Our Last Few Days in the Netherlands

It is hard to believe that we are at the end (almost) of the Netherlands part of our trip. When you stay somewhere for a month there are many reminders that time has passed.  On our walks, the hydrangea blooms that were full of vibrant color when we arrived are now pale and drying up.  The short block that was so quiet due to most of the Dutch being on holiday for the month of August has now filled up and we hear/watch kids playing tag on the street, holding onto the last few days of summer before they start school on Monday.  Four boys knocked on the door the other day asking if we had any "jobs" for them do. The house a few doors down that was being remodeled, is finished and the family moved in.  And I guess the most obvious reminder was the email this morning from KLM stating it was time to check-in and retrieve the boarding passes for our flight to Dublin, Ireland tomorrow morning.

On Tuesday we spent my birthday in Amsterdam checking a few more of the boxes on a never-ending list of things to see.  Alex and Jim wanted to go to the Heineken Experience.  While I do NOT like beer, I went along.  Hope you appreciate the irony of me having a birthday beer, or at least a few sips!  

All of the green in that display are beer bottles, with some of them also serving as lights.

The tour was somewhat interesting but mostly about drinking beer and buying souvenirs. Now we will have to go back to the Guinness tour in Dublin so we can compare.  In Dublin there is a great view from the top level bar, so that one may win.

We walked through streets and along canals up with the plan of doing a canal cruise on one of the small cocktail boats.  But first we stopped for what ended up being a late afternoon snack/early dinner at the Pancakes Amsterdam by the Anne Frank House (which we saw last in 2017).  

They had gluten free and vegan options, so the extensive menu of dutch pancakes worked for all of us.  Thus, instead of a birthday cake, I had a birthday pancake!

Canal and river cruises are cliche and touristy, but so relaxing particularly with mojitos.  

It was also interesting to see the bridges and buildings from a different angle.  Our boat captain and bartender pointed things out along the way, and both seemed particularly interested in the value of the properties.  

They did explain that the buildings in Amsterdam are narrow because originally they were taxed based on the width of the structure.  As buildings got bigger they also added taxes based on the number of windows.  As with other tour guides they described some of the nicknames that the Dutch give their buildings -with the modern opera house being dubbed "The Toilet."

Wednesday Alex stayed at the house as this is somewhat of a working vacation for him and he had some projects to complete.  Jim and I took the train to Utrecht.  It was founded by the Romans in AD 47 and is home to one of the country's most prestigious universities.  Originally a Catholic bishopric, it was at the forefront of the Protestant Reformation.  

As soon as we got out of the train station we were impressed by the modern architecture.  We had expected that in Rotterdam, but were surprised to find it here.  

It is a charming city with busy retail and restaurants along the canals, but then quiet and peaceful neighborhoods as well.  The canals here are different than what we have seen anywhere else - with restaurants and shops along the street level, and then stairs down to the basement level with more along the water.  By the afternoon it was buzzing.  

Domkerk, the cathedral, began in 1254.  The 364 foot high tower was unfortunately covered with scaffolding.  That saved us from having to climb the stairs to see the view.

The headquarters of the Dutch railways is based in Utrecht and we visited the fascinating train museum, Spoorwegmuseum, housed at the location of the original Utrecht Station.  

Outside of the entrance is a memorial, opened in 2015, to the more than 1200 Jewish members of the Utrecht community who died in the concentration camps.  All of the names, birth and death dates, and location (which camp) are listed.

It was interesting viewing the historic train cars, and we were able to walk through some of them.

Worth paying extra for first class...

It also included another memorial to the transport of Jews to camps in the Netherland and then on to their death in Germany.

Jim, who worked his way through college at the post offices in Miami and then Oakland, poked his head in the mail cars.

These boys were enjoying pretending to do Jim's old job (sort of).

We walked through the lush Park Wilhelmina 

and then stopped for lunch at a cafe near our next destination.  

Our waitress was very busy, being the only one working the outside tables.  Quite a bit of time passed, but we didn't want to be stereotypic impatient Americans.  After 30 minutes the waitress ran out of the restaurant with a shopping bag, hopped on a bike and sped away.  Apparently they ran out of something, and about 10 minutes later she was back.  We did get our meal, which was very good, shortly after that. Jim thinks it was the spinach for his sandwich that was the culprit ingredient...

Our next stop was the Rietveld Schroderhuis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

One of the key figures in the Dutch art movement known as De Stijl, Gerrit Rietveld was most known for his furniture designs but was also an architect.  In collaboration with his client, Truus Schroder-Schader, he designed this avant-garde house and it was completed in 1924 - very different from the traditional dutch brick homes next to it that were built at the same time.  The design broke all of the rules and traditions of the times.  Apparently Truus's daughter didn't want to school because she would get teased for living in the "crazy"house.  But ultimately she became an architect and worked for Rietveld.  On the top floor were three very small bedrooms and a small sitting room. It was designed with sliding walls so that it could be totally opened up into a great-room during the day - truly an open concept.  

I will try this again and see if it works - link to the video of the sliding doors: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1re0zYcNFntGeCxKlX1_08gLjEdeGG5XL/view?usp=sharing

We decided the whole thing was interesting and forward thinking, but not very comfortable!

Next door to it was a plaque commemorating the home of resistance here Truus Van Lier (1921-1943).    

She worked to get Jews to safe houses, circulate illegal newspapers, and deliver messages and weapons.  She infiltrated the Dutch Nazi Party and shot and killed the police superintendent. Ultimately executed by firing squad she was one of the few to engage in armed resistance during the war.

It was an easy train and then bus ride back - we are now seasoned pros.  Alex joined us for a walk to pick up Indonesian food which we ate in the patio.  It is getting hot again, but the evenings are balmy and everybody in all of these backyards was eating outside.  We could only see the next door neighbors (who had recommended the restaurant) but you could hear everybody enjoying the last bits and bites of summer.  

That brings us to Thursday, which is mostly about packing and replenishing things we have used, gassing up the car, etc.  I did take a quick trip into Amsterdam to see the Rijkmuseum - Alex and Jim opted out.  I enjoyed walking through (and, as all museums, it is wonderfully air conditioned). In spite of being a large museum, it is well laid out with a lot to see.  I am so glad I fit it in to my last day. The building itself and the surrounding parks are spectacular.  

These kids have the right idea of how to spend a hot afternoon!

One last thing I had hoped to accomplish before we leave this land of bicycles, was to get a photo of these preschool transport bikes - they seem to pick up and drop off the kids.  We have been enchanted by them since we spotted one at the beginning of our stay.  And, as I was waiting at the bus stop after the museum, one passed by while I had my phone in hand!

On that note, we say goodbye to the Netherlands - its beautiful scenery, rich history, and warm and friendly people - and prepare for our visit to Ireland.