Erasmuspark

In looking at the weather,I had one more forecasted sunny day. (It rains an average of 134 days/year here). I decided a couple days ago to look for a day trip tour to see some of the local countryside. Chose the Geithoorn, (picturesque)Volendam, (fishing village) and Zaanse Schans. (Windmills). The tour was 10 hours, a bit longer than I wanted but you can always sleep on the bus.

As it is Sunday, it was a large tour group, about 35. Interesting ethnic mix - 75% on the group either Asian, Middle Eastern or Indian. We set off from Central Amsterdam around 9AM. A short 25 minute ride to Zaanse Schans, a village featuring windmills. Holland, of course, is known for its windmills, however, in actuality, the wind turbines have replaced most of the windmills. Windmills are now primarily for the tourists. ZS was a picturesque, albeit very touristy, village with lots of walking paths, shops,places to eat and a demonstration on how the traditional wooden shoes are made. Lots of waterfowl in the canals that are everywhere throughout the Netherlands. One third of the country is below sea level. A complex system on dams and levies are essential for the country’s survival. Netherlanders are very proud of their forward thinking use of solar, electric water craft, and hydroponic agriculture.

On to Volendam, a harbor on the North Sea, (North Atlantic) and another village with shops, numerous restaurants and street food. Local food here is fish - go figure - herring, cod, eel, and many others. I took a walk along the harbor and waterfront before enjoying a smoked salmon sandwich for lunch along the waterfront. From the vessels that I saw in the harbor, this is a VERY upscale fishing village. (Mostly yachts). 😂. This tour does a good job with free time. No touring with the bus folk, all on your own, so need to wait for 35 people to order and eat lunch. 👍

Last stop was Geithoorn, a small town about 1.5 hours east of Amsterdam. A beautiful drive through the Dutch countryside! So much to see - abundant colorful flower fields of every color imaginable, mainly tulips - all in bloom. Every mile of the way there would be acres of multi colored flowers. The village of Geithoorn was founded in the 13C by people from Southern Europe looking for a relief from religious persecution where they could practice their religion freely. In the 16thC, the Mennonites also settled here for the same reason. There are no streets for cars in the village. All transportation is by boat. (To a central point outside of town, where people keep their cars). We did an hour boat tour through the town out into a large lake and back. We had a “professional” driver, but many others had rented boats and were not as skilled in maneuvering, it was quite the comical scene.

Back on the bus and headed back to Amsterdam. Arrived a bit after 7:30P. It just does not seem that later since the sun is still shining brightly! Love the long days. Sunset tonight at 9:05P.Read more