First,........sorry, no internet for a couple days.
Day 6
This one was a big one. I must say first off that this day was one day that will never be forgotten. It was a day that will never be like any other day.
We picked the car up in Haarlem in the morning and set out for a day that we will never forget. We started heading south to Lisse, a small town about 15 miles south of Haarlem. But it was how we did it. It stared immediately almost within a few miles of town. We began to see acres and acres AND ACRES of flowers. Blues, yellows, reds (oh those reds), orange, white and of course green. There were simply mile after mile of flowers.....RIGHT OFF THE ROAD. We were on a very narrow road and we must have stopped 20 times during the trip. It was absolutely breath taking. You could get out of your car and litterly walk into the fields!!!!! Oh god the pictures. Our goal was a garden (of course I cannot remember the name) Kanderhoff or somethng like that (look it up). It is the largest and most famous garden in Europe and it truly is. It took about 20 minutes to get into the garden parking lot with all the cars and people. Oh I forgot to mention the weather....oh my god....70 or so and not a cloud in the sky!!!! The garden covers many many acres and EVERY square in is covered with flowers. It was an experience that I will never forget. I have been to some of the best gardens in the world and I can say this one was one of the top ones. Tulips, tulips and more tulips....and every variety, color in the entire rainbow. It was almost overwelming. And there were people.....many many MANY people and everyone had a camera!!!! At one end of the place there was a authentic windmill. We got to go inside and the treat was that on the balcony of the mill one could view acres and acres of flowers below.....both on the garden side and the outside where a farm was located. Rows and rows of millions and millions of floowers.....all in bloom. It was truly incredible. Oh again..........the pictures. We spent the entire day there, and probably took 500 or more pictures. Every turn, every angle was a true phot shoot. We saw more pro cameras and tripods than I have ever seen.
At the end of the day we drove out and our GPS....Jeff... led us (purely by accident) out the back way on a road that parelleled the farm that was seen from the wind mill at the end of the garden park. So here we were again walking among the millions of fowers and colors.....of course many more pictures. We finally got free from the power of the flower and headed to our next hotel in a nearby town to Lisse. That was really cool....it was a Best Western and the town was this perfect gorgeous little village. We could park right out in front of the motel and checked in. We decided we needed a nice cold beer and to view our pictures so we went to the bar/restaurant next door. We had 3 large beers (one does get thirsty seeing so many flowers!!!) and met and talked at length to our waiter who was a native Portugese and was going there next week to see his family. He gave us one free beer and asked if we wanted to eat......after 3 big beers who could say no. We had a wonderful fish (cod) meal with the typical fixed dinner here.....fabulous. And we actually left as friends with the waiter. And to bed.
Next day Day 7, we were up and ready to go to our next stop...Leiden. This was a much bigger place and the hotel was right down town.....no place to park. The consiege guided us to a nearby parking lot and said to get a ticket for 12Euro...to cover all night. We tried to use our credit card because we did not have 12 E in coins.....it was feeding amchine. WE thought we had the receipt for the car and went on our way first stopp was the wind mill. It was one of the last 2 in the city (once it had 30) and for a tour of the inside.....the one we visited in the gardens was not restored and just was a way to get higher to take pictures of the gardens and nearby flower fields. But this one was completely restored and truly was a treat. We learned all about them, what was the purpose, how they worked and what they looked like back in 1700s.
We bought some souvenirs and went back to the car....WE GOT A TICKET....WHAT....HOW COULD THAT BE. We had the receipt and all......but we did not know the ticket had all the information but also said in Dutch.....CANCELLED. The cost......54 Euros.....SO WE HEADED TO THE POLICE STATION. There we met with an office and he really could not do anything.... we filed an appeal and wrote out our case and will hear back in about a month.
We then headed for town and to walk around and see the sites. We actually found the second windmill, this one was not open but we got some great shots....also got some great shots of the market and town square and all the buildings. The traffic was heavy and the bikes.....oh my the bikes. You have to have eyes in the back, front and sides of your head to keep from walking in front of one. But we survived.
We checked in the hotel and our man gave us a tip on a good fish restaurant. So we took his advise and headed out after a rest to Crabiche, or the Crab. It was wonderful. It was on this very narrow side street...of course we missed it the first passing and had to ask where it was. But it was worth the trouble....mmmMMM. Several new kinds of fish....of course I cannot remember any of the names. But all was incredible.
We were quite tired after walkign all day in teh city so we went home to bed. We also had to move the car by 9:00 AM or it would be towed.
Day 8 We ate our typical Dutch breakfast......meat, cheese, coffee, tea and bread....they did have cereal and juice. I walked to the parking lot about 1/4 mile away and all of a sudden I look and the car is gone....in fact all the cars are gone. The lot is now filled with a CARNIVAL.....yep and carnival was setting up and my car was gone. I am standing there swearing away and a worker comes up and asks if I am looking for my car......'"oh it is across the street" he says, "the police moved it earlier today". Whoa was I a happy camper.....I went over and got it and drove back to the hotel to tell D that I almost lost our car!!!!
Off to Kinderdyke we went. Kenderdyke is probably the most famous area for windmills in the world. There are approximately 30 there of all styles. I won't go into the styles but they range over the centuries and become more complex as the years passed. We had no problem (even in rush hour traffic at Rotterdam) getting there abnd found a perfect parking spot. But the cruise people and the tour buses beat us. There were hundreds of people who were on tours or cruises on their bus tours. But it was so funny, they went in only a few hundred feet walked and took pictures and all of a sudden,,,,,they were gone. They only were there a few minutes....oh my, no thanks. We spend all day there!!!!! It is about 2 miles long and all the mills are on canals. The wehater was absolutely perfect and the sky was as blue as water. So, I can trulhy say that our pictures are really really professional quality.....We must have taken 500 or more. The scenes no matter what direction was breathtaking.......each one was perfectly restored and several were still being restored. And there were PEOPLE LIVING IN THEM. Wow!!!!
WE walked and shot photos.....all day......the light.....was PERFECT!!!! We ate lunch at a nice picnic table and watched the bikers and walkers go by. There were alot of people there but most were local or Dutch tourist. As I said the cruisers and Americans were mostly gone.
About 3:00 we headed to Delft for our hotel. It was about 40 minute drive....this time mostly on the highway system....no problems with ...Jeff (our GPS) helping out.
We arrived at the hotel....very nice. Right downtown and the parking was at least right across the street.....10 Euros this time but underground and no carnival in sight.
We immediatly headed out for downtown to tour and buy anything we have not seen 100 times before. The town was small and quaint and really pretty....of course cannals all over and again the bikes....oh my. We shopped, shot some nice town shots and just enjoyed the afternoon. We found neat restaurant that had the table and chairs on a barge on the canal....so we chose it. We both had different kinds of fish soup and both had fish entrees....mmmMMM. D had a nice trout, but I had one of those local fish again....
We slowly walked home and reminised about the wonderful day today....the windmills (I have to say we are kind of experts on the subject now). The hotel is modern and has internet....yea!!! And now I am off to bed. Our last day is tomorrow. We go to the Delft factory for atour and maybe some buying....but we saw some of the prices of the real Royal Delft....oh boy!!! But maybe they have some seconds......anyway, it will be fun. Then the drive back th Haarlem to drop the car and head back to Amsterdam to go home. So tomorrow, sadly will be our last day of touring THE NETHERLANDS.....
Good night all.
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