NETHERLANDS

Our Netherlands experience began by a park in the cute town of Roosedaal.  As we woke hungry and ready to start our day, we drove to the city center where we stumbled upon a beautiful little produce market in the main town square.  We bought a half kip (chicken), some smoked cheese and beautiful fresh bread and decided sandwiches would be on the menu for breakfast/lunch. We drove then to Rotterdam, the Netherlands ‘second city’.  Unlike the rest of the towns we had visited that were historic and often quaint, Rotterdam was unique with its architectural masterpieces, from modern bridges like Erasmusbrug to incredible buildings and sculptures. It was here was found the best Frites of the trip so far. We had been on the search for the classic Frites Special, which consists of Fries with mayonnaise, curried ketchup and raw chopped onions.  We found it by the harbour at a small snack shack in Rotterdam, sounds horrible but it was incredibly delicious! We spent the night, cooking in our camper and we enjoyed our meal with a bottle of wine by the water while we watched the sun go down. As chefs, you rarely see the sun go down due to long dinner shifts, so to see such a beautiful sunset from the pier in Rotterdam was truly spectacular and not be to taken for granted. 

The next day we spent the morning at the skatepark in Rotterdam then caught a car ferry to Kinderdijk where nineteen 17^th century classic Dutch windmills still stand today. That night we stayed in Delft cooking fajitas from our campervan and relishing our gypsy lifestyle with a bottle of wine. Waking the next morning, we strolled into the little town of Delft.  We walked through an antique market by a canal while enjoying our first fresh Stroopwaffle. Only one word can describe the invention of a waffle filled with syrpy goodness. Perfection. Okay, two words. Moreish. We then found a cheese shop, tasting every variety of Gouda, aged, smoked and flavoured- devouring endless samples with accompanying pickles, before deciding on a purchase. The rest of the day and following day were spent exploring the little towns of Den Haag and Leiden, pitching camp during the nights.

The following morning we spent a day in the stunning Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. This beautiful collection of tulips attracts over 800,000 visitors a year during the short flowering season and it is easy to see why. Rows of vivid colours are exquisite and the garden is so peaceful even filled with people. Matt and I enjoyed a beautiful picnic of Dutch Gouda, Filet American and other delicacies while basking in the sunshine amidst the sea of tulips.

Then the day had come; we had finally arrived in Amsterdam! Staying at a campsite a mere fifteen minutes from the city, we headed out on a first day with a clear picture of a party city awaiting us. Amsterdam is notorious for its legal marijuana and red light district, and although the scent of weed was prominent in the air, the city itself was a beautiful surprise. The never-ending winding canals lined with cafes and restaurants bustled in the sunshine. The streets were packed with tourists from far and wide as the much-anticipated Kings Day celebration was only a day away. With no time to loose with walked the streets and visited all the famous sights and attractions include the floating tulip markets and albert cuypert market, until we could walk no further, calling it a night. 

Waking the next day, we dressed in Orange (as tradition for Kings Day- Amsterdam’s biggest party of the year in celebration of the King of course) and headed for the town. Food vendors and pop up liquor stands lined the streets and second hand knick-knack stalls filled in between.  The canals were filled with boats crammed with people and DJs playing music. We bought a few drinks and joined the party, finding DJs and great spots along the street to dance, it was a citywide festival with more people than we had ever seen. The electric atmosphere was infectious and such a great experience to end our time in Netherlands on. Tomorrow we drive to Germany. Another day. Another country.