year of fun

We got this crazy idea when we got to Amsterdam today; what if we rented a car and drove to some windmills, castles and tulip fields? When I think of Holland or The Netherlands, those are the things I think of and looking at the little windmill graphics on my popout map made me realize I really wanted to see those things while here.

So, the hubs and I headed to the car rental place by the train station to get a car. We had no idea if this was even legal, but to the woman working there, it seemed totally normal. She did not have any automatic transmission vehicles, so we had to get a manual, which meant I had to do all the driving and the hubs, the navigating. We were smart enough to get a GPS which helped immensely, but I definitely needed the hubs for moral support since it had been over three years since I had driven a manual car. I’m proud to say it’s like riding a bike and I did very well.

We started by heading south east to a castle called Muiderslot. It was on one side of a small suburb and looked very traditional. It was flying maroon and gold banners of the Gryffindor variety, so it could have definitely been Hogwarts. We didn’t go inside because it was too pricey. Plus we had other spots to hit.

Next, we attempted to go south to a tulip field called Bloemenveiling. The GPS led us to factory or perhaps an indoor farm? We weren’t too sure, so we moved on.

Then west, our longest stop at Kuekenhof, a huge complex filled with gardens, flower displays, a windmill and castle. (Though the castle had a separate entrance fee, so we didn’t go in). The whole thing was set up with children in mind in that there was also a petting zoo, playground and hedge maze. The hubs and I let our inner children out, playing in the hedge maze, posing for pictures in giant wooden shoes, and climbing (well only the hubs did this) on this structure over the water. It was quite cold out and it is not quite tulip season so while there were tulips in planters around the grounds, the huge fields beyond the windmill were bare. I would love to come back and see them in full bloom. Apparently all you can see is a rainbow of flowers for miles.

Finally, we went north looking for the Ijmuiden Lighthouse. When the GPS started to take us to another factory looking area, we abandoned ship and I let me fairly keen sense of direction take over. We ended up in a national park on the North Sea made up of the largest sand/grass dunes I have ever seen. It was beautiful and totally silent, except for the gusting winds. If I hadn’t already been pretty worm down from all the driving and walking, I would have loved to have spent more time there, hiking, taking pictures and meeting people’s dogs.

Six hours and 120 kilometers later, after making one large circle around the city of Amsterdam, we made it back to the car rental place and passed the detailed re-inspection of the vehicle. It was such a great adventure and I am so glad we made it happen.

I don’t have a ton of pictures to share right now because I mostly used my birthday present (a Cannon DSLR). I’m thinking a photo highlights post may be in order when I get back.

Trains are a big part of our journey. Not only will they get us from city to city but also around within each city. Today, we took a train from London to Brussels, which means we went through the Chunnel! It only took 20 minutes to travel underneath the English Channel to the French countryside.

Eurostar trains go very fast and feel almost like they are floating. I loved looking out the window at the countryside. I tried taking pictures but they just didn’t at all match the beauty of seeing the small English, French and Belgian towns and farms whiz by. As we got in to Brussels, farmhouses became apartment buildings and rolling hills became concrete walls covered in urban art, a different kind of beauty.

Once in Brussels, we got on the Tram, where two out-of-the-ordinary things happened: 1. a really nice guy gave us his extra metro ticket so we only had to buy one. 2. on the platform, a bunch of youths ran across the train tracks to get to the other platform. The first was very nice and only temporarily made me think of the movie, Taken. The second was particularly outrageous because I thought the tracks were electrified (like the third rail in the U.S.) but apparently here they aren’t. The youths just ran right across with no issue.

Many more trains are in our future on this trip. Riding them today made me thankful for my experience with different types of metros. I understand how confusing it can be even when the signs are in English. It also made me wish for a larger and faster city-to-city train system in the U.S. I would probably never fly again.

The flight and first day could not have gone any better. Well, I guess we could have gotten better sleep–we both woke up a lot on the plane. However, we stuck it out all day. Now, at almost 9pm we are settling in for the night. Yes, it’s a little early, but I’m hoping to sleep for quite some time and wake refreshed and ready to take on Belgium.

Today we strolled through Green Park and St. James Park. We passed Buckingham Palace in Green Park and got great shots of the London Eye and Big Ben from St. James Park. After walking around to all of the Parliament Buildings and going to Westminster Abbey (guess what Mom: it was closed), we stepped in to The Red Lion for our fist English brew of the trip. My draft Strongbow was a more successful order than the hubs’ Chiswick that tasted a little watered down.

After continuing to walk around, we made our way back to our hotel to figure out dinner. Somehow, and I don’t even know how, we stumbled upon the absolute BEST Indian restaurant either of us has ever eaten in. Obviously it was no match for my mother-in-law’s cooking, but I have never had restaurant Indian that tasted so good. We each got Thali. Mine vegetarian, his meat. Five separate dishes came on an ornate silver platter with rice and naan. We ate as much as we could before bursting and now are more than ready for bed. It was the best possible first vacation day!