The Netherlands

The adventure begins - scroll down to join in the fun.

Harmonious Haarlem

Julie and I enjoyed our first day with a walk around Haarlem and had lunch at a street side cafe. Everyone we met was very gracious to us, which made everything so much nicer. We tried to be brave and extend our first day as long as possible, but jet lag hit us, so we went back to the hotel for a nap.

Mark

Grote Kerk

Haarlem’s Grote Kerk (Great Church) is a 15th-century Gothic church. Its organ, with over 5,000 pipes, has actually been played by Handel and Mozart.

Julie

Corrie ten Boom House

At the ten Boom house we learned what life was like for those who hid Dutch Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Corrie’s main message was, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

Julie

When the family signaled danger, the Jews they were hiding had to quickly dash up a steep and narrow staircase all the way to Corrie’s bedroom at the top of the house and quietly slip into the hiding place through the bottom of the linen closet that had a trap door.

Hiding Place

The hiding place was undetectable and although the Nazis searched for it, they never found it. Corrie was arrested and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. Fortunately she survived the war.

The ten Boom family is credited with saving 800 people. Hiding Jews was dangerous and many lives depended on keeping it secret. So secret, in fact, that Corrie’s brother and sister were also hiding Jews in their homes, but no one knew it until after the war.

Julie

Goosebumps

My most memorable experience was when Julie played The Hiding Place on the piano in the ten Boom’s parlor. Goosebumps for me.

Mark

Frans Hals Museum

The Frans Hals Museum housed many of the works of Frans Hals, one of the Dutch Masters along with Rembrandt and Van Dyke. The museum also had an impressive amount of Rembrandt paintings and other masterpieces. And we were able to see the paintings up close, which greatly enhanced the experience.

Mark

The Amsterdam Vibe

It was a quiet train ride from the small town of Haarlem through the countryside to Amsterdam. But once we reached Amsterdam things really picked up because of the incredible vibe of the city.

Across the street from the Anne Frank House

A Place to Ponder

Seeing the Anne Frank House was such a moving experience. Because the Nazis were trying to destroy all European Jews, the Frank family hid from them for over two years. Their hiding place was dark and depressing because they had to put blackout paper on all the windows. You could get just a glimpse of how difficult it must have been for them.

As we wandered through their hiding place we pondered how evil was allowed to grow to that extent.

Julie

The Rijksmuseum…Too Much To Take In

The Rijksmuseum was stunning with all of its Rembrandts, Van Goghs, Frans Hals and other masterpieces. It had just reopened after a ten-year renovation during which only certain sections were open. The Dutch people were so excited and proud of their new museum.

My best guide was Mark because he knows so much about art and art history, which helped me understand what I was seeing. I’m glad I decided to take him along–ha ha!

Julie

Canal Cruisin’

A canal cruise is a “must do” because Amsterdam is known as the Venice of northern Europe.

Ummm…That Doesn’t Look Straight

Many old buildings are leaning and no longer on the square. Gerry, a contractor in our group, said these buildings would be condemned in the States. Glad they are still standing!

Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse

Our last stop in The Netherlands was the eye-popping Keukenhof Gardens, a vibrant display of flowers and colors. At 79 acres, it’s the world’s largest flower garden.

Julie