travelogue: the netherlands countryside

here are some photos of the five days we spent in the dutch countryside.  it was wonderful to be around family again and what a farmhouse melanie found for us.  it was a stunning brick building, rustically styled in surroundings that were peaceful and relaxing (quite the departure from busy amsterdam).  we had grazing horses as neighbours, the sound of birds chirping, and fields of potatoes surrounding us.  

the back garden was spacious and had lots to entertain the kiddos.  the 'go-cart', a barn to hide in, rope swing, games, but especially the 'go-cart'.  oh, and those huge sprinklers that water the fields, the kids had fun chasing those around to get wet.  did i mention, it was incredibly and unusually hot in the netherlands.  i loved it.

india dressed as kai

the kids enjoyed exploring the neighboring roads, running around, hoping to be caught in a sprinkler, meeting other horses.   all the houses are beautiful brick ones.  cows but mostly horses became a familiar sight.

stefan confirming that the plants are indeed potatoes

photo credit: maya

maya loves being in front of the camera as much as i love taking photos, we made a good pair :)

we cycled the countryside!  cycle-friendly, the netherlands has a fantastic integrated network of cycle paths that make it simple to get around on bike.  we followed the well-signposted paths, which connect up the whole country (we followed recommended routes but you can easily create your own route).  no where else is cycling this established.

we rode on average about 20km each day. we rented dutch-style bikes, gearless and with back pedal brakes.  kai learned to ride without hands!  he was quite proud of himself for mastering it so quickly.  i, on the other hand, am hopeless.

we enjoyed the beautiful vast skies, flat pastures, and leafy, green woods.  our first ride actually took us into belgium, unbeknownst to us.  when ordering fries and was asked whether he wanted belgium or dutch mayo, stefan confirmed that we were indeed in belgium!  our second ride took us though quaint towns while the third route mainly took us through lush forested areas.  

so many potato fields!  no wonder van gogh, who lived and worked in the province of brabant for awhile, was inspired to create the famous potato eaters painting :)

we would stop for drinks, pastries and food too.  each ride had the kiddos and adults chasing the arcs of water coming from the sprinklers for a little relief from the hot weather.  

bike ride #1

in belgium

eating belgium fries with dutch mayo

potato fields

no hands!

 bike ride #2

a light sprinkling of water the first time...

doused (especially stefan) by the sprinkler the second time... it was too funny :)

vlaai pie... lekker (so good).

we climbed a tower for this view, four of us crammed into a turnstile because we only had 1 euro instead of 4... we were a quite the sight.

bike ride #3

  

stefan sought out bossche bol, the area's culinary specialty from den bosch (where his parents live), a simple yet delicious pastry with chocolate and whipped cream.  and there was pancakes for dinner one night but the best part of that restaurant was the zip line, so much laughter was had :)

 

enjoying the light shower before it began hailing... then it was back to sunshine.

we also celebrated my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary by the beach just outside of amsterdam.  stefan enjoyed connecting with aunts and cousins.  kai had so much fun with the kiddos, meeting second-cousins and playing with third-cousins.  stefan and his sister hired a photographer for the occasion, once i have those photos i will share because they are pretty lovely.  but for now, here are a few i took.

marion is a twin and they married best friends on the same day.

travelogue:  girona, spain coming up next week