Holland: A Story in Pictures

Let me just give you a brief summary of yesterday, and then I'll show you all the pictures of the past couple of days!

Yesterday we drove home, making a two-hour trip a four-hour one by stopping to look at castles and things.  We also looked at some castle where Germany's ruler lived in when he was banished from Germany.  There were a lot of bikers out, which makes me just want to tell you something that has applied to our entire stay in Holland: there are bikes here outfitted for whole families!  I've seen bikes with a tiny kid seat screwed to the bike in front of the rider (it's not a tandem), windshields for bikes, tandems with an added kid seat, and special bikes that have a big compartment in front of the wheel where you can store goods or kids. There will be some pictures of just a few varieties in the picture section of my blog. :)

And now...  what you've all been waiting for....  Picture time! :D Warning: there are a LOT of pictures.  As in 55.  They're also, unfortunately, not in order because I downloaded from my mom's camera and mine. :/ Mine are in order, and my mom's are in order (I think), but together it's kind of humble-jumble, so read the descriptions. ;)

On the road: We saw some interesting modern buildings

Another interesting modern building

And another interesting modern building

In Nijmegen: some old building (there really wasn't much to see in Nijmegen)

The old-fashioned streetcar at the open-air museum

Play time!  The open-air museum had a square where you could test out vehicles and games from the time period of traditional Holland

These bikes are not easy to ride!

Wooden clogs (still the o-a museum)

I <3 windmills! (Still the o-a museum)

I really <3 wind mills! (o-a museum)

Making paper from scratch: the tub of paper pulp and the form with a fancy indentation thingie on it

In the maze at the o-a museum

Awesome sand sculpture! (o-a museum)

This is a little couryard/path thingie around the church in Naarden, where we were staying.  Our house was just down the street.

I was not too old to think this playground was awesome ;)

In Gouda: bike + flowers + canal = adorable!

CHEESE!

Making cheese

Wouldn't you want to live on this street?  (In Gouda)

In Gouda, we saw (and were able to get really close to) a duck and her ducklings!  SO CUTE!

VLA!

Erin reading the Dutch newspaper on the way to Amsterdam...  Good luck with that, Erin ;)

Moi on the tour boat in Amsterdam

My mo m and sister on the tour boat

A three-story bike garage in Amsterdam

View from the tour boat in Amsterdam

Tour boat views

And old post office converted to a shopping center

The Anne Frank house, which we didn't go into. :(  The glass part is new

Adorbs ;)

LOTS of seeds packets in one tent at the flower market in Amsterdam

Flower bulbs

The bag that I had to keep reminded myself I didn't need ;)

My sister and me on the streetcar at the open-air museum (we have now reached the pictures from my mom's camera)

Why do I always have to do all the work? ;)

Boat trolley thing at the o-a museum

Getting water from the pump...

...So I can wash the clothes! ;) (o-a museum)

Our rental house: it's the one on the left of the right-most black pipe thing

Gouda: with the cheese woman ;)

Cool bike numero uno

Wow, Erin, your feet have grown! ;)

Cool bike numero dos

Cool bike numero tres (I have no idea how to spell in Spanish)

Lots of bridges in Amsterdam!

This is why we didn't go into the Anne Frank house...

In Amsterdam

Amsterdam

I bought bread all by myself! :D

On our way to Marken

Marken

Marken

#Hollandswag ;)

Feeding the deer at a castle on our way home

So yeah!  There is our fantastic trip summed up in pictures!  Obviously there are more, but I thought 55 pictures was more than enough. :)

German word of the day: Reise.  Pronounced RY-zuh.  It means 'trip.'

The Sunflower Project: They've gotten bigger, but they still aren't blooming!  I only have one day left!  Come on, flowers, BLOOM!!