The last day of October, I started out to Holland and landed after a quick Copenhagen stopover in Amsterdam and found my way to the Motel One near the fairgrounds of RAI.
Motel One
Next morning, I met Kathinka for a hearty breakfast and conversation on AIESEC Alumni “At Seven” - a great breakfast place on Scheldestraat. Later i got my rental car and drove to Hengelo where I had a client presentation on Friday.
Utrecht Centraal
In the afternoon, I headed to Utrecht and stayed at Heidi’s place. We walked from her place to the city center to have dinner at “Raak” and enjoyed the lights of the city.
On Saturday, we drove up to Zaanse Schans - an open air museum showcasing nice Dutch houses, windmills and workshops. We started with sandwiches and pancakes for breakfast before we started exploring the area. It’s all very neat, cosy and touristy.
Nice little shops to buy souvenirs, bigger places where you can taste cheese, chocolate laboratory and the shoe (klompen) workshop. There they do a brief demonstration on how wooden shoes were made then and now with machines. After that, you will be longing like us to buy some of the nicely decorated shoes.
cosy houses
Wind mills
Nice little shops to buy souvenirs, bigger places where you can taste cheese, chocolate laboratory and the shoe (klompen) workshop. There they do a brief demonstration on how wooden shoes were made then and now with machines. After that, you will be longing like us to buy some of the nicely decorated shoes.
shoe manufacturing process explained
wooden shoes - clomped
Half an hour drive by car and a short ferry ride, we made it to the beach at Bloemendaal. We strolled up and down on sand and shells and enjoyed later tea, coffee and cakes at San Blas.
Beach at Bloemendaal
In Amsterdam, we visited the MoCo (Museum of Modern Contemporary Art) that held currently a Banksy exhibition as well as works by Icy & Sot, two Iranian artists and brothers who rebel against the Iranian censorship and oppression of the people and had to leave the country.
MoCo Museum
Girl with balloon (Banksy)
Laugh now (Banksy)
Rebellion (Icy & Sot)
After a short photo shoot at the “I am sterdam” sign, we had tasty burgers and fries at “Cannibale Royale”.
Delicious Burger - Yummy
On my last day, I left my luggage a the railway station and walked the streets and alleys of Utrecht. There are a lot of little shops where you can find all kinds of gifts.
Oudegracht
The St. Martin's Cathedral - the Dom Church of Utrecht - consist of two parts that have not been connected since a storm in the 17th century made the nave collapsed and it was never restored. Instead it's now a square with trees between today's cathedral (choir, transept) and the Dom tower. This landmark is the highest in the Netherlands with 112 m.
Dom
choir of the Dom
Dom Tower
former chapter house - now belongs to the University of Utrecht
In the afternoon, I took the train back to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam.
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