event. Tours of Binnenhof can be unpredictable not only because the buildings are still in use but also because they are only given at specific times to a certain number of people. If too little people show up, there may be no tour but if too many show up you may not get a spot. If you visit The Hague, head to Binnenhof first to find out the status of tours for that day.

-Next to Binnenhof is the royal picture gallery called Mauritshuis. It has a fantastic collection of Dutch art by world famous painters. Among the most notable pieces is Rembrandt’s “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp” and Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring”. I had never been impressed by pictures of “Girl With a Pearl Earring” but in person it is absolutely stunning.

-I first saw a picture of Madurodam several years ago and I couldn’t wait to visit. It’s a miniature city on a 1:25 scale with models of famous architecture and historical sites from all over The Netherlands. The attention to detail is remarkable. There is a little airport with moving planes, an amusement park with a turning ferris wheel, and canals with bridges that lift for boats to float through. There are even little trees and gardens! The city has a mayor and council of young people elected in The Hague’s schools who attend ceremonies and officially accept new models. There is also a full time professional staff to keep everything in working order which can be a challenge as it’s completely outdoors and exposed to the elements. Madurodam was opened in 1952 by the Maduro family as a special memorial to their son who died in a Nazi concentration camp. Profits after taxes have always been donated to charity.

The Hague may not be as pretty as Amsterdam, but it is no less significant. The city is home to Holland’s most powerful citizens and if you love history, your trip to The Netherlands would be incomplete without a stop here .

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

The Hague Links:
The Hague Official Site
Binnenhof
Mauritshuis
Madurodam

Date of trip: May 2008, November 2004

Amsterdam is Will’s favorite place to visit so we are always excited to return. There are a lot of things Amsterdam is famous for including its canals and houseboats, architecture, windmills, and legalized marijuana and prostitution. It is also extremely crowded! There are bike, bus and car lanes and bridges are routinely raised for passing boats. Walking is the best way to get around but you must pay attention to where you are going and always obey crossing lights.

Highlights:

-Our favorite restaurant in Amsterdam is The Pancake Bakery , famous for its pancake dishes. Unlike the thick, doughy pancakes we have here in the U.S., these are thin and more like crepes. They are huge, come with a wide selection of toppings and are delicious.

-Close to The Pancake Bakery is the Anne Frank House . I was surprised at how large the house was, but I’m sure it felt small with 8 people hiding inside for over a year, unable to even open a window for air. It’s surreal to see pictures of Amsterdam with Nazis in the streets you have been walking.

-The Van Gogh Museum houses over 200 of the artist’s works. Sitting inside I thought to myself that Van Gogh was astonishingly prolific considering how tortured his life was. Though there are Van Gogh paintings in many museums, he was never successful in his lifetime, was plagued by mental illness and died feeling a failure. My favorite paintings are his self portraits because it’s so interesting to see how he saw himself.

-Located in the same park as the Van Gogh Museum, called the Museumplein, is the Rijksmuseum, the largest museum of art and history in The Netherlands. Although it is currently undergoing extensive renovations, there is a small section open to the public showcasing the museum’s most famous pieces in an exhibition called “The Masterpieces”. The presentation is impressive and worth seeing, but I highly recommend visiting during the week or right at opening time as it gets very crowded.

-Heineken beer is a product of Amsterdam and the company has a tourist attraction in the city called “The Heineken Experience”. You’ll notice it’s not called a factory tour or anything like that. I expected to learn how beer is made here but that’s not how the visit transpired. Instead, you are ushered through rooms with vats and odd interactive displays and a motion odyssey movie meant to show “how it feels to be a Heineken bottle”. There are also bars in which you use the free drink tickets that come with your admission. By the end of “the experience” you don’t care or remember much of what you saw, but you’re handed a free Heineken beer glass to solidify your love for Heineken. Although the attraction is currently closed for renovations, it is expected to reopen later this fall. Check the website linked below for more details.

-There are several canal boats that run hour long tours through the canals. It’s touristy but fairly inexpensive and it offers a unique perspective of the city. There are also hop on/off boats that you can use to get around the city which stop frequently at main attractions. Although you’ll pass many bridges in the canals, look out for the Skinny Bridge which is famous because both sides are raised instead of just one to let boats pass.

-Rembrandt lived in a mansion in Amsterdam for many years during a time when he was very successful. Called simply Rembrandt House, it is a fascinating place to visit. In sharp contrast to Van Gogh, Rembrandt was very wealthy and loved to spend his money. It’s amazing to stand in the very room where he painted some of his masterpieces. Rembrandt was actually more famous for his etchings when he was alive than his paintings. Etchings are small pictures scraped into metal pieces, filled with ink and then stamped on paper. The House holds the largest collection of Rembrandt etchings and one could spend hours studying them.

-Although tourists flock to Amsterdam hoping to catch a glimpse of Holland’s world famous tulip fields, tulip season only runs from mid-April to mid-March. During the rest of the year, the only place to see tulips is at a flower market. The Bloemenmarkt is unique because it is the world’s only floating flower market with its stalls along the Singel canal. Here you can marvel at the colorful flowers for sale and even purchase bulbs to take home and grow yourself. Just be sure to get all the paperwork required to bring your plants back to your home country.

-Another place to see flowers is the Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam’s botanical garden. It is one of the world’s oldest, founded in 1638 so doctors could study plants for medicinal purposes following the city’s plague epidemic. Though small, it is a peaceful and fragrant escape from the busy city. It is the perfect place to take a break from touring with benches throughout the garden and a nice little cafe.

-It is legal to smoke marijuana in Amsterdam if you desire, but only in designated areas. These places are marked with signs that say “Coffeeshop”. There are many different kinds of coffeeshops and they are located all over the city. Some are dark and have loud music and some are bright with outdoor patios. Most do not serve alcohol but have a menu with coffee, tea and juice drinks as well as snacks. If this is something you want to do, walk around and find a place you feel comfortable in. You can purchase marijuana inside any of the coffeeshops and most have a menu and a seller that can help you decide what’s right for you. You can buy a little package of what you want and if you need help with rolling all the servers are experts. When people are high, they usually sit quietly or eat so you don’t see a bunch of crazy people running around…it’s actually very civilized. Still, you should be careful. Most places in Amsterdam close around 6pm. In the summer, it stays light until quite late and there are people everywhere but after 10pm in the winter it’s dark and empty and not the best idea to be wandering around high, by yourself, at night. There are many alleys in Amsterdam perfect for targeting a tourist to rob. Just be smart and you’ll be fine.

-Prostitution is also legal in Amsterdam. Though taboo in America it’s just not a big deal there. In the red light district you can walk through the alleys and see girls standing in the windows waiting for clients. Over the past few years, the area has become less seedy as fancy hotels and restaurants have moved in and reduced the number of sex shops and brothels. Though I don’t condone prostitution, it is a part of the culture in Amsterdam and their red light district is a unique sight. It’s definitely safe to walk though during the day, but don’t take pictures of the girls unless you want trouble.

Although in the past many people would write off Amsterdam as a hangout for potheads I recently read an article in a travel magazine calling the city a great destination for families. I was so pleased because with so many things to see and do, it really is a place most people would enjoy. Will and I love Amsterdam and I know we’ll be going back!

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Amsterdam Links:
Amsterdam Official Site
Pancake Bakery
Anne Frank House
Van Gogh Museum
Heineken Experience
Rembrandt House
Rijksmuseum
Hortus Botanicus