Thursday, March 25, 2010
Bicycles
Bicycles are very prevalent in Amsterdam. In fact, the 750,000 people who live in Amsterdam own approximately 600,000 bicycles. As such, Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, with bike paths and bike racks around just about every corner. In the city center, driving a car is discouraged and difficult -- as we discovered. Parking fees are expensive, and many streets are closed to cars or are one-way.
Most of the bicycles are second-hand, older-model, heavy bikes with one gear and back-pedal coaster brakes. I suppose that makes sense considering the widespread theft of bikes: in 2005, about 54,000 bicycles were stolen in Amsterdam.
How’s this four-seater for our family? We didn’t see many multiple-person bicycles, but thought this one was very appropriate for us, although I’m sure it would be a bit difficult to keep it balanced while riding!Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Netherlands, Travel, Zachary
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Anne Frank’s Hideout
While in Holland, we also took a quick trip to Amsterdam to visit the Anne Frank House. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside, but still enjoyed the visit nonetheless. Zachary had been studying Anne Frank in school, so he really appreciated being there. There were canals running alongside most downtown streets, and these are the views of the canals and buildings across from the entrance to the Anne Frank House.
This is the entrance to the 17th century merchant house where Anne Frank and her family hid for 25 months during World War II. Some 25,000 Jews lived in hiding in the Netherlands during the war. One-third of them were arrested anyway, often after being betrayed, and then murdered.
This street was around the corner from the Anne Frank House -- I liked seeing all the bicycles lined up alongside the building. Pedal locomotion is definitely very Dutch!Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Netherlands, Travel, Zachary
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wooden Shoes
After admiring all the windmills of Zaanse Schans, we headed to the village’s wooden shoe workshop. We knew we’d found it by the large wooden shoe sitting outside. As tourists, we had to climb in and on it for a photo op.
The entrance to the workshop held several display cases with antique wooden shoes.
Of course, the kids were more intrigued by actually wearing a pair of wooden shoes.
We even saw a demonstration of how the shoes are made using this equipment -- that’s the new pair sitting in the foreground. The two blocks of wood to the left became the next pair of shoes.
The shoe-cutter explained a bit about the shoes, including that they’re fairly warm.
MacKenzie thought there were lots of beautifully-decorated ones for sale -- in just about every size!Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Netherlands, Travel, Zachary
Monday, March 22, 2010
“Pinwheel Houses”
After spending a day at Keukenhof Gardens over Sprng Break 2008, we went to Zaanse Schans to see some authentic Dutch windmills, which Benjamin called “pinwheel houses.” I thought this photo captured the essence of the Netherlands very well -- loads of bicycles, water canals and windmills (just missing a field of tulips). Zaanse Schans has the highest concentration of authentic windmills in the Netherlands, and it was a wonderful village to visit.
There used to be more than a thousand industrial windmills in this area, and each one had a specific task -- everything from sawing wood, pressing oil, grounding dyes, milling cocoa beans and making paper.
This is the “De Kat” windmill -- a paint mill. This is likely the last wind-powered dye mill in the world -- remnant of an industry that once had 55 such mills. This mill is actually made from the remains of two older windmills -- the top and interior machinery of “De Duinjager (the Dane Hunter), which was a dye mill, and the base of “De Kat” oil mill. For about 12 years now, production and sale of antique paints and dyes have been resumed from this mill.
This is the rotating drum where the dyes are ground. From 1600 onward, tropical dye woods were imported on a large scale in order to dye fabrics. The heavy pieces of wood were cut into chips by choppers in a big vat, then pulverized by these stones, which weigh between 5,000 and 7,000 kilograms, before being sifted into a rotating drum.
De Kat is a smock mill -- only the cap with its sails are turned to face the wind by means of this capstan wheel at the bottom of the tail-pole. The horizontal rotary motion of the sails is converted into vertical rotary motion movement by the brake wheel and the wallower to power the machinery on the floor below. The brake wheel is surrounded by a wooden brake that makes it possible to stop the mill from turning. If you look closely, you can see Zachary between all this machinery.
We were able to climb up the inside of the windmill and walk out on the stage -- essentially an observation deck.
This green windmill is “De gekroonde Poelenburg” -- a sawmill.
We were able to see the sawdust that was being ground by wind-power.
The back of De Kat windmill.
From right: De gekroonde Poelenburg (saw mill), De Kat (paint mill), De Zoeker (oil mill), and Het Jonge Schaap (saw mill), with De Bonte Hen (oil mill) off in the distance.
This is De Huisman (a mustard mill) near where we boarded a boat for a short cruise on the Zaan River.
A nice view of De Zoeker Het Jonge Schaap from the river.
MacKenzie and Benjamin posed for a photo in front of the Dutch flag while sitting in the stern of the boat.
Benjamin had fun playing in the wind. Notice his blue tongue? He had some blue candy and was excited about showing off how it changed his tongue blue.
A view of De Kat from the river.
Our boat tour took us upriver and through an industrial area. We even passed a chocolate factory -- we enjoyed the chocolate smell wafting through the air. Unfortunately, it was too far upriver for us to go back to for a visit after our tour.
After our boat tour, Papa and Zachary had to get reoriented with their maps. It’s so good to have such good navigators.
We took a leisurely stroll along the canals to the wooden shoe workshop (which you’ll see in tomorrow’s post).
Benjamin liked standing on this bridge across one of the canals.
It was so quaint seeing all the farm animals and birds quietly grazing alongside the canals, with old-fashioned houses and windmills in the background.
Benjamin had to pick some flowers for me -- how sweet!
Yes, Benjamin found another bridge to climb (and lean over the edge of).
The duck really wanted some of Benjamin’s hot dog, but he was cautious to keep it (and his feet) securely in the chair. Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Netherlands, Travel, Zachary
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Flowers in Bloom
Our big trip during Spring Break 2008 was to Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands to see more than 7 mikkion amazing, beautiful tulips and other bulbs in bloom with Nana and Papa. We were a little nervous when we ran into this snowstorm in northern Germany, and worried that we might not have good weather to see the flowers. Fortunately, the snow didn’t last long, and by the time we reached Holland, it had cleared up.
While our vacation was a little on the chilly side, we had decent weather the day we visited Keukenhof . Don’t the flowers and bicycle match MacKenzie’s coat and water bottle? We couldn’t have planned that any better.
We were all simply amazed at the sheer number and variety of flowers in the gardens. These narcissi are called “Up to Date.”
I like how the red “Grand Maitre” crocuses and purple “Love Song” Kaufmanniana tulips complemented each other.
MacKenzie liked them too!
Zachary liked this display of flowers, even though a third of them weren’t in bloom. There were quite a few areas of the garden that weren’t in bloom.
Benjamin cooperated and let me take a few photos of him. Of course, he had to do it his way: balancing on a rock in front of the “Barrett Browning” narcissi!
Another mix of crocuses and Kaufmanniana tulips ... this time “Remembrances” and “Goudstuk” varieties.
My little guy took a break to smell the flowers.
Then he found another rock to stand on!
These are the “Las Vegas” narcissi. I wonder how they come up with the different names for all the varieties of flowers.
MacKenzie liked the Las Vegas variety.
More tulips -- the “Cape Cod” variety. Tulips actually originated from the plateaus of Central Asia. Thousands of years ago, short-stemmed tulips bloomed in the splits and gorges, warmed by the sun in the high mountains. It wasn’t until the 16th century that the tulips first came to Holland -- via Turkey.
Beautiful pink and white “Flower Record” crocuses with a few purple “Ancilla” Kaufmanniana tulips hiding among the green leaves.
There were a few potted flowers that were as large as they were beautiful.
They were also almost as big as MacKenzie’s face!
Deep pink hyacinths.
As you’ve probably figured out, I really like the narcissi. This is the “Madoc” variety.
Here’s another patch of mixed flowers: “Johann Strauss” Kaufmanniana tulips and “Gemengd” crocuses.
The kids found a quaint gazebo to sit and rest a spell. Yes, they all got tired of looking at flowers after a while ... but we kept looking!
More potted flowers -- not sure what kind these are.
Two-toned “Albion Star” greigii tulips.
What a nice arrangement!
I love the deep color of these “Blue Jacket” hyacinths.
“Lefeber” Fosteriana tulips. During the 16th century, the rich merchants from Amsterdam were the first people who could afford a few tulip bulbs. At that time, the tulip was considered an extremely rare flower that deserved a prominent place in the garden.
Talk about large wooden shoes! At least the boys found something with which to entertain themselves.
This two-toned “Big Smile” Enkele Late tulip sure brought a big smile to my face.
This field certainly had a lot of flair -- “Flair” tulips, that is.
There were even a few swans swimming in one of the lakes. They weren’t shy about coming close to people either.
Nana was a good sport about posing with her namesake hyacinths -- the “Splendid Cornelia” variety (I’m sure she’s not thrilled that I gave away her real name!).
And more “Blue Jacket hyacinths.
I like the orange centers of these “Pinza” narcissi.
Lavender “Fondant” hyacinths.
Benjamin bundled up in front of the “Ice Follies” narcissi.
More “Johann Strauss” Kaufmanniana tulips.
Small “Delfts Blauw” hyacinths.
“Strese” Kaufmanniana tulips.
This certainly was a “Dreamland” patch of Enkele Late tulips.
I like the juxtaposition of these colors, including the “Giuseppe Verdi” Kaufmanniana tulips.
Benjamin started getting tired of all the walking, so Papa obliged and carried him a bit. He eventually fell asleep in Papa’s arms.
There were so many different kinds of flowers in a variety of landscaping designs, everywhere we turned!
These yellow “Exception” narcissi were very vibrant -- especially on such an overcast day.
Here’s another example of a nice contrast of colors: vibrant purple “Peter Stuyvesant” hyacinths and red/yellow “Authority” greigii tulips. After Keukenhof opened in 1949, tulips began appearing everywhere in Dutch gardens, mostly combined with hyacinths and narcissi. The motto was “the more color, the better.”
Benjamin stole my gloves when his hands got too cold. I guess his pockets weren’t enough.
These “Blue Magic” muscari remind me a little of Texas Bluebonnets. I wonder if they’re cousins.
Flowers weren’t the only exhibits in the gardens. This tree and its blossoms was simply stunning.
This tropical-looking fritillaria imperialis was in a more naturally landscaped area of the gardens.
There’s even a windmill on the grounds. We were in Holland, why should we expect any different?
The Bollenstreek tulip bulb fields adjacent to the gardens were surrounded by canals and used for growing large quantities of tulips -- no doubt to cultivate and send to gardeners around the world. Many of the fields had already been harvested when we visited.
We found a few more potted flowers surrounding the windmill.
Benjamin had to smell every variety to see if they smelled different from each other.
When we went up to the balcony of the windmill, we had a slightly better view of the tulip fields. I can only imagine how gorgeous the fields must be when they’re alive with color!
“There was an old lady who lived in a shoe...” OK, so I’m not “old,” even though we could all fit inside this shoe!
Nana liked this bicycle with a flower bed in front of the handlebars.
The kids liked seeing ducks in the canals beside the tulip fields.
Fortunately, after all the boring walking we made the kids endure, we found a park where they could burn off some energy.
Zachary and MacKenzie found a hedge maze, and they ran and hid in there for a good while.
The colors in these “Plaisir” greigii tulips were absolutely stunning!
They looked like stars when they were open completely.
By the afternoon, the sky had cleared some (it was still cold) and livened up the gardens.
The larger gardens were very nice, and incorporated much more than “just” flowers.
Benjamin helped Papa decipher the map to figure out where we were, where we’d been and where we still wanted to go. Yes, Keukenhof Gardens are THAT large!
The lines and colors were great!
The “Pirand” fosteriana tulips were dramatic-looking.
I really liked the yellow and orange in the “Up To Date” narcissi -- very stunning.
The kids found an unusual bench to lounge on while waiting on us adults.
A beautiful collection of Tȇte-a-Tȇte narcissi.
Benjamin wanted to climb the rocks surrounding these waterfalls, and was disappointed when I told him to rejoin us on the pathway.
“Zombie” fosteriana tulips. There are literally hundreds of varieties of tulips, which have become quite popular in the Netherlands. There are even a few of the older varieties still cultivated by some horticulturists.
These “Rosy Delight” Darwin hybrid tulips seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.
Papa and Benjamin teamed up to play chess against Zachary and MacKenzie.
They really had to concentrate on the game. They gave Papa a run for his money, but he and Benjamin won in the end.
Zachary and MacKenzie were gracious enough to pose in front of a bed of “Yellow River” narcissi and “Sibylla” triumph tulips.
The colors in the “Lucky Lady” greigii tulips were amazing.
And speaking of a lucky lady, we saw this couple taking wedding photos in the gardens. The bride was actually very cold between shots and kept putting a coat on to try to warm up.
There were many different ways to display flowers.
The kids were so good wandering through the gardens that we rewarded them with chocolate and whip-cream-covered Belgian waffles.
Benjamin decided he needed help eating his since it was so messy. Even Zachary made a mess of his waffle -- or rather, of his chocolate.
MacKenzie and I took our time with our waffles, and didn’t make quite as much of a mess as the boys did.
Well, MacKenzie started off neatly, but finished with chocolate all over her face like she always does.
While we ate our waffles, we listened to this musical contraption. Benjamin enjoyed making faces and dancing to the music.
When we finally left the gardens, Benjamin took his time walking through the parking lot. He was definitely enjoying blowing bubbles!
I’d say the boys were worn out from their day at Keukenhof Gardens.
And so was MacKenzie!One final note: Keukenhof Gardens opened today for the 2010 season!
Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Netherlands, Travel, Zachary
