This week we moved into our apartment in Amsterdam. We are on the 2nd floor and have to go up a very steep narrow set of stairs to get to our door. It’s quite difficult getting out the door on my own carrying Allden, stroller, purse and locking the door. We’ve met both neighbors and they are very friendly. It’s much different in an apartment because the walls are thin and we have a neighbor above and below. The neighbor below us likes the girls and showed them his fly eating plants.
Monday we visited the playground near us, did lots of laundry the problem is there is no dryer and only one laundry rack and it takes forever to dry the clothes-I definitely appreciate my dryer. We also went grocery shopping at Albert Heijn it’s like the Albertson’s back home. It rained most of the day so didn’t get out much. Brett drives the car to Intel each day so we don’t have to pay for parking, I don’t think I would want to drive in this city anyways. We have a bus stop right by our house and a little grocery store and library and park, everything we need.
Tuesday we took a walk to the big Westerpark it’s very pretty with walking paths, stream, green trees and a couple little playgrounds and a little petting zoo with ponys, cow, pig, goats, chickens etc.
Wednesday we adventured out and took a bus to the central station in Amsterdam and walked along the busy pedestrian streets and went shopping. We can’t buy too much since we have to haul it around with us but bought a couple long sleeved shirts for the kids since the weather is really cooling off now. It’s been in the 50’s and 60 for the high. The hard part is getting on and off the busy bus. The bus is usually packed and we have to stand up and hold on (not easy to do with 3 kids) The bus drivers don’t wait for you to get on and get settled as soon as everyone is in the door off he goes.
Thursday Brett took a little time off in the morning and we went on a canal tour in Amsterdam. That was a lot of fun to go through some of the big canals to see the sights. Then he went into work and worked late.
On Saturday we drove down to Belgium again and went to Bruges and Ghent. It was about a 3 hr drive. On the way down we drove through the southern part of the Netherlands close to the sea and over some really huge bridges. We had a picnic lunch next to a river or canal (not sure what they call it here) it was lined with trees and sheep grazing. Bruges is famous for their chocolate and waffles. As we walked around the downtown area we let the girls pick out candy and Brett and I got some home-made chocolates yummy! This place is great for chocoholics, there are chocolate shops everywhere. This place is also famous for their handmade lace. Bruges has a historic city center, and the spaces and structures have been preserved as they were in the past. We walked through the old cathedral (St. Savior’s Cathedral) these old churches are amazing! The architecture and the ornate decorations and paintings inside are amazing. We couldn’t leave until we got some yummy Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. MMMMM!
Then we drove on to Ghent, they were having a big festival here so there were lots of people. We got to listen to a live band out in the middle of the town square. One lady was playing the bells, it was really amazing, it was a huge instrument on it’s own trailer with a lady inside playing a song on the bells. We walked around and saw the Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, the Belfry and the Saint Nicholas Church. Ghent is also a beautiful historic city. We ate dinner here and enjoyed walking around. We got back to Amsterdam late, we didn’t want to leave we had a wonderful day in Belgium. 
Sunday we went to church in Haarlem its only about 15 minutes from Amsterdam. The girls both went to nursery since the primary lesson was in Dutch. During Sunday school we had someone translate for us so that was different. Then during sacrament meeting we wore headphones and someone translated everything into English. The people were all very friendly and welcoming, they speak English but all the meetings are in Dutch. After church we explored Haarlem. We saw 2 giant Cathedrals one was the Gothic St. Bavo’s church and we walked around the Grote Market, the beautiful central market square. Most of the center is pedestrian only streets, there are lots of shops but they were closed because it was Sunday. Then we drove up to lands end Den Helder, the Northern tip of the Netherlands. We saw the Ijsselmeer a great lake that is 250 miles in circumference. It looks like the ocean (it actually is) they created a giant dam and so the ocean was on one side and this great lake on the other side. We drove across part of the bridge/dam. We had a picnic dinner with the Ijsselmeer Lake on one side and the ocean on the other. We wanted to see more but we ran out of daylight.
Monday we visited the playground near us, did lots of laundry the problem is there is no dryer and only one laundry rack and it takes forever to dry the clothes-I definitely appreciate my dryer. We also went grocery shopping at Albert Heijn it’s like the Albertson’s back home. It rained most of the day so didn’t get out much. Brett drives the car to Intel each day so we don’t have to pay for parking, I don’t think I would want to drive in this city anyways. We have a bus stop right by our house and a little grocery store and library and park, everything we need.
Tuesday we took a walk to the big Westerpark it’s very pretty with walking paths, stream, green trees and a couple little playgrounds and a little petting zoo with ponys, cow, pig, goats, chickens etc.
Wednesday we adventured out and took a bus to the central station in Amsterdam and walked along the busy pedestrian streets and went shopping. We can’t buy too much since we have to haul it around with us but bought a couple long sleeved shirts for the kids since the weather is really cooling off now. It’s been in the 50’s and 60 for the high. The hard part is getting on and off the busy bus. The bus is usually packed and we have to stand up and hold on (not easy to do with 3 kids) The bus drivers don’t wait for you to get on and get settled as soon as everyone is in the door off he goes.
Thursday Brett took a little time off in the morning and we went on a canal tour in Amsterdam. That was a lot of fun to go through some of the big canals to see the sights. Then he went into work and worked late.
On Saturday we drove down to Belgium again and went to Bruges and Ghent. It was about a 3 hr drive. On the way down we drove through the southern part of the Netherlands close to the sea and over some really huge bridges. We had a picnic lunch next to a river or canal (not sure what they call it here) it was lined with trees and sheep grazing. Bruges is famous for their chocolate and waffles. As we walked around the downtown area we let the girls pick out candy and Brett and I got some home-made chocolates yummy! This place is great for chocoholics, there are chocolate shops everywhere. This place is also famous for their handmade lace. Bruges has a historic city center, and the spaces and structures have been preserved as they were in the past. We walked through the old cathedral (St. Savior’s Cathedral) these old churches are amazing! The architecture and the ornate decorations and paintings inside are amazing. We couldn’t leave until we got some yummy Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. MMMMM!
Then we drove on to Ghent, they were having a big festival here so there were lots of people. We got to listen to a live band out in the middle of the town square. One lady was playing the bells, it was really amazing, it was a huge instrument on it’s own trailer with a lady inside playing a song on the bells. We walked around and saw the Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, the Belfry and the Saint Nicholas Church. Ghent is also a beautiful historic city. We ate dinner here and enjoyed walking around. We got back to Amsterdam late, we didn’t want to leave we had a wonderful day in Belgium. Sunday we went to church in Haarlem its only about 15 minutes from Amsterdam. The girls both went to nursery since the primary lesson was in Dutch. During Sunday school we had someone translate for us so that was different. Then during sacrament meeting we wore headphones and someone translated everything into English. The people were all very friendly and welcoming, they speak English but all the meetings are in Dutch. After church we explored Haarlem. We saw 2 giant Cathedrals one was the Gothic St. Bavo’s church and we walked around the Grote Market, the beautiful central market square. Most of the center is pedestrian only streets, there are lots of shops but they were closed because it was Sunday. Then we drove up to lands end Den Helder, the Northern tip of the Netherlands. We saw the Ijsselmeer a great lake that is 250 miles in circumference. It looks like the ocean (it actually is) they created a giant dam and so the ocean was on one side and this great lake on the other side. We drove across part of the bridge/dam. We had a picnic dinner with the Ijsselmeer Lake on one side and the ocean on the other. We wanted to see more but we ran out of daylight.
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