Zandam

Our day started with our train trip to the town of Zandam just on the outskirts of Amsterdam. We then spent a good bit of time wandering through an authentic replica of an old Dutch town. It was very wholesome with some cute traditional houses, farm animals, workshops, stalls, canals, mills, and a lot more. The quintessential Dutch experience. The first attraction was walking though the old homes, through their gardens and over the tiny foot bridges. After that you begin to enter the main town centre where you can try some classic Dutch cheese, buy a pair of clogs, traditional beer, and other cool products that represent the history of the Netherlands. It was a very cute experience and it really had something for everyone. The final part of the experience was to walk along the major canal, see the mills, and the animals, until we stumbled across a little ferry run by a very nice elderly couple. They ferry you across the canal, to another very cute part of town, avoiding a huge walk back and around. This allowed us to explore a bit more and slowly wander back to the train station. We explored a more modern, yet still very authentic Dutch community. Maintaining the canal system as a significant mode of transport around town. These houses were so beautiful and quaint, it made me really picture the easy life as a Dutch native. The journey in Zandam ended in the very modern and artistic part of the town. This had very large and impressive houses, very beautiful but not very reminiscent of a Dutch household as one expects. We stopped for a meal and continued our journey toward the next town. This one famous for its interesting buildings and architecture. Especially one hotel that looks to be built out of hundreds of much smaller buildings. We explored the little village and shopping centre before heading back to Amsterdam. We went back to the hostel and had a hot chocolate (great choice) and an early night.Read more