The Netherlands: Steenwijk & Amsterdam (7-14 November)

At some ridiculous hour on Friday morning (7/11) we're at Heathrow airport for our flight to Amsterdam, and pretty soon we've passed over the Channel and have arrived in Amsterdam. The Dutch know how to run trains, and we walk out of the airport gate pretty much straight onto a train to Steenwijk in the north of the country we're we'll be visiting Mariska's relatives. However the trip turns into a 4 hour epic when we get separated at Amesfoort whilst changing carriages, and then the trains are delayed due to an accident. So we end up seeing different parts of the countryside on various detours before making our rendezvous in Zwolle. At the small town of Steenwijk we're met in the late afternoon by Lammert and Hannie; Lammert is the cousin of Mariska's grandfather. Thankfully Hannie speaks good English and Lammert a little, and at their house we chat over the usual two coffees. Over the next few days they look after us very well, showing us their town, the countryside and various places connected with Mariska's family.

On Saturday (8/11) after a well-deserved sleep-in and a great Dutch breakfast of coffee, bread, cheese, meats and of course brown sugar, Lammert takes us out on a bike ride. We visit the nursery run by Mariska's relatives for generations and the house where her Opa lived as a boy, and ride through the autumn leaves in the forest where he once played. It's an amazing experience for Mariska to visit these places and connect with her family history. We also visit the town centre of Steenwijk, with its cathedral, market and town square.

We go to church in the main cathedral in Steenwijk on Sunday morning, and do our best to sing along in Dutch (rather unsuccessfully). After church we visit some more relatives of Mariska's Opa, Jelle and Boukje, where we have coffee and a conversation mixed with English and Dutch. After lunch Lammert and Hannie drive us to Assen to visit Mariska's great uncle and aunt on her Mum's side, Scherrik and Lien. Mariska enjoyed seeing the Church where her Opa and Oma were married and the house where her Oma grew up.

On Monday (10/11) Lammert and Hannie take us on a beautiful drive to Blokzijl and other quaint towns including Giethoorn. We enjoy the old houses and stroll into small giftware shops where Mariska buys some licksalt and Dutch licorice!! At the Fanfare tavern in Giethoorn we get out of the cold for a while and enjoy a warm drink and pancakes. Back home we pack our bags and enjoy more coffee before making our way on the train to Amsterdam. We really enjoyed the Dutch countryside, and our time in Steenwijk and Assen was very meaningful.

Arriving in Amsterdam in the early evening, we grab some tourist information and jump on a tram to our hotel. After settling in and having dinner we wander around the old streets and canals - it's cold of course, but it doesn't matter!

The next day, Tuesday 12/11, we lace up the walking boots (which happen to be the only shoes we have!) and join a free walking tour through the streets of old Amsterdam. Numerous kilometres later and we've seen many beautiful sights: Dam Square, Old Church, New Church (it's only from the 15th century!), leaning canal houses, the widest bridge and the narrowest house; and also learnt much about the history of this city. After the tour we visit the house where Anne Frank and her family hid during WWII.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are filled with exploring Amsterdam further: The Rijksmuseum (including Rembrandt's Nightwatch), Van Gogh Museum, ALDI (not so much history there but we did get a bargain), Bible Museum, Dutch Resistance Museum, Amsterdam Historical Museum, the flea market at Waterlooplein, and an evening boat cruise through the canals. But we enjoy the little things just as much - chocolate waffles and oliebollen in Leidseplein, huddling under an umbrella whilst wandering the canals, searching through antique stores, carrying our big parcel of souvenirs and sundries around the city before sending it to Australia, all the locals assuming we're Dutch even after speaking to all the other tourists in English, the Christmas lights in deserted streets after the shops close, ordering unknown dishes from a Dutch menu, and Haagendaaz icecream in the freezing cold in Rembrandt Square!

The Rijksmuseum

Exploring Amsterdam's maze of canals