Dawn D

Living in: Fernie, Canada Read more Fernie, Canada

Traveler Holland
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- Apr 26, 2023
- ☁️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 1,066 m
- Canada Alberta Okotoks 50.717476, -113.97869950°43’3” N 113°58’43” W
Day 14
Amsterdam - Calgary
April 26, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We aren’t ready to go home. We really were getting a hang of Amsterdam and Holland living. We are all packed up and ready for our 8.5 hour flight home with KLM. The Amsterdam airport blew us away. The security guards were joking with us and so friendly. We’ve never had such a pleasant security experience at an airport. We were shocked. Once we got in we were shocked again. The mellow mood, the comfy seating, the library, the grand piano, the museum, the amazing food! We loaded up on the plane, and said goodbye to the Netherlands. We watched tulips fields and wind turbines as we flew away from our amazing Dutch adventure. We sat in front of a family with 3 newborns. Marlo ended up holding one of the 6-week old premises for the whole trip. The flight into Calgary was so grey and dull. Alana picked us up and we went for bubble tea and home to Mom’s in Okotoks. We are tired and happy to be home and relax as we adapt back to the Calgary time zone. We slept in Okotoks overnight and drove home to the Kootenays the following day. Mom drove us to Alana’s to pick up Marlo’s car. We had copious amounts of caffeine to fuel us. Mar’s car was dead and it took all of us to jump it. Feels good to be home but was sad to say goodbye.

Walked - 7.9 kmRead more
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Traveler Holland
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- Apr 25, 2023
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Amsterdam Oud Zuid Amstelkanaal 52.350559, 4.89200752°21’2” N 4°53’31” E
Day 13
Amsterdam - day 2
April 25, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Another day of Amsterdam fun! We started out on the tram toward Dam square. We explored old buildings, gardens, stores and more. We walked up to the Jordan area and jumped into a canal tour boat just as it started to rain. We spent the whole day walked and exploring together and came home tired and hungry. We made dinner at home and went for a little evening walk to continue our exploration of this amazing area. So many locals warned us that Amsterdam was too busy and to stay away. We really enjoyed our time in Amsterdam though, one of our tricks was to visit busy areas early in the day when not as many people were around.

Walked - 13.1 kmRead more
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Traveler Holland
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- Apr 24, 2023, 5:13pm
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Amsterdam De Pijp Sarphatipark 52.357719, 4.90087352°21’28” N 4°54’3” E
Day 12
Amsterdam - day 1
April 24, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
It’s hard work being a tourist. This am we went to check out the Albert Cuyp Market. It’s just down the street from where we are staying. Checking out antique stores, food stalls, souvenirs and market booths. Stroopwaffles, gluten free licorice and chunks of bbq chicken was enjoyed. It was rainy and grey but we enjoyed ourselves irregardless of the inconsistent spring weather. We came home and rested and snacked for an hour or so. Then we headed out for a walk to the Musuemsplein and Rijksmuseum garden. We ate gelato with GF cones. Then down to the Blomenmarket - a flower market along the canal. Sitting in the sunshine while Twyla ordered a bubble tea and watching the world go by. We took the a packed tram back (our first tram ride) back to our De Pijp neighbourhood. It’s close enough to the action of Amsterdam, but just far enough to escape. We walked again through the massive Albert Cuyp Market, stopping to buy some fruit and cheese as we headed home tired with sore feet. We made a fresh salad and nachos for dinner and we were happy to relax at home for the evening with some serious games of Crazy 8s.

Walked - 11.98kmRead more
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Traveler Holland
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- Apr 23, 2023, 7:17am
- ☁️ 9 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- Netherlands Provincie Gelderland Gemeente Bronckhorst Keijenborg 52.034061, 6.31893852°2’3” N 6°19’8” E
Day 11
Hengelo - Amsterdam
April 23, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
We wake up in our peaceful Hengelo farm house. We started our day with showers, burritos and played some Yahtzee. We took a lovely walk through farms before we packed up for our day and said goodbye to the BnB. We drove to Ruurlo and walked the 5km love path filled with art, castles and forests. We drove a while and made it to Amsterdam to return our rental car and took an Uber to our Air Bnb in De Pijp, Amsterdam.

Walked - 13.37kmRead more
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Traveler Holland
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- Apr 22, 2023
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands Provincie Overijssel Gemeente Steenwijkerland Vollenhove Bentpolder 52.681019, 5.95471952°40’52” N 5°57’17” E
Day 10
Vollenhove - Hengelo
April 22, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Vollenhove found us and how sweet it was. We went for a walk in a Park Oldruitenborg and found Ruine Totenburg - once a castle with a moat. We had a picnic lunch beside the Grote of St. Nicholaaskirk that over looked the xxx. We continuing our travels. stopping wherever we felt like it, with no specific schedule. One stop found an ice cream stop with a kids go cart track. Another a walk in a Commonwealth War cemetery. We headed to our Air Bnb in Hengelo but ended up in a different city with the same name (how is that possible?). We drove past farm after farm with lined with Dutch flags turned upside down and learned that they were showing their discontent with the plan to reduce the number of cows in the Netherlands by 1/3 by 2030. We back tracked and made our way to our AirBnb that was stacked with meats and cheese and breads for us to enjoy. We were happy to be in this cosy home surrounded by farms.

Walked - 9.89kmRead more
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- Apr 22, 2023, 6:09pm
- 🌧 13 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands Provincie Overijssel Gemeente Steenwijkerland Jonen 52.721443, 6.03960152°43’17” N 6°2’23” E
Day 10
Geithoorn - Dwarsgracht
April 22, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Caught the sunrise this am in Geithoorn. The hostel provided breakfast, we packed up and then went for a little walk. Again almost solo before the crowds descend on this magical little village. We jumped in the car and started day 2 of our road trip. We headed to Dragstracht in National park. We walked along the canal and enjoyed this amazing little area. We can’t get enough of all these amazingly quaint little Dutch homesRead more
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- Apr 21, 2023
- ☁️ 16 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands Provincie Overijssel Gemeente Steenwijkerland Zuideinde 52.711399, 6.081452°42’41” N 6°4’53” E
Day 9
Afslaudijk - Makken - Geithoorn
April 21, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We continued our travels past many flower fields and spotting molen (windmill in Dutch). We travelled over the afslaudijk (another World Heritage Site) and stopped at the interpretive centre to learn more about this impressive 30km long dam that allowed the Dutch to reclaim land and stop flooding. Mom & Twyla use the maps cousin Wim gave us to follow along as Marlo and I use Google maps and keen focus to watch to cyclists, pedestrians, and navigate unending traffic circles. And road signs we still can’t understand. We stopped at the sweetest fishing village, and ate a mountain of potat frites. We got to Geithoorn and settled into our quaint hostel. We took off for a walk down the canals, marvelling at the thatched roof houses as we walked over bridge after bridge between them. We got caught in a storm heading back and were soaked. Mom said she had never been so wet. We were happy to return and dry off to make a dinner of veggie soup, bread, sausage, and gouda.

Walked - 14.24kmRead more
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- Apr 21, 2023, 5:37pm
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands Provincie Overijssel Gemeente Steenwijkerland Zuideinde 52.711369, 6.08139552°42’41” N 6°4’53” E
Day 9
Zandvoort - Alkmaar
April 21, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Twee & I woke up early and took a bike ride along the beach and into town. We dropped off the bikes and picked up the car and packed up and said goodbye to Center Parc Zandvoort (where we stayed for a week). We made a quick stop at mom’s neighbourhood and then we left said goodbye to Zandfoort and started our road trip. We stopped along tulip fields, one time adding pickles to our salami gouda sandwiches on the hood of the car. Our first stop was Alkmaar for the cheese market. It was beyond busy and we had to hold onto each other as we moved between the crowds to see the cheese weighing demonstration. We walked through the town arm in arm protecting ourselves from the drizzle. We stopped at the market and tasted cheeses, and bought GF cannoli. We stopped at HEMA to find a bathroom and got stuck in a massive line and paid .70€ each by credit card to use them. We love the underground parking garage for bikes.Read more
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- Apr 20, 2023
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands North Holland Aalsmeer Hornmeerpolder 52.26226, 4.76252452°15’44” N 4°45’45” E
Day 8
Royal Flora & Kinderdijk
April 20, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
We headed off at 6am to hit Royal Flora (45 min away). We got in just as it opened and explored this massive (40 football fields) floral distribution center. We then headed to the Kinderdijk World Heritage site to view 18 historic windmills at 2 m below sea level. We stopped for herring on the beach at Katwijk an Zee and Noordwijk an Zee and stopped along the flower fields. Lots of driving today! We are starting to figure out the road signs. We had a lovely goodbye dinner at Thallassen on the beach with Wim and Hannike.

Walked - 14.27kmRead more
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- Apr 19, 2023
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 3 m
- Netherlands North Holland Haarlem Station Haarlem 52.3881, 4.638152°23’17” N 4°38’17” E
Day 7
Zaandvoort - Haarlem
April 19, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Early morning walk to the beach with mom saw tractors moving sand and summer houses being moved onto the beach. Dutch strawberries, yogurt & granola were on order for breakfast. We went to brunch at Wim (mom’s cousin). It was SO lovely. Anneke (mom cousin, Wim’s sister) did a slideshow of old photos and told us stories. We rushed off to go to Haarlem to pick up our rental car. After dinner we jumped in the car and went to catch the sunset.

Walked - 14.45kmRead more
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