• Make sure you have extra battery packs and memory cards for your camera!
• Don’t wait until you get to the airport to say goodbye to all the new friends you’ve made. With everyone busy finding their luggage and looking for the right gate, we were scattered to the four winds before we knew it. Make sure to get information to stay in touch while you’re still on the boat.
• Take comfortable walking shoes. Also, take comfy “lounging” shoes for when you’re on the boat.
• If you like ice cream, you’ll love ice cream in Holland.
• Holland is full of friendly, helpful people who live in a clean, green world and are very proud of their land and their heritage.
• Although our cruise ship is small compared to many of larger ships we saw in Amsterdam harbor, this boat can get into the smaller canals and go places the big guys can’t. That’s really what makes this waterway cruise so special. And I think it makes it a more comfy-cozy sort of trip.

It was a great time and a great trip, and if I have an opportunity to go again, I hope to meet you there!

I will come away with many fond memories of this wonderful week in the Netherlands:

• The crew, their quick response to our needs and wants, their patience with us, their sense of humor, how quickly they got a sense of our different personalities. They all came out to wave at us as we pulled away in the motorcoach, bound for the airport. Tot ziens, all of you! Hope to see you again!
• The variety of food and the fun of figuring out what we would be served tomorrow judging by today’s menu. For instance, fresh red and yellow peppers in our salad one day; roasted pepper soup the next. And all of it delicious.
• The early morning hours up in the lounge or out on the deck, drinking that marvelous coffee and enjoying the spring sunshine.
• The colors of the tulip fields. The unending varieties of the tulips at Keukenhof. Are you sure that’s a tulip?
• The ubiquitous bikes and bike trails. The Dutch really have the right idea about staying fit and enjoying life!
• All the many people on board from all different parts of the country. I will long remember my friends from the state of Washington, the duck-hunting guys and their wives from Iowa, the lovely 83-year-old woman and her daughter who were so much fun, and many more.
• The beautiful towns and villages we passed through, many with their unique architecture and designs on their doors and windows.
• Windmills everywhere, old and new. Many times the newer wind turbines lined up along the canal while the more traditional windmills could be seen out in the fields.

• I LOVED being able to unpack and make the cabin my “home” for the duration of the cruise vs. a typical tour where you stay in multiple hotels and don’t have a true “home” base.
• Participating in as many evening walking tours that I wished to.
• Being able to pick and choose the excursions I wanted to join in vs. having it automatically built into the cruise package.
• The option to explore independently, but at the same time being a part of a mini community (there were 100+ passengers on the trip) where I was guaranteed to run into my fellow passengers while investigating new villages and cities.
• Having all meals, except the first lunch upon arrival, included in the cruise, as well as tipping to our tour manager and cruise personnel.
• I appreciated the smiling and helpful staff of the Salvinia who were always helpful.  I now know why Henk has used the Salvinia for so long.  Not only is the ship “simply perfect” for our passengers and the cruise, but the staff is top-notch.
• Surprising highlights at every turn of the cruise.  I must admit that the Organ recital at the Martinikerk (Groningen and Friesland excursion), the Orchid Farm (Overijssel, Northeast Polder, and Friesland excursion), and the Frisian folklore group performance in Franeker didn’t sound interesting to me at all.  Guess what?  I was totally wrong on all three scores.  I am so glad the two sites were included on the excursions I joined and that my good friend Barb talked me into participating when the folklore group came on board or I would have missed out on three amazing experiences.
• Cruising the waterways was a highlight in itself.  You never knew exactly what you’d see and the scenery was spectacular.

The cruise and Amsterdam pre-tour through images

And now for one of the greatest “shows” put on by Mother Nature, with a great deal of help from many, many willing hands. We are here at the Keukenhof National Flower Exhibition, a 72-acre park with floral landscapes in every conceivable color and color combination. It is a treasure trove of a place for all ages, because the winding paths and the ponds with fountains and the patches of tulips wending into the distance beckon in every direction. If only I had power-driven wheels on my shoes so I could take in the whole park!

And now here we are for the grand finale—the Captain’s Dinner. I didn’t know how they would top it considering all the wonderful dinners we’ve had all week long, but they did. It was a great feeling to give our crew a big round of applause for the A-1 treatment we received from each and every one of them.

The beauty of the Keukenhof National Flower Exhibition

Alkmaar is a great place for shopping, and many of us took advantage of our time to put a serious dent in our financial situation. Back on the boat, it was a relaxing afternoon as we sailed into Amsterdam harbor. It was very clear that we had left the countryside behind. After yet another sumptuous dinner, some of us took an evening canal boat ride through part of the city. Evening rides are fun—the canal bridges are lined with lights and many of the larger churches and buildings are spotlighted. We enjoyed the cruise down the canals where many of the older buildings exist and have been made into apartments. So we did a lot of “window peeking” to see that some residents had left the original large chandeliers and ornamental patterns on the ceilings, while others had gone wild with huge splashes of color.

Shanty singers came on board to end our day with some lively Dutch tunes. Quite a colorful day, in more ways than one!

Later in the afternoon, we found ourselves at Lauwersoog, where the Waddenzee meets the North Sea. It was quite windy and wild up on the seawall barrier, and quite a hike down to the water’s edge on the manmade rock wall. With the help of a fellow passenger, I braced myself against the rocky hillside and stuck my foot into the North Sea (it’s my little “souvenir” to myself whenever I travel to a major body of water). It was a bit exhilarating and felt like quite an accomplishment considering either me or my helper or, at the very least, my shoe, could have floated or blown away in the process!

Back on board the Salvinia, we enjoyed another scrumptious meal—did I mention how delish the dinner is? It’s a sit-down affair complete with a salad course, and then soup, and the main meal served country style. There is always plenty to eat and more where that came from. I never heard anyone complain that they left the dinner table hungry!

After dinner, a Frisian folklore group came onboard to entertain use with some dances from centuries past. They explained the various costumes and how one could tell social status or wealth depending on the type or amount of fabric and embellishments used. The most fun was watching some of our own passengers who “volunteered” to try the dance steps.

Groningen, the North Sea, and Frisian folklore images

Two villages in particular seemed to pull out all the stops for this day. Rouveen and Staphorst have a number of citizens who still dress in the traditional style of years past, and it was fun to see so many of them on their way to church service in their Easter Monday finery.

We also stopped to see the hunebeds—huge granite burial chambers older than the Egyptian pyramids. I did some research online and discovered that there are over 50 of these megalithic monuments scattered over the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, but not much is known about the people who built them.

In Giethoorn we boarded special “touring boats” and cruised the small canals into this very unique establishment where, in most cases, each house is on its own island surrounded by water. Many of us wondered what it would be like to live a life where one would grab oars instead of car keys to “run to the store for a few things.” It’s certainly a peaceful and beautiful place to visit.

The Orchid Farm in Luttelgeest was a treat for the senses. It’s a lovely place to stroll around, with thousands of orchids in all directions. We walked through the beautiful “Butterfly Room,” home to dozens of species of butterflies, ponds filled with koi, and we even met the resident iguana. Must be iguanas don’t eat butterflies. . .

Cameras were busy all through the day as we drove through or stopped at the many villages, each with its own special history and charm.

My day in images.

Sloten is another cozy city and had lovely homes and small shops.  We enjoyed a little free time in this city.  For me, the highlight was shopping at H.J. de Jong Kunstnijverheid.  It was originally closed for the day; however, Henk requested the owner open his shop to our delight.  I purchased a handmade porcelain item from the store.  They also had line drawings, paintings, and many other porcelain items as well.  It was so quaint…a true highlight of its very own.  If you visit Sloten, be sure to check out this delightful shop.

We met up again with the Salvinia in Sneek.  After dinner, those that wanted to joined Ellen on an evening walking tour to the Water Gate.  I enjoyed this walking tour…spectacular.