The Fresian Market in Skogen

On Thursday we went to the market in Skogen.  It was a lot of fun.  There was a parade with everyone in traditional dress for the different areas.  I took pictures, but they may not be very good.

The Bread Wagon

Kids in traditional clothing to include wooden shoes.

Men and women in traditional clothing.  It is really cool.  People have asked me what is the US traditional clothing.  We laugh and say jeans and a t-shirt.  I have thought about it, but we really don't have any we have period styles, but that is all I can ever think of.

 

 

 

 These are some fresian mules.  They were beautiful.

The church in the town square.

The other church form the top of the big on in the square.

View from the top of the church.

Hubby and N went to the top of the church "steeple".  I could not do it because the stairs made me clausterphobic.  You can see that view is great.  The market was fun and we bought lots of cheese and some holland waffles.  The day this makes it to the blog we will be visiting a cheese market and then seeing the girls at camp.

This is one of the many windmills that we have seen while visiting Holland.  This one is very pretty and has been restored.  It is amazing to see them across the fields while your are riding in the car.  We have started counting to see how many we have seen.  Just in a few miles (around 40) we saw 21.  That doesn't even include the modern ones that they are using for energy.

Well I hope to write again this evening about the cheese market and the girls camp.

Melanie

Last Day In Holland

This is the cute little house that we stayed in while in Holland.  It was very nice.  It was just a few minutes to walk to the beach.

 After we checked out of the house, we went to the cheese market in Alkmaar.  This man was moving the cheese up the canal to market.  It was like watching the gondola in Venice.There was a lot of cheese.  They test the cheese by thumping on it, like i saw my father do to test watermelons.  Then if it is good they start negotiating a price.  Once the price is good they load it up on the sled looking things and run it to the scales.

These are some of the men moving the cheese.

The other picture is in the building where they weigh the cheese.

It is really an amazing thing to watch.  They have been doing this for many years.  20 years ago my husband and I were in the same the city watching the cheese market.  They also have some of the best french fires you will ever eat.  I bought some fries from the same place that I had 20 years ago.   It was fun to go back.

 

This lady will but some cheese and a bag from the cart and what is in it gets sold for 10 euros.  They sell it to people in the crowd.

This is T and N in some really big wooden shoes.  They still wear them today.  They also sell lots as wall art and just souvenirs.

They look real happy to be doing this for me, but all parents need so good blackmailing pictures.  I really think it is cute.

Sometimes they even put children on the sleds.

You also never know what you will see.  I use to think the U.S. had the market on crazy gear, but this guy was just sitting in a cafe having a drink.

This is the final group picture from the girls gymnastics camp.  I will post more pictures of the camp once I get T's SD card.

We had lots of fun in Holland.  It has been one of my favorite places.  It is beautiful and it is cool to see where they make some of my favorite cheeses.

Remember to come back to see what else we are doing.

Melanie

Working out while on Vacation

Hubby and N doing push ups and sit ups.

We have tried to keep up our exercise while on vacation.

While they were doing that T and I went on a walk.  It is an amazing view.  

The people of Holland bike every where.  There are bikes everywhere you look.  What is really interesting is that they do not wear helmets.

We have enjoyed our time here.  It has been relaxing and I really needed that.

Hope if you are reading this that you had a nice vacation too.

Melanie

More from Amsterdam

This post is going to pictures that my oldest or someone who had her camera took.  Not always sure who was taking the picture.

T and N in the fountain.

T in the fountain.

Windows in the library of the Rijks Museum.

Library in the Rijks Museum.

Painting in the Rijks Museum.

Kids on the beach in Holland.

So just some extra pictures from our trip.  We have talked to the girls at camp and they are having fun.  They are eating new things and I am very proud of them for trying new foods.

Have a great day and check back tomorrow for some new pictures.  We are just relaxing not trying to see lots of things, but I am trying to take pictures.

Melanie

We go to Amsterdam

This is a sign in front of the Rijks Museum.  On the end you can see T and N.  We really enjoyed the museum.  Afterwards though it rained and even though we had jackets we all got soaked.

This was a fountain that went up and down and if you timed the jump in at the wrong time you got wet.  Hubby found that one out the hard way.

Hubby wet from not jumping in at the right time.

We saw many paintings and sculptures.  The museum also had wedding dresses from the area.  It is interesting to see the fashion from different times and how it differs from the US during the same period.
We saw many famous artists, but lots form the Netherlands.  I love Amsterdam the architecture is beautiful.  The houses are so interesting.
The Conspiracy of the Batavians Under Claudius Civilis one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings was on display there.  It is not part of the permanent collection so we are lucky to get to see it.

The Night Watch

The museum is a work of art.  The building is stunning and the inside is just as beautiful as some of the pieces of art that it holds.

The outside of the museum and inside the hall that holds the Rembrandt's.

What a fun day.  Doesn't N look like he is relaxed and having fun.  T on the other hand doesn't like having her picture taken so this is an amazing one to get.

Keep coming back to see the rest of our adventures in Holland and France.

Melanie

The Girls are Off To Camp

Yes the girls are at gymnastics camp.  Not sure how things are going we will get a phone call tonight. They can only call on Tuesday and Thursday.  I have seen pictures on twitter.  Yes I did set myself up an account just so I can se my girls.  I really don't know how to use it, but maybe I will get it in a few months or years.

The girls walking to the castle for camp.

The castle is great.  The rest of us thought it wold be fun to stay in a 13th century castle. 

This is a picture of the front of the castle.  Looks just like what I would think a castle should look like.  It is not like the 18th and 19th century castles.

It even has a moat.

Some of the cannons are still there.

This a side view and behind the castle you can see the gardens.

This is a picture of the gardens.  This is just a beautiful place.

We are hoping that the girls are having fun and learning new things.  We think that this is a great experience for them.  They are the only English speaking girls there and we found out when we got there that this is a first.  It is mostly Dutch kids.  Maybe they will learn some Dutch while they are there.  They are already pretty fluent in Norwegian so why not have some Dutch words as well.  

We will get to come on Friday afternoon to watch they last few hours of camp.  You can see what they are doing by visiting the twitter account for SportsstarZ.  They already have some pictures loading and the girls are in a few.

Keep coming back as I will post about what the rest of us are doing while they are at camp.

Melanie

Traveling To Holland

Traveling to Holland

We are in Holland at a beautiful house just minutes from the beach.  We have been here for a few days.  We decided to do a vacation here so the girls could go to a gymnastics camp near Amsterdam.  We found out a few weeks ago that A2 has a stress fracture in her back.  She will still be going to camp, but she cannot do most things.  She goes back to the doctor on the 18 of August and we hope that things are healed and she can go back to gymnastics.  Please pray that she has healed and that she can go back to gymnastics.  There is a chance that she may not be able to do gymnastics.

Well back to the trip.

We left Norway on the 17th to catch a ferry to Denmark.  The trip to the ferry took 3 hours and the ferry ride took another 3 hours.  we arrived in Denmark at 8pm and started driving to Holland.  We stopped just inside Germany near Hamburg and slept for a few hours.  Then we ate some breakfast and started driving again.  We had to cross the ocean on a really long dike (man made earth barrier to the sea).  We were almost across and the truck ran out of gas.  It is older and we think the sensor is bad, because it said we still had fuel.  Lesson learned don't let it go below a 1/4 of a tank.  Hubby had to walk to get gas cans and fuel.  He got a ride to the station on a moped, but had to walk back with to cans of gas.

We seem to have some interesting trips.  A few years ago we had a tire blow up.  You would think we would be prepared for these things.

So I am going to share some pictures of the waiting.  That is all the pictures that I have now.  We have enjoyed the beach and just relaxing.

The Truck sitting on the side of the road out of gas.

T and A2 sitting on the dike while T reads Harry Potter.

N and hubby walking back with gas cans.  N went to meet dad when we saw him come over the hill.

I hope that if you went on vacation that you had a great one.   I hope to post every other day or so.  We are visiting France next week.  Paris here we come.

Melanie