The Netherlands Part XII - Thoughts and Impressions!

Thoughts and Impressions!

Small canal in Oudewater

We are very thankful to Regan and Thomi for inviting us to join them on their fifteenth anniversary trip. We are also thankful to them, Joep and Jolanda for the planning and effort they have put into this trip. We are thankful to the Nickelsons, Youngs and Kramers for accepting us as crew. They all were terrific  shipmates. 

The Netherlands is a spectacular country and Dutch pride is very evident. It proved to be a great destination for our first visit to Europe. The scenery was magnificent; the people ere friendly, and most spoke some English, which helped us tremendously. 

So what's so special? We have great museums in Philadelphia and New York. We can boat on canals in New York, among other places. We have enjoyed many great trips in our country. We even saw a spectacular collection of paintings by the Dutch Masters at the Vero Beach Museum of Art last winter. It rivaled the collection in the Riksmuseum. Admittedly we do not have 1100 old windmills, but we do have a few. 

So, what was so special? Our friends! It was special to celebrate Thomi’s and Regan’s fifteenth anniversary in a unique (to us) setting. Getting to know the Sue and Bill and Joep and Jolanda was a special treat as well. Even more special was the fact that we got to interact with them in a country and a culture with which we were not familiar. Meeting Joep’s mother was certainly special. Meeting Ron and Haneke, touring their dance studio and getting a dance lesson was a hoot!  

It is incredible to think that we saw a castle that was built in the 13th century. Seeing narrow streets, small cars and quaint, old villages gave us insights into a country whose history goes back a long way. Having lunch in a picturesque square in Breukelen while contemplating the fact that a borough in New York bears its name, was special. Our twenty mile bike ride that had us pass through small towns, fancy and not so fancy houseboats, windmills and even a castle was special. It was special to get a first hand look at the way the Dutch people have engineered their land and how they handle water.

So, would we go back? In a heartbeat! We doubt however, that we could recreate such a unique trip. Thanks again to Captain Ben and the crew of the IJsvogel!

IJsvogel

Joep's Video: