Well, today turned out to be kind of a bust. Not entirely, it just wasn’t the day I had been hoping for. It was another gray day but I wasn’t going to let that derail my plans. I ended up spending a little time in the village of Broek in Waterland, visiting a hidden church, and eating my way through Amsterdam.
I thought yesterday was going to be the best day of this vacation. I mean how can you top seeing millions of flowers all in bloom in beautifully manicured gardens? Well, you can take a day trip to explore three (or more) scenic villages that make up the area known as Waterland, just north of Amsterdam in North Holland. I don’t mind cities, but I hate crowds. And the two usually go hand in hand. And even though I loved the gardens yesterday, they were crowded. So today’s adventure felt like it was worlds away from the crowds I’ve encountered in the past few days. I began my day in Edam (pronounced “Ay-dahm”), walked to Volendam, took a ferry to Marken, and then headed back to Amsterdam.
Tulips, tulips, and more tulips! Today was the day I had been looking forward to the most on this trip. Keukenhof (known as the “Garden of Europe”) has almost 80 acres of gardens planted with 7 million flower bulbs each year. The tulips are in full bloom in mid-April and it was the primary reason for my visit to the Netherlands.
I’m thankful that I had indoor activities planned for most of the day today since the weather was gray and drizzly all day. I most definitely did not sleep for 11 hours again last night. I was wide awake at 1:45AM and never went back to sleep. So the weather and my lack of sleep left me dragging myself around Amsterdam today. Nevertheless, I managed to hit up two iconic Amsterdam attractions: the Anne Frank House and the Rijksmuseum.
I fell in love with Amsterdam today. And like Hazel falling in love with Gus in “The Fault in our Stars”, it happened slowly, and then all at once.
Did you know that the city of Amsterdam was once little more than boggy marshland? What we now know as Amsterdam was created by a dam on the Amstel River and much dredging and reclamation took place centuries ago to turn Amsterdam into the bustling city it is today. Known for its miles of canals in the city center and acres of tulip fields just outside the city, Amsterdam will be my home for the next several days as I explore its history, culture, and surroundings.
Another morning, another sunrise hike. I started my last day in Sedona by hiking Sugarloaf Mountain and the Sugarloaf loop trail. I started off a little before sunrise and enjoyed watching the faint glow on the red rocks as I made my way to the Sugarloaf summit.
Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon is a very humbling experience. This was my third visit to one of the most popular national parks in the country and I was alternately thankful I made the trip and wishing I had stayed closer to Sedona.
I put some miles on my hiking shoes today! A hike that included a climb up into a not-so-secret cave, an afternoon libation and snack, and evening pictures at Red Rock Crossing were the highlights of the day today.
“Take time to do what makes your soul happy.” That’s the quote on the wall at Wildflower Bakery in Sedona (where I ate breakfast today) and I couldn’t agree more. Being outdoors, taking pictures, and enjoying the world is what makes my soul happy and is exactly what I did today.
Traveling with Laura 