When we were in Brussels I started to think about driving times. We had planned on going back to Germany and then to Paris for Koala Bear's birthday. But I realized it is only 2.5 hours to Paris from Brussels and it is 5 hours back home and then 5 hours to Paris. I looked for options and found a good hotel for an amazing price in Amsterdam. So off we went for a surprise trip to the Netherlands.
Our first stops along the way were seeing some the the iconic aspects of The Netherlands--windmills and clogs. We made it to Kinderjik Windmills just at sunset. It was a cold walk, but we loved seeing the countryside as the sun went down.
We loved seeing all of the thatched roofing in the villages that we drove through.
As we spent time in The Netherlands we were all interested in seeing the water management processes. For example these pumps that move water from lower areas to higher areas across dams and dikes.
We found another Asian dumpling place to try! This time in Rotterdam. We all loved our food.
As we drove we found a small family clog shop to visit. We loved that it was not part of the tourist area. it was out in a village. As we arrived we were not sure that it was open. Due to all the snow in the area, it was a bit dark. We went in and talked with the owner. He let us watch him as he cut logs to get ready for clogs.
We also had the chance to handprint our own clogs. It was fun to have the whole place to ourselves.
He told us he learned to make shoes from a shoe master when he was a kid. And he kept the tradition alive and now makes thousands of shoes a year. He was making more clogs to prepare for the summer tourist season.
So far we have been really impressed with the quiet friendliness and and clean towns throughout The Netherlands.
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