A Visit to Zaanse Schans

Just outside of Amsterdam is a small village called Zaanse Schans.

Today we had a  private tour with a costumed guide named Ingrid.  She lives here and provides personal guided tours dressed in authentic costume.  She took us to see the pewter maker where we were able to see how they take melted pewter and put it in a mold to make a spoon. The spoon circled in red was made while we watched.

Then Ingrid took us to see the clog maker.  As you walk in there is a display of different clogs.  Here are a few.  The first picture is a clog for horses.  Ingrid said that clogs did not originally begin in in Holland.  They were first used in southern France.

The we watched as the clog maker created a new clog made from the block of wood he is holding in his hand.

Ingrid invited us into her home, which is an original home from the Zaanse area.  As she shared information about the home and the background of the area, we enjoyed a cup of lemonade.

Ingrid took this picture of us with the windmills in the background.

After we left Ingrid, we checked out the cheese shop before heading back to our van for the ride back to Amsterdam.  Following some lunch, I retired mom to the hotel room and I went to see the exhibition called "My Name Is Prince" that is traveling the world.  Unfortunately you could not take pictures.  There was concert footage and displays of outfits, albums, song writing notes, guitars, awards, and many other cool displays.  I learned many new things about Prince from the exhibit:  He is only 1 of 2 people to ever have a #1 song, #1 album and a #1 movie all at the same time.  He loved the Batman tv show of the 60's and that theme song is the first song he learned to play on the piano.

The weather was beautiful and it was another fabulous day in Amsterdam.

Lazy Sunday

After a croissant breakfast at a near by restaurant, we took a taxi to Oude Lutherse Kerk-Old Lutheran Church.  We attended a service there in Dutch.  It was a lovely old church with a very small congregation.

Then we walked to the Bloenmarkt (Flower Market).  You could basically buy any kind of flower or bulb here along with all kinds of knick knacks.  Then we went to the NEMO Science Museum so we could go to the top of the museum for the view.  There is actually a road that goes underneath the museum too.  Of course there were tulips on display as well.

While mom rested I walked over to the Anne Frank House.  It is under renovation and tickets must be booked online head of time.  Besides I am not allowed to go there until Lauren and I come to Holland.  But I did want a picture.  This is where Anne Frank and 7 other Jews hid for 2 years in an area smaller than 1000 square feet.The church in the picture is Westerkerk which was built in 1631.  Rembrandt is buried inside but no one knows where for sure.  Also the chimes ring every 15 minutes and these are the church bells that Anne Frank writes about hearing.

Saturday in Amsterdam

While mom rested, I went out for a walk for a few hours. I wanted to visit the Royal Palace or City Hall in Dam Square. This is one of four official residences of King Willem Alexander. The balcony above the entrance is where the newly married Royals would greet the people.

In the center below you see the official coronation portrait of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.  In the photo to the right you see a desk.  This the desk where Queen Beatrix sat and signed the document abdicating the throne to her son, Willem-Alexander.

In Dam Square you see a white obelisk.  It was built in 1956 as a WWII memorial.  The Nazi's occupied Holland from 1940-1945 and deported 60,000 Jewish Amsterdamers.  The Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 killed thousands of people and forced people to survive by eating tulip bulbs. This monument is now considered a monument for peace.

In the 1500's Amsterdam was taken over by Protestant extremists.  For the next 2 centuries Catholics had to worship in secret.  Here is one of the  secret Catholic Churches-De Papegaai Hidden Church.

Here is another example hidden in the Begijnhof courtyard.  The windows were blacked out as well to conceal that it was a church. 

The Begijnof neighborhood has sheltered single women since 1346.  Beguines were simple, pious women who had dedicated their lives to God.  The last Beguine died in 1971 but the the area still provides subsidized housing to single women, mostly Catholic seniors.

The English Reformed Church was buit in 1420.  The Pilgrims found sanctuary in this church before sailing to America.

This black wooden house is the city's oldest dating back to 1528.

Saturday night we went on a dinner train experience.  4 course mackerel appetizer, vegetarian soup, and lamb for dinner with a lovely dessert to follow.  We also had some great wine and a lovely train ride.

Another great day in Amsterdam!

Blooming Flowers Everywhere!

Warning:  Flower Picture Overload Coming!
For Day 2 we went on a tour to a bulb farm and then on to Keukenhof Garden in Lisse. Our tour guide spoke four languages fluently and gave all information in all 4 languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, and French.  My brain was exhausted just listening to her.  I can only imagine what her brain felt like at the end of her day. Here are few facts she shared with us today.

• Holland grows 10 billion bulbs every year.
• Bulbs grow best in sandy areas near the coast.
• Bulb farmers cut off the heads of the tulips once they bloom so that all the energy of the plant goes back into growing the bulb.
• Summer is the peak time for bulb growers.  The bulbs are cleaned by hand after being removed from the ground and then sorted by size. Then they are exported to over 100 countries.
• Keukenhof Garden has over 7 million bulbs planted in 2-3 layers.
• 3.5 million of those bulbs are tulips.
• Each year there are different designs in the gardens.
• There are 3000 different kinds of tulips in Holland.

These pictures were taken as the coach drove along.  Hyacinths, daffodils, and a few tulips.

Here are pictures from the bulb farm.

And here a "few" pictures from the gorgeous Keukenhof Garden.

 The tulips in the photo below where one of my most favorites. Red Purissima

One of the pavilions at the Garden hosts a cut flower show each week.  This week it was roses.  Here are my favorites.

Day 1 Amsterdam

Mom and I arrived in Amsterdam around 10 am on Thursday, caught the shuttle to our hotel in city centre and attempted to check in but our room was not available.  So after leaving our bags with concierge, we took a short walk around the neighborhood, checking out the shops, bakeries, restaurants, and a quilt shop.  We grabbed a quick bite for lunch and went back to see if our room was ready.  Unfortunately not.  So we sat in the hotel lounge until it was ready around 2 pm.  We headed up to take a nap after unpacking.  Here is the door to our room.

After our rest, we took a taxi to Hard Rock Cafe for a bite to eat before going on our evening canal cruise.  This was a great way to see the city. Notice how the building in the first picture is leaning.  Many buildings in Amsterdam are leaning like this.

Here are few other interesting things we saw on Day 1. The 2 pictures on the right are vending machine type things. One is selling hamburgers and other hot sandwiches and the other is selling raincoats.

When we got off the cruise, we needed a restroom and so we walked into the Holland Casino.  After a restroom break, I put 50 euros into a machine and this is what I walked away with at the end.  Good way to end Day 1 in Amsterdam!

Coming Soon!

Part of the J & L Roadshow will be off again soon.  I am taking my mom to Holland to see the tulips next week.  Stay tuned for the adventures of  this mother-daughter duo.

Spring Break Headed to Gulfport, MS

It is spring break! LW and are in Gulfport, MS for a few days. Trying out a different beach area since Port A is still recreating itself after the hurricane.
On the way here we checked out the Baton Rouge Zoo. It was a beautiful day and the animals were out and the people were not.
Here are some of my favorite shots from our afternoon at the zoo.

It's been nice being on the road again. I've missed the travelling. Back home on Saturday, back to work on Monday.
BUT...I'm heading out again on April 10, so won’t have to wait to long to go again.  More on that later.