Last weekend we spent an amazing three days in the Land of Tulips. We rented a car Friday afternoon and drove to the Netherlands, which is only about two hours away. We spent that evening attending the temple just outside of The Hague. It's located in a small city named Zoetermeer. Beautiful and intimate, the temple is located on a small parcel of land. The local church building used to be there, but they tore it down to build the temple! The temple has an underground parking lot complete with a distribution center. But one of the coolest hallmarks is the enormous 4oo kg brass door that adorns the front of the building. Incredible! (the hinges had to be changed twice!)
We started Saturday by attending a second session of the temple (can't get enough of a good thing, right?), and then headed to Amsterdam. Fortunately, we'd been advised not to try and park downtown, so we only had to wait ONE hour at the edge of the city for a parking spot at a Park and Ride. The transit system there is pretty amazing, though. In the city we cruised the canals by boat, ate Dutch pancakes, and took in the enormous diversity of people, architecture, and history. We even got to see the famous house of Anne Frank!
Sunday found us traveling through Leiden, Noordwijk, and The Hague. We attended a small English-speaking Church branch in Leiden and enjoyed their warm welcome. We then cruised the coastline of the North Sea before hunting down a few windmills for good measure. Before heading back to Germany, we drove through The Hague and saw their parliament on the water. It was a truly fantasic time.
Otherwise, things are going well for all 2.5 of us. School and work keep us plenty occupied. This weekend we found our new favorite place to stop and enjoy our little village: the local gelatto cafe - complete with an Italian owner! Mmm...we love gelatto!
We hope everyone is well and enjoy your weekend!
Love,
Laura and Jason
Us outside the Haag Netherlands Temple
The Haag Temple
A view of the front entrance.
Jason standing along one of the many canals in Amsterdam
Look closely...the house on the right is sinking!
There are over 2500 houseboats that line the canals in Amsterdam. Most of them are used as full-time residences.
There are more bikes than people in Amsterdam (and that's a fact!). We saw quite a few of these bikes around town.
Hoisting hooks on the warehouses-turned luxury homes in Amsterdam. Once used to hoist freight into the warehouses, they are still used for furniture since the stairways are too narrow.
Jason in front of Anne Frank's house.
The worlds most public urinal. Laura is not so impressed.
The Noordzee
A trip to Holland would not have been complete without taking a snapshot of a windmill.
1 comment:
What a pretty place! Jason's younger brother is on a mission in the Netherlands and he sends us incredible pictures, most of the same things you saw. How fun to be able to see it all!
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