Home Again!

Wow! What a whirlwind trip. Stein and I arrived home on Sunday night and I've been recovering since. It is so hard to get back to the daily grind after being on such a fantastic adventure. Visiting Stein's family was wonderful. They are just as I thought they'd be, friendly, gracious and fun! Being in family homes and visiting cities a little off the beaten track led me to have a unique trip that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I really can't wait to go back.

Stein's cousin's house
We started our trip in Holland and stayed at Stein's cousin's house just outside of Leiden for about 4 days. I fell in love with the architecture of the area. The perfectly groomed gardens and quaint houses with tiled and thatched roofs were so lovely. As I've said before, it truly felt like being in a fairy tale! Here are some of my favorites...








The pictures really don't do them justice! They were all so whimsical and wonderful. I loved it!

We spent a very rainy Monday in Leiden but had a fantastic time! We refused to sit inside regardless of the foul weather and did a good bit of exploring that culminated in the consumption of the best hot chocolate I've ever had in my life! But more on that later...

Isn't Leiden beautiful?






The next day we traveled to The Hague and again had a wonderful time. We got some shopping in, visited the Mauritshuis and saw Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and ate one of my new favorite snacks...tostis! (Really it is just a grilled cheese sandwich, but somehow it tastes better in Holland.)

Mauritshuis Museum



Our lunch spot...mmmm!
The Peace Palace
Rendition of the Peace Palace at a sandcastle building contest we saw.
We rounded out the beginning of our trip to Holland by helping to chaperone Stein's cousin's son's 9th birthday party at a bird zoo called Avifauna. It was fun to see all of the birds and we had a great time running around with all of the screaming boys!





As we packed up from our first stop, I was able to snap a few shots of Stein's cousin's house. Isn't their home spectacular? I just love the colors they've used and their amazing antiques. They were wonderful hosts!









Next up, our trip to Barcelona to spend time with Stein's other cousin and her family...then back to Holland to meet Stein's brother and take a few days alone in Amsterdam. Stay tuned!