Hoi

A week ago tomorrow I left Canada and began my trip. It is hard to believe that I have not yet been here a week. With all the driving around, touring, and photos it feels like I have been here for so much longer. In a good way.
Saturday turned out to be a very fun day. It was 'Kom in de Kas' day(open houses at some greenhouses) and later we found out that it was also a weekend to get in free to any museums in Frysland. So in the morning, Piety and I got on the Bikes. Yep. I have now riden a bike in Holland. I am so dutch I can feel it;) There were three greenhouses, first Paprikas, then we broke for lunch, then off to flowers and tomatoes. It was neat to get to go right inside and have some people explain how it worked on such a large scale. After we got home, we jumped in the car and headed off to Kazemattenmuseum. A museum built out of the actual bunkers of WW II German soldiers right on the coast of Frysland next to the Afsluitdijk- at the meeting of the Waddenzee and the Ijsselmeer. I know I know, the Germans? It wasn't a tribute to what they stood for, simply actual buildings from the war with lots of things about the Dutch soldiers and the fighting in that area. It was really neat, definitely not something you could ever see in Canada! Finished the night off with a couple glasses of a Fantastic bubbly Italian White Wine with Piety, giggling about something or another.
Sunday we headed to Leeuwarden- the capital of Frysland, to a Nature Museum. It paled in comparison to the War museum the day before, but it was very well set up for kids, it was comfortable and interactive in some exhibits. In the evening Piety and I went to a Praise and Worship service at a church she attends in Draacht- about 35-40 minutes away. It is a huge church, nearly 3000 during the day, and probably almost 1000 at that night service. It would be in dutch, but they had a translator, so I got a translator box and throughout the entire service had a lady translating, the songs, the prayers, the messages, in my left ear. Definitely a different way to experience a church service. Didn't end up getting much of the message, or singing along to any of the (dutch)songs, but it was still good. People seemed very at ease. There was an age range of 12-75 or so, and it was so lively! The band was jumping and dancing and clapping away as they led everyone in worship.
Today we once again hit the road, I saw Frysland's soccer stadium and then we proceeded on to Giethoorn- a very picturesque village with mostly thatched roofs. After walking for a while and then stopping for coffee/tea, we...... rented a boat! Yep, I rode in a boat on a canal in a small village in Holland. In fact, I got to DRIVE the boat, on a canal, in a small village, in Holland... Ok, so it is just a boat, but I have never driven a boat before and since my rowing incident have been a little afraid of being in a boat on water. But it went well. Got in a fight with some ducks, maybe bumped the wall a few times while turning 90degrees to the left, but lived to tell!
So that has been my last few days. What a lot of fun! No idea what is in store for tomorrow, but I am learning to enjoy that. I am, as Piety says, on holiday, after all!

On a side note, just to mention some of the wonderful cusine I have tried/eaten in the last few days- boerenkool stamppot met worst, kroket en patat, poffertjes met aardbeien met slagroom, pannen koeken, blokzyler brok, dropjes, chinese food, pizza, gouda kas, hagelslag, brodje... yep... I am cultured ;)

Check out the links on the left for picture albums links to facebook!

Dooi!