Amsterdam Day 393: Fresh Produce

The produce here is a lot fresher than standard in the US. Sure you can get fresh produce in the States but it is not standard. The downside to fresh stuff is that they have not added a bunch of preservatives to make stuff last longer. We have had bread that starts molding after a week. Beef will start to turn bad soon after purchase. And cheese starts to mold quickly. 

And there are snails on my lettuce right in the grocery store. 

Amsterdam Day 388: Bikes Are So Useful

We have lived here for one year now and so I've collected a few more pictures of weird things on bikes. 

I thought this one was hilarious. I've never thought of pulling your rollerboard behind your bike. I tried it once but you are two far from the ground. So the second person is necessary to split the difference between the pumper and the suitcase. Very clever. An taken without them noticing.

I'm not exactly sure why they thought this would be easier to do with a bike. Seems like it may have been easier to pick it up than use the bike to support it. But maybe they were not strong enough to walk it that far. Come to think of it, I probably should have stopped to ask I could help. Am I a bad person?

And we knew that this happened all the time, I just had not seen it. He is carrying a case of beer on the back of his bike. It took him a minute to get steady enough to take off. On second thought, he may have had a few drinks in him already because he was pretty wobbly. Much safer to drink and ride. 

Amsterdam Day 382: Aviodrome

We found this cool museum at a small airport about 45 minutes away. Think the Hill Aerospace Museum in Roy, UT or the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL but with an amazing aviation playground. In fact it took us an hour before we actually saw anything in the museum because the kids went straight to the playground. I wish I had taken a picture, but there was this big ballon type of thing, probably 20 feet wide, that Charlie jumped on for about 45 minutes. He was just as happy as could be. 

The kids loved that they were able to sit in the cockpit of the planes. You might not be able to see the big grin on Cameron's face, but it is there. 

Charlie had to be told many times by the museum staff, who were dressed as pilots, in Dutch and English, to stop touching the buttons. But he just could not stop himself. He'd look at me and then look at the buttons. Then his hand would go for it. And would then says, "CHARLIE" and he would pull his hand back. And then a second later look at me and then move his hand forward. That little stinker. 

Most importantly, Delta Air Lines was represented. Although it was by this small wooden plane in the shadows of a large actual plane that was in the shadows of a huge KLM 747.  Speaking of the large KLM 747, they let us go up into it and explore all around it.

The museum was just set up so cool and targeted to entertain the children (and me) so well. 

Amsterdam Day 395: More Advertisements

I have seen this advertisement on several friends Facebook accounts in addition to seeing them all over. And instead of taking my own picture, I stole this one from Sonja. It is for a radio station. That's all I've got to say about that. 

Amsterdam Day 372: Zouderzee Outdoor Museum

In Saturday, we went to the Zouderzee Outdoor Museum. Think Nauvoo or Colonial Williamsburg but only Dutch style. It's a fishing village rebuilt to represent Dutch life around the turn of last century. 

The favorite place was the dress ups where the children could dress up as Dutch people from 1904, complete with wooden shoes. 

Aren't those shoes cute. I was able to even borrow a pair and walk around for 30 minutes. Man, did it feel good to get my regular shoes back on. 

The place had all sorts of shops like an old time bakery, candle store, rope store, fishing net store, laundry, and my favorite, the Smoked Herring store. 

Generally, none of us are fans of the herring here. But that is because they eat it raw. And it doesn't taste good. Yet I keep trying just in case I am wrong. Well, I finally found the herring that tastes good. Smoked. Think a cross between beef jerky and fish. So good. 

There was also the obligatory windmill, but we have enough pictures of all those cute windmills, that we don't even bother anymore. It's just another adorable windmill. 

So much fun and I think we didn't even see the whole place. We will be returning. 

Amsterdam Day 365: 1 Year of Amsterdam

Today is day 365 making tomorrow our Amstiversary.  I thought I would ask the family about the last year and get their thoughts.  Here you go, unfiltered.

What is your favorite thing about living in Holland?
   Charlie: Is the computer closed?
   Beverly: Playing here with my friends
   Cameron: The new games  
   Ryan: Living in a more walkable city allows me to wander more on my own
   Mom: The many farms
   Dad: So many fun activities, events, and different attractions that are so close

What is your least favorite thing about living in Holland?
   Charlie: yes, I think it needs to be closed.  Is the computer closed?
   Beverly: Going to school
   Cameron: The bikes.  They are horrible.
   Ryan: Not having a lot of friends close by
   Mom: That everything is a lot harder to do
   Dad: Even though everyone "speaks" English, nothing is easy.  Making copies at the store takes 10 times as long

What do you miss the most about living in the U.S.?
   Charlie: Yea, you are wet.  I don't think so.
   Beverly: The pools and the beds
   Cameron: Pet stores
   Ryan: Chick-fil-a and my friends
   Mom: Convenience
   Dad: Easy access to fast food

What is the best thing here that the U.S. does not have?
   Charlie: unintelligable response
   Beverly: huh? dog and dollies
   Cameron: Albert Heijn (the main grocery store)
   Ryan: I have more international friends; best friends are from Italy, Japan, and New Zealand
   Mom: Fruits and vegetables are so much fresher and taste better
   Dad: I love the bike paths that connect everything and everywhere

What have you learned while living in Holland?
   Charlie: Ring around the rosie
   Beverly: Gymnastics, English and Dutch
   Cameron: Do not smoke
   Ryan: You have to be pushy to get on the buses
   Mom: The Dutch always tell you no first or that it is not possible, when it really is
   Dad: It is very difficult to learn Dutch, but I think part of that is that everyone speaks so much English

Where is your favorite place you have been?
   Charlie: I been to Starfall
   Beverly: I don't know.  Staying here
   Cameron: Italy, Canary Islands
   Ryan: Menorca, Paris, and Germany
   Mom: Menorca
   Dad: Menorca was pretty amazing for a family vacation, but I think my favorite place was Rome

How long should we live here?
   Charlie: All over the world.
   Beverly: 1 Day?
   Cameron: 1 Month
   Ryan: 2 years at the least
   Mom: Till they make us go home
   Dad: As long as we can because the U.S. is getting crazy

Where do you want to move next?
   Charlie: Next a tent
   Beverly: Atlanta
   Cameron: Back to Georgia
   Ryan: Mexico
   Mom: To a farm
   Dad: I'm pretty open.  I'd love to try another expat role or move back to Georgia

Who are some of your friends?
   Charlie:Will that be friends? Starfall.
   Beverly: Olivia, Lola, Brooks, Alessia
   Cameron: Alex
   Ryan: Indy, Carlotta, Hikari, Lucy
   Mom: Sonja, Zoe, Bonnie, Jennifer, and more
   Dad: Cary

Where is your favorite place to eat?
   Charlie: I eat strawberries.
   Beverly: The hot dog restaurant
   Cameron: Burger King, no, McDonalds
   Ryan: Home
   Mom: Dignita
   Dad: Buenos Aires Grill

What is your favorite Dutch food?
   Charlie: I think of food in a bowl
   Beverly: Ice Cream, cereal, apples, bananas and crackers
   Cameron: Cheese, no, oliballen
   Ryan: Oliballen
   Mom: Goat cheese and gouda
   Dad: Gouda cheese

What is your favorite Dutch tradition?
   Charlie: Tradition is a word
   Beverly: Playing and having fun together, and having a picnic with my friends
   Cameron: I don't know
   Ryan: I like King's Day, St. Maarten's Day, and Sinterklas
   Mom: St. Maarten's Day
   Dad: 2nd Christmas

Amsterdam Day 363: Menorca Day 5: Fiesta

More beaches, more sand, more fun. More of the same. Except in the evening we decided to drive 15 minutes to a town on the coast that was having a celebration of some sort, the Fiesta of Sant Jaume. We never did quite figure it out. But it revolves around horses some how.

As far as we could tell, there were two main parts while we were there. Apparently the party goes well into the night, but we with kids did not make it that long. This part is the cavalcade, where some people in horses march around the city. I'm sure they are important somehow. But it looks like people line the street, some in front of the horses, until the horse stands on its hind legs, and then people push the side of the horse to make sure it does not land on anyone. Athough it seems like those are the people to most likely be landed on. It might be a better idea to just stand back a little, but hey, what do I know. 

The other part of the party seems to be a "parade."  I say "parade" in quotes because there wasn't really people watching. They were more all apart of the parade marching along in front of, within, and following the giant figures. 

The big giant people were pretty cool looking, especially when they turned and danced. It was definitely an experience. 

The parade route seemed to go throughout the whole town. Each block seemed to be decorated differently. And bars and restaurants had people hanging out of them partaking of the goods that were being sold. Music was everywhere from the bands in the parade or just blaring from the radio. 

Here is a small clip of our experience. 

Kind of a fun different experience.