Northern Netherlands

The Netherlands boasts some of the most spectacular scenery that we have every seen. As this is a low-lying country with about 25% of its area lying below sea level  and 50% of its land lying less than one meter above sea level, streets everywhere are bordered by canals. Most of the areas below sea level are man-made, created by centuries of peat extractions. This land reclamation began in the late 16th century. The land is now preserved through elaborate drainage systems with dikes, canals, and pumping stations.

We headed to a quaint village called Saanse Schans, that is a collection of windmills and buildings moved to a lake to be a living museum, similar to Wheeler Farm or Gardner Village in Utah, with its quaint little shops and buildings.

While there, we happened to run into two of our Senior Missionary couples, the Brandes and the Jarretts.

From Zaanse Schans, we headed north. To the side of the road, we saw these stairs and stopped to see where they led. We discovered a beautiful lake on the other side. Can you imagine walking up to the lake? Many bikers enjoy the scenic ride along this path.

Back on the road again, we headed toward Marken, a restored fishing village. The houses were all painted either black and white, or dark green and white. It was very quaint--and cold!

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS


Here are some pictures of some interesting things you might enjoy.

How would you like to eat at this beach cafe? While mom and dad eat, you get to play in the sand. No one needs to clean up the floor either. The seagulls do that.

Some of the roofs are made out of sod (grasses and moss) and even have gardens growing on top of them.

This is a wooden shoe factory. Why did people in the Netherlands wear wooden shoes? To keep their feet dry in the muddy fields and to protect their feet from sharp rocks or objects.

This is a kid's go cart made out of wood.

These tulips are carved out of wood.

This is a fake cow for kids to practice their milking on.

We often see trees shaped like this in Europe. Instead of growing their trees tall, some people trim them and train the branches to grow out to the sides instead. They are called espaliered trees.  If you grow a fruit tree like this, it it much easier to pick the fruit and keep the trees trimmed.

Next we traveled to the quaint little town of Edam, where Edam cheese originated and is still produced.

We crossed a really cool bridge and then drove through the very narrow streets of the town. How would you like to keep your boat parked right outside your door?

On our way back to the hotel, we saw many beautiful homes.

 Many roofs have this distinctive triangle front piece.

We were sad to leave the Netherlands. What an incredibly beautiful country. Loved all the waterways!
We drove back one more time to say goodbye to the ocean, and then we left.