Travel
A little bit about us: My name is Megan, and my parents and I had the opportunity to take a trip that had been postponed too many times. We wrapped all of our celebrations into this trip, from my parent's 25th anniversary, their 50th birthdays, to my college graduation. I have dreamed about traveling Europe since I was young, so this was truly a dream come true.
Netherlands (July 9 - 12)
This was a great country for us to start our tour in! With most people being fluent in English, it was easy enough for us three to get around.
Starting our tour in the town of Haarlem was a great introduction. My parents and I got familiar with the area before joining the group and making introductions. Our time in Amsterdam, the famous heart of the Netherlands, was highlighted by beautiful artwork by Rembrant, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and many others in the Rijkmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. The walking tours arranged by Rick Steves were informative and a great way to learn about the cities we visited. The three of us retired early to Haarlem and watched life bike by!
Mornings at the Grote Kerk church service or walking around town, afternoons at the nearby beach town of Zandvoort or people watching on the square, evenings eating ice cream on a bench overlooking a canal as the sun sets. These are the moments in Haarlem I will cherish.
evenings eating ice cream on a bench overlooking a canal as the sun sets.
On our way south towards Germany, we stopped at Arnhem's open-air museum. We had no expectations for what this meant and it ended up surprising us. We ate freshly baked bread as we wandered the little town. We learned from the boatswain, washed laundry with the laundress, and watched as the blacksmith crafted a nail out of iron. What a lovely stop!
Fiets!
The Dutch word for bikes is fiets. Our guide taught us this word that we ended up using throughout the tour to warn each other of traffic on the streets. Fiets!
