Netherlands

Holland is the home of our second family, the De Dreus. Jip lived with us in Rexburg when she came to America through the student exchange program after her senior year. We knew we loved the Dutch people after having Jip live in our home. It was a thrill to visit our friends in their homeland and see the sights of the Netherlands. After exploring the quaint towns of Alkmaar and Bergen where the De Dreus live, they showed us the sights of Amsterdam. What a fun city with so much to explore! Of course you need to steer clear of a few wild and crazy areas, but for the most part we loved discovering the art museums, flea markets, and picturesque canals. Driving through the countryside you still see the many windmills and tulip fields that have become so famous.

It is easy to see why so many famous artists chose to live, study, and paint near Amsterdam. It is extremely picturesque and unlike any other place in Europe. I loved seeing original masterpieces and tour the stomping grounds of my favorite master artist, Rembrandt. While we visited, it was rainy and cloudy, but that added to the intrigue and made for some interesting photographs. I made Holland the bookends of my Enlighten Tour loop, since we flew in and out of Amsterdam and rented a trusty Volvo at the airport. We flew in on KLM Airlines, the Dutch Delta partner and the flight attendants were extremely tall and beautiful, just like our Jip and her lovely sisters. I’m quite sure I will return to enchanting land of Holland.