Amsterdam

Here starts part one of our 5 days in Holland. We visited Amsterdam and we have a ton of beautiful pictures to show you. I will upload them in sections. I also took photos of our flat/apartment and the surrounding city. Two of the days we went to the beach at the North Sea, which was very very lovely. The smell, and surrounding dunes felt like Lake Michigan. Altogether, Holland was not what we thought it would be. It was absolutely better in every way. We could totally live there. The architecture was amazing, the lifestyle was fun, and the activies available (no - i am not referring to the red light district or the coffee shops!) were so varied and entertaining! Amsterdam had its quirks but they were not so prominent. We cant wait to share all of our experiences with you!




These nuns were so funny. They had their little rosaries (sp?) and their tourguide. We are leaving the Red Light District (aka - the place where the prostitutes stand in glass store fronts and advertise in their bathingsuits or underware) and walking past a "coffee shop" where they sell/smoke legal weed and these nuns were right in front of us looking ever so interested as their tourguide explained to them about about the big leaf on the stores window. I wonder what they think?

The central train station.

Gross. A long day in the sun exploring the city.

The infamous dutch wooden shoes. Apparently, Crocs couldnt get a patent on their shoe because the dutch said they have been making them for centuries. No, they dont run around in these things. In fact, these were the only ones I saw. The rest of the women had pretty shoes.

Beautiful old houseboats.

These pictures are for those of you who are curious about the crazier side of Holland. Honestly, it wasnt a big deal. Yes, the "coffee shops" were many and the scent of pot wafted throught the air in some corners of Amsterdam, but alltogether, it was not such a freakshow like I imagined it. This was a funny store though. In the center poster it says, "How much money do you spend on weed? Grow your own! I heart coffee shops."

That says, "Homegrown Fantaseeds".

The giant scientology headquarters. Daniel says Kerk is church in dutch. Thats what you get in a very left/liberal country.

Look how beautiful that bridge is!


So many people take their boats out in the evening to tour the canals with a bottle of wine, an baguette and some cheese. It was quite romantic. :)

P.S. Today Bea & I went to the hospital to see Bea's sister Miriam (Bea is my au pair host mom) and to give her some support while in labor. Just after Bea & I left the hospital to come home baby Levi/3,850 grams was born :) Happy Birthday to baby Levi!