The Netherlands 2012 (Julie)

A trip to the Netherlands in April is very scenic...especially if you're seeing it mostly by bicycle! But before hopping on our bikes we spent 3 days based in Amsterdam where we toured the city by foot, tram, bus, and canal boat. We got a great overview of the area with its interesting architecture -- melding old with new -- and took interesting trips to the zoo and to Keukenhof, the glorious gardens filled with millions of flowers. After leaving Amsterdam we spent 6 days touring this wonderful country and experiencing much that it has to offer. These are a sample of what we enjoyed. Julie

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In addition to being able to buy flower bulbs, the marketplace sells these colorful traditional Dutch wooden shoes.
From a distance these may look like bagels, but alas, they are rounds of Gouda cheese.
A most familiar sight in the Netherlands....bikes, canals, and houseboats.
Close to The Bridge Hotel where we stayed in Amsterdam.
A morning trip to Artis, the Amsterdam zoo, introduced us to this handsome fellow.
A domestic "discussion."
A wide-eyed lemur.
A day trip to Keukenhof Gardens produced over a thousand photos between the two of us. It was a fun and challenging day trying to capture the beauty of more than 7.5 million tulip bulbs planted annually in addition to the many other flowers in this beautiful setting. Following is just a sampling...
And more tulips....but this time viewed from our bikes as we began our 6-day trip through the countryside.
Flowers...and pictures of flowers...were everywhere!
We had many gray (and rainy) days, but that didn't dampen our spirits at all! We enjoyed an interesting sky our first night out when we arrived in Leiden.
Today only 1100+ windmills remain in The Netherlands with many now converted into houses.
Not ready to stray too far from Mama.
Strolling through the town of Gouda after dinner.
A traditional Dutch windmill -- now converted into housing.
A colorful mandarin duck.
Mom and Pop making sure their young ones don't stray.
A striking black swan.
A fairly typical scene along one of the many canals and rivers in The Netherlands, although this was one of the larger homes we saw, complete with a garden and outdoor sitting area.
Any car passing over the bridge had to pay a toll, but bikes were free!
My favorite biking partner! And yes, it was cool enough biking to be wearing several layers (including our most important rain jackets) and stocking caps! Bike helmets weren't necessary since we were usually on bike paths or less-traveled roads.
A Dutch worker going home from work at the end of the day.
Look carefully at the picture on the back of the truck and you'll see what was running through the orange hose. Yes, it was beer being brought into the bar in the Court Hotel in Utrecht where we stayed!
An attractive-looking elementary school in a small Dutch town. Most all of the homes and businesses had the same type of red and white decorations.