The Netherlands - Visits to the Zaan and the Keukenhof

The Zaan and the Keukenhof

One of the places we had the opportunity to visit was De Zaanse Schans, an area just north of Amsterdam along the River Zaan. Historically, the people who lived along here in the 1600's developed the area by building lots of windmills. These mills processed spices, rice, paper, tobacco, milled wood and lots of other products therewith creating the first industrial region in the world.

Today, of the original 1,000 mills, only about a dozen of the Zaan windmills remain. We had a chance to see how the windmills worked and transferred the power of the wind to power large, wooden gears inside the windmill. The horizontal motion of the blades is converted to vertical rotary motion by the gears which then powers the machinery at the ground floor of the mill.

Maarten, Erika, and George at the top platform of one of the wind mills.

The Keukenhof.

With nearly 80 acres of flowers, the Keukenhof is an impressive and colorful flower garden attraction. Just south of Amsterdam, the garden is known for its tulips. But they also grow orchids, lilies, hyacinths, narcissus and many other varieties of flowers. Although we weren't there at the right time to see the huge fields of tulips, there were plenty of gardens to appreciate.

Getting Around in Amsterdam

Getting Around in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is an easy city to get around. It has a superb tram system augmented by a bus service. But, by far, the easiest way to get around the city is by bike. Amsterdam is just such an easy place to bike around in. With over 400 km. of bike trails and lanes, the infrastructure for biking is one of the best in the world. And it’s very flat - the hardest part of the ride is getting over the canal bridges!

The first thing that an American cyclist will notice is that no one here wears a helmet - men, women, adults, children, and even babies - no one. The other rather obvious observation is how at ease everyone is on their bike. It’s practically an extension of their limbs.

Here, the cycling culture develops young. When kids are barely able to walk, they are given a loopfiets (a walking bike) to learn to balance and ride around. When they start school they are taken there on bikes and when they can ride a bike, parents ride along side and take them to school.

A wooden loopfiets for young children.

One often sees mothers with their daughters riding side-by-side on their bikes, as you do fathers with their son doing the same. Or you see a parent on a bicycle with one child sitting in the front and one child in the backseat.

There are people talking on their cell phones with one hand and steering with the other. A couple, each riding his or her own bike, may be holding on to one another. A mother riding a bakfiets (a type of bike with a wooden box in front) with a couple of kids in it.

You see men and women dressed in proper office attire riding to work or home. Although most people are very mindful of the rules of the road, there are anarchist bikers who chaotically run red lights, ride against traffic and yet somehow don’t create massive accidents and pandemonium. No one bats an eye. Everybody takes it in stride.

In keeping with the Amsterdamers, Diane and I have been enjoying  riding bikes around the city, putting on lots of miles sightseeing as well as grocery shopping and doing other more mundane tasks by bike.We cycled to the northern part of Amsterdam, to what is called Java Island. On another day we rode along the Amstel. It’s a liberating feeling not being tied to a car or mass transit. 

Java Island

Along the Amstel.

Typical bike lane, left for cars, right for pedestrians. Tram tracks are in the middle of the street.

On May 4, we attended a gathering for those who were killed in WWII. There was a two minute observance of silence for those who were executed by the Nazis. The square we went to was one of the places the Nazis would take random groups of people and line them up against the wall and summarily execute them. This was to avenge an act the Dutch had committed against the occupying Nazi soldiers. Frightening to think about.

We met Maarten at the Stedelijk Museum, a museum that focuses on contemporary artists and designs. The two special exhibits were of Canadian photographer Jeff Wall and internationally acclaimed Dutch interior designer Marcel Wanders. Most of the exhibit pieces were truly creative and unusual.

This isn't a normal lamp - it's 10-12 feet high!

This sculpture also was  huge.

Not your average bathtub.

One of the large back lit photos of Jeff Wall

Scandinavian furniture design.

One of the most creative pieces we saw was a work called “The Beanery”, by Edward Kienholz. It is a nearly life-size model of a real bar that existed in Los Angeles. You can walk into the bar and really get the feel of what it was like to be there. But rather than ramble on about it, check it out here on youtube.

Isla Marguerite - May 1, 2014

Pssssst! Hey Gang!
It’s me - Isla Marguerite!
Ssshhhhhhh…….
I finally hacked into my Oma and Opa’s travel blog
To let you know I’m here
Living it up in Amsterdam.

Here are a few other photos of yours truly...

This is me taking a serious snooze.

We had a lot of people come by today to check up on me.  Enough already.

Just checking to make sure. Are they all gone?

Excellent. It's been a hectic day. Time for another little snooze. 

And this is my mom and my oma. Maybe I should poop right now.

Nah, just a fart! Wait, did someone say "Dinner"?

King's Day in Amsterdam

There's actually a canal under all these people.

King’s Day

It used to be called Queen’s Day. That is until the queen abdicated last year which led to the accession of a king - the first one in over a century.

In Amsterdam, the celebration is two phased: in the morning, the entire city is a huge swap meet and yard sale while later in the day the day evolves into a big beer drinking, dancing and boating party. Early in the day, parks, like the beautiful Vondelpark, are taken over by families selling everything from toys, books, clothes, crepes, sandwiches and cookies, to hosting carnival style games, to selling the more upscale items of antiques, furniture and jewelry. It's the only day of the year people in the Netherlands get to sell their junk.

Spreading out the goods for sale.

Elliot trying his luck at hitting a face with a wet sponge.

Meredith and Elliot shopping.

This little tyke was trying to hammer an orange coming through the tube.

Strolling through the park.

These two kids were definitely enjoying it all.

Budding young musicians practice their skills playing their instruments while hoping to earn a few coins on the side. It’s all a family style affair and lots of fun. Apparently, it’s not celebrated all over the Netherlands, but in Amsterdam it’s one huge party, not unlike a Rio carnival sans costumes.

This young fellow is learning that it's hard to make a living playing music.

Yeah! This one too.

Orange you glad we rode the bike to King's Day?

But you gotta wear something O-R-A-N-G-E!!!  Hats, sunglasses, a dress, shirt, shoes or whatever. As long as it’s orange.








               
In the latter part of the afternoon, it looked more like Heineken was the big winner. We never saw so many crushed beer cans on the sidewalks. The canals were full of boats, large and small. At the Prinsengracht, where we we standing, boats were vying for a position to squeeze under the bridge. The loud, hard driving beat of music blared from nearly every boat and bar along the canal.

On the streets, bars and restaurants were packed with revelers enjoying the day with friends. To me, the most amazing thing was two-fold: with as much alcohol as was being consumed, no one appeared out of control. We saw no fights. We actually didn’t see any severely inebriated folks (though I’m sure they were around). The other point of interest was that the celebration was not at all sexually oriented. In the U.S., girls would have been enticed by guys to show their boobs - New Orleans Mardis Gras style. For sure, guys would have been armed with their beads, ready to toss at a young, gyrating lass on a boat, for a peek at her boobs.

The party is heating up in the canals.

Maritime DJ's are pumping out the music.

Looks like this guy was trying to do his impression of Elvis 

The circular netting was a make-shift potty for the girls.

On land, this was the potty for the guys.

Haute cuisine on one of the boats passing by.

Dress for success!

Probably the best (orange) suite I saw during the day.

But in this sexually liberated country, sex just doesn’t play a dominant role like it does in the Christian, up-tight setting, that is so prevalent in U.S. society. Bottom line was King’s Day was lots of fun to experience, though not something I’d long for each year. But it sure was fun to be here in Amsterdam to enjoy it.