The Netherlands!

I think the only thing I don’t like about The Netherlands is how complicated they make it by sometimes calling it Holland and calling the language Dutch. But honestly, I don’t even dislike that completely. I have to give them some props for being original. And to be fair, they actually call their language Netherlands, so it’s really more of an English problem. Speaking of which, the Pennsylvania Dutch are actually German. Who knew?! But anyways, after my two days in The Netherlands, here are my favorite things:

1) Amsterdam is beautiful! I had no idea that it had so many canals and quaint streets. I always pictured it as a much more industrial looking city. Other than the Jewish Museum gift shop (I got a hamsa to replace the one dad and Jane got me a few years ago there that was stolen with my car keys) and the Van Gogh museum (good museum but super touristy and loud), all we did during our one full day there was wander around looking into shops and galleries, and people watching. I had so much fun taking it in, I didn’t take any pictures. I think mom took a few though that I can steal from her.

2) Everybody is so friendly! Every shop we went in, the people went out of their way to be nice to us even if it was clear we weren’t going to buy anything. This was great in Norway too. Us Americans really need to step up our game on being likeable. I don't know how irrational this is, but I tend to think that everybody hates tourists, especially American ones. I go to great lengths to pretend like I'm not a tourist, which usually includes refusing to look at maps, getting really really lost, and having to ask (in English) for directions. It always surprises me when somebody proves me wrong. It took until Saturday night and was a huge mess, but the airline got our bags to us, and everybody who was helping us was pretty friendly about it the whole time. Actually, the people in Latvia weren’t too bad either. Yes. Our bags were in Latvia.

3) Cheese!!! So much delicious cheese. And cheese shops on like every block. With lots of samples. Here’s the thing- I like cheese probably more than is socially acceptable. Like, more than dessert. Did you know that pesto cheese exists? It does and is incredible. How much is an appropriate amount for me to bring back to the US? Three wheels? Four? I may have to throw some gouda in there too. Making room in the one backpack I brought should be interesting.

That’s about all I have to say about The Netherlands so far, but I still have a whole week ahead of me. Mom and I met up with Jerry on Friday, so our duo has become a trio, which is nice because, even though mom and I got along great, spending a week with one person 24 hours a day is a lot. Also, Jerry has spent a lot of time in The Netherlands and speaks some Dutch, so he’s a great guide. It’s relaxing to have a few days break from constantly consulting maps.

Right now we’re in Joure. Tonight we had one of the best meals I’ve had in my entire life. I won’t describe it because I just couldn’t do it justice, but on our way out we made reservations to come back on Friday when we finish our bike loop. For the next five days, we’ll be biking in a loop around Friesland, from town to town, going about 30-40 miles per day. It’s definitely doable, but right now I’m really wishing I had done a little bike training to prepare for this. I do have some pretty awesome biking tights, waterproof pants, and biking gloves though, so at least I look the part. If you’ve got any energy to spare, send it my way. Not sure how many of the hotels we’re staying in have internet, but I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.

Last, but not least, just want to wish a happy happy Father’s Day to the best father in the whole world that anyone could ever ask for- my dad:-) Sorry I’m not home. MMMMMLL