Day 6- Zurich, SUI

We climbed the Suisse mountains today, heard the cowbells ring and at the top of the mountain had amazing vistas and food!

Our next stop was more emibing at home (cheese-fest!) enjoying dinner and drinks out in Zurich West.

Day 5- Zurich, SUI

After spending a super morning lounging in the sun at Huis Ter Duin, the House of Dunes, and a quick flight to Zurich (champage and oysters from Normandy), we are now in Switerland! Bring on the cheese and bunderfleisch, chocolate preferred. Gorgeous weather. 

Our hosts Andy and Andre are amazing, their place in Zurich West, the cool, hip place to be. We went up the Freitag flagstore building and walked around the galleries and shops a the Viadukt and of course jumped into the river (cold!) where we celebrated with a super Swiss beer, yum!

Day 4- Noordwijk, NL

Huub's brother, Bart celebrates his birhday today! A visit with him in Sassenheim in the family village, right on the famous Bloemen route, Europe's biggest uninterrupted garden and its greatest joyride.

Sassenheim has its own windmill built in 1636 and it located at the centre of the bloemenslap. It is called the Hogeveensemolen, and is historic polder (reclaimed land) mill located on Leidsevaart in the town of Noordwijkerhout. The mill was built in 1654, and is set in an idyllic setting.

Claude Monet also painted the tulip fields at Sassenheim (1886). Bart is also a painter has many beautiful creations including this one.

Here we are back at the Breakers, our favourite hangout, for a cool refreshment after our day or travels, bike riding through the dunes from Noordwijk to Scheveningen.

Day 3- Noordwijk, NL

We are at the Dunes! Amazing, went for a super run along an area of the dunes called Coepelduin towards Den Hague with great vistas to the North Sea, hearing many  of the birds that make their home here.

Spent most of the day lounging and enjoying the view!

Day 2- Amsterdam, NL

Spent the morning in Oosterpark and De Pijp areas of Amsterdam, including a stop at Schouwburg, where Dutch Jews were deported in WWII, now a memorial.

Had a drink at the College Hotel, a 19th century school building, and a canal cruise. And ended up at a pub in the Grimburgwal, university district, fun!

Day 1- Amsterdam, NL

Yah! Have arrived in Amsterdam and are just off the Kloveniersburgwal, a canal running south from Nieuwmarkt (New Market) to the Amstel River.

We are very near the Zuiderkerk (South Church) and so hear the churchbells ringing all the time. The canals of Amsterdam are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We headed to Haarlemerstraat near the West-Indish Huis (the original West India Company building) where in 1625 the Governors ordered that a fort be built in New Amsterdam (now NYC). We then stopped for some yummy Belgium beer at one of the many fine bruin or brown cafes. They are called "brown" because of their interior being usually dark wood and/or due to years of patrons smoking indoors.