Author: Melinda

Alkmaar and Amsterdam

The last of the tulip fields drifted by our boat around 7:30 this morning, so in this case it was true that  “You have to get up pretty early in the morning” to see the flowers!  Now we’re on our way to Alkmaar, well known for the cheese auction that takes place every Friday in the main market square by the Weigh House. Our guided tour took us to the various parts of the city, which included many old buildings that have retained their original facades. Having the guide explain the meaning behind the various signs and carvings certainly added a lot of humor and understanding!

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.

Franeker and the tulip fields

A quick trip into the town of Franeker before hoisting anchor, and then we crossed the Waddenzee, which is normally very, very calm, but decided to be a bit choppy today. The Salvinia held steady, however, and soon we were back in the narrow channels. And suddenly we are in the midst of one tulip field after another. Row upon row of blazing color. I heard more than one person say, “How many pictures of tulip fields do you need to take?” Good question but we kept on shooting. Tulips are grown in Holland like we grow corn in Kansas. So the tulips are allowed to bloom to check for color. After that, the flowers are removed and the rest of the plant is allowed to go dormant as part of the process for growing the famous bulbs that are shipped all over the world.

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

Groningen and the North Sea

Today our motorcoach excursion took us into Groningen, where we had a chance to look around before meeting Sietze de Vries at the Martinikerk (Martin’s Church). Sietze is the organist at the Martinikerk and is also a world-renowned performer who has taken first prize in many international organ competitions. He talked to us about the history of the two organs within the church and then led us through a musical demonstration of the horns, reeds, flutes, and other components that make up the distinctly different sounds. Talk about shaking the rafters! It was incredible.

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

Excursion into Friesland

Today is Easter Monday in the Netherlands. Traditionally, this is a holiday to get together with friends and family to celebrate springtime. On our excursion through the countryside, we saw many people out on bicycles or picnicking alongside the canals. Once again, the weather was ideal!

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.

Giethoorn, Sloten, and Sneek

I have read about Giethoorn “the Venice of the North” for many years and seeing it in person was well worth the wait.  I enjoyed the canal ride, which allowed us to see this picturesque village.  Our stop in Luttelgeest to visit the Orchid Farm was another sleeper hit for me.  Viewing the orchids, the coy pond, and the butterflies was truly a site you need to see to believe.

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.

Easter in the Netherlands

I enjoyed my own personal Easter sunrise—I was up in the ship’s lounge enjoying more of that wonderful coffee at 6 a.m., and I watched the river come to life. I was serenaded by a pair of geese along the riverbank and laughed at the antics of the newborn spring lambs frolicking in a nearby field. After breakfast, many of us walked into Zutphen for the Easter service. Dutch and English voices were raised together in song, which made for a grand celebration of life!

Back on board later in the morning, as we watched the crew prepare the boat to get underway, I spotted a little boy along the water’s edge, watching the proceedings with rapt attention. He was obviously fascinated, because he kept hopping from one foot to the other and tried to take in every detail. His ear-splitting grin and wide eyes told me he thought it would be such wonderful fun to be on the boat instead of watching from the sidelines. I wanted to shout, “Oh, it is! It is! And your turn will surely come someday!” But instead I waved and he waved back with tremendous enthusiasm.

For those of us who stayed on the ship instead of taking the excursion for that day, this was a great time to get acquainted with fellow passengers and find similar interests to discuss. Or you could stroll around the ship and check out the interesting décor in the lounge. It was a good day to be content. The ship glides through the water with barely a ripple, and if you shut your eyes you wouldn’t even know you were moving. I found out I should have packed my binoculars, for I was in the middle of a bird-lover’s paradise. Even without the birds to watch, there are plenty of other sights to enjoy, with or without binoculars. Some looked for more challenging pastimes and discovered the boat’s vast collection of board games.

Easter in the Netherlands

Easter Sunday in the Netherlands…Zutphen and Palace Het Loo

While missing my husband and family on Easter Sunday, I had an amazing opportunity to attend worship service at St. Walburgkerk in Zutphen with my fellow travelers.  While the worship service was mostly in Dutch, it was truly amazing to be a part of the congregation.  Afterwards, we had a lovely walking tour of charming city with our tour manager Ellen.

I signed up for the excursion to Palace Het Loo.  This was another huge highlight for me.  The images I had seen didn’t do the gardens justice.  There is a nice walk from the parking lot to the palace, the scenery is quite beautiful.  On top of touring the palace itself (no photos allowed) and gardens, we had the opportunity to visit the roof to take beautiful pictures of the grounds…gardens…amazing!  This was quite special as the roof is normally only open on Easter Sunday and limited times throughout the year.  Ellen, our tour manager, mentioned that this was the first time she’d ever gotten a chance to view the gardens from the roof.  The Palace is quite grand.  I wouldn’t have thought that the ceiling would be wood, it’s painted brilliantly.  Woodwork is a true work of art, in addition to the chandeliers, wall coverings, regular paintings, and furnishings.  This was definitely a great place to visit.  The gardens alone were worth the cost of the excursion.  It was simply divine.  I LOVE the French garden style they have adopted.  It’s very “organized” and symmetrical, which I so appreciate.  There is a café outside the palace grounds, which has light snacks and drinks for those needing a little pick-me-up.

NWC – First Full day in the Netherlands

Once everyone was present and accounted for, we got on board the buses that were to take us to the cruise vessel waiting for us some distance from the airport. We stopped in Gouda for an hour or so to browse around the shops or simply sit in one of the many open-air restaurants and people-watch as they checked out the merchandise in the marketplace on the main square.

One of the highlights of our bus journey across Holland was a stopover to see the windmills at Kinderdijk. There are 19 working windmills in four different styles; and you can aim your camera in almost any direction and capture a beautiful scene. We were lucky enough to be there when a newly-married couple walked along the nearest row of windmills, which made for some even more interesting photo ops.

Toward the late afternoon, we are finally on our boat, the Salvinia, where our crew was waiting to welcome us with cold drinks or hot coffee (some of the best I’ve had, by the way), and a variety of cookies. All we had to do was sit and enjoy the snacks and warm sunny afternoon while the crew carried our luggage to our rooms. And oh! How good that hot shower felt. After a marvelous dinner (more rum-raisin ice cream, please!) it was time for a good night’s rest. So wonderful to sleep horizontally again!

Images from my first day

Gouda and Kinderdijk

Our first stop of the tour was in Gouda and lasted an hour. I decided to visit St. Janskerk.  The entrance fee is €3.50 and it was well worth the cost.  The church, and especially the stand-glass windows, are simply spectacular.  Afterwards, myself and two of my fellow travelers headed to the open-air market.  At this point I broke off from my mini group as they needed to break for lunch, while I continued exploring the market.  I got a glimpse of the City Hall and Weigh House while looking around, and even had a chance to pick up a special souvenir for my mother-in-law.  I had a “simple” lunch of french fries with mayonnaise.  I must say, I wish I would have tried this combination (popular in the Netherlands) when I was in Amsterdam, because it was quite good.

I was so excited to see that Henk had added Kinderdijk (a World Heritage site) into the final itinerary.  Originally when I signed up for the cruise, it wasn’t included.  I have wanted to see this site since I first read about it 10 years ago when I started working at Witte Travel.  I must say all the images I’ve seen, and even the ones I finally got a chance to take, doesn’t do it justice.  Many of us headed out see get as close as we could to the windmills…there are 19 in total. We only had a short time here, a mere 20 minutes, to take pictures and get a drink at the small café before we had to be on the road again to meet up with the Salvinia and begin our cruise.

Gouda and Kinderdijk Slideshow