amsterdam

Moving to the opposite side of the world and changing your life to live in a foreign country requires a lot of adjustments. Somethings I've found refreshing and easy to give up--American media and cheap processed foods. Somethings we've been unable to adjust out of lives--missing family, two day Amazon shipping. But in the past four years of living overseas we've found one of the hardest things is that you are part of a transient community and when people move away, they move far away and you will probably never see them again. 

This is hard when you lose your own friends and heartbreaking when your children lose theirs. E has had the same best friend for the past three years. They've lived down the street and been in the same class for three years. But this past March they moved back to their home country and it has been heard on E. Whenever she walks past her gate, she peeks in under the driveway door in hopes that someone will be there. It makes my heart hurt because I know it won't be the last time she will lose a good friend. 

This May, SLC started a direct flight to Amsterdam and to us it seemed like the perfect time to stop in the Netherlands. It would require only two 11 hour flights, instead of one 9 hour, a 6 hour and a 2 hour. And the best part, is we would only have to collect our luggage once (instead of collecting it somewhere on the west coast, going through immigration and customs and then rechecking it.

Anyways, long story short, this summer we spent three days and four nights in Amsterdam on our way to the USA. 

Here are some of the highlights: (though due to KLM and Delta losing the bag with my camera in it, the pictures will be limited to phone pics and a few photos I had uploaded onto Rocky's computer. Thanks again for not taking my bag, KLM.)

Due to some construction and cleaning closures, the walk to the bathroom at the BKK airport was epically long. Thanks to a great sister, Violet rode there in style. 

We spent or first day in the Hague with our friends. Biking around the sights and finishing at the beach. The pictures of E and her friend swimming at the beach in the freezing cold in their clothes were all lost along with the camera.

                   

Eliot had my phone for a good part of the day. I will share a small selection of the many photos she took. 

The next day we spent trekking around Amsterdam, going to the Van Gogh Museum, trying to find the church via public transportation and finally giving up and taking a taxi, then heading out to the castle of Muiderslot.

Muiderslot is a castle built in 1280. During it's prime it was a known for it's falcons and birds of prey. They still keep birds there today. In fact, we got a picture of Violet petting a gigantic owl but it was lost.

 I probably shouldn't have let E go down in the dungeons and torture chamber. She's been talking about it a lot.

 We spent our last day relaxing at Vondelpark and E and I snuck away during nap time to visit the Rijksmuseum.

So maybe she's not quite old enough for back to back museum days. 

 What? They have playmobil sets based on famous Vermeer and Rembrandt paintings? However was I able to pass those up?


The apartment we rented had a little garden where our kids spent the happiest part of their vacation digging for snails.

 What we've learned from stopovers is that your children are younger than 3 years old, it's jet lag for extra long. Vi and Eliot adjusted right away but Winston spent his early, early mornings strolling the city with both of us in our pajamas, patiently waiting for the bakeries to open.

  
And if we weren't able to get fresh chocolate croissants, we could always settle for toast and sprinkles.

 One last picture in front of our temporary apartment.