Amsterdam!

Pardon my blog silence of the last couple of weeks - I was on a long-awaited vacation! I wish I could show you everything, but we'll have to settle for just a sampling.

There are many wonderful and unique things about Amsterdam: the ubiquitous bicycles, the tall and beautiful inhabitants, the ample opportunities to drink beer outside along a canal, but I think what I loved most was just the way it looked.




Many of the canal bridges are lit up at night.


Amsterdam was surprisingly small and walkable. We walked everywhere! It was cold and rainy, but we did not let that deter us. Here I am standing in front of the National Museum.


It is undergoing extensive renovations and we only able to see a small part of it, but even that was huge and amazing.


The National Museum of Spectacles was also worth a visit. I love how the building looks, and the collection is fascinating and eccentric.


This little shop was cute as a button.


Here I am posing in front of the Poezenboot - the Cat Boat! It's a cat shelter on a houseboat.

One day we visited Delft, which is super cute and looks a lot like Amsterdam but is smaller and filled with expensive ceramics.



Another day we rented a car and drove north. Kudos to Eric for being willing to drive on those crazy roads with their confusing signs. We visited a couple of little towns but I really enjoyed just driving through the country.

Oh look - a windmill!


These old-timey windmills and few and far between at this point. These ones have taken over:


They are just everywhere!


There were also a lot of cows and sheep. I only got this one crappy photo, but you get the idea. Unlike in America, there are hardly any fences on the farms. Instead, there are canals.

As is usually the case with vacations, I spent a lot of time eating unhealthy things.

Mini pancakes from a street market. So cute and tasty!


A huge pancake from a strange round restaurant with a carousel inside of it. The pancake is topped with Grand Marnier, ice cream, and whipped cream. Nutritious lunch!


Most importantly, I discovered the wonderful goodness of the stroopwaffel.


All in all, a fantastic trip. I can't believe I waited this long to go there, but I'm so glad that I did!