Lekker!

While toughing it out through what felt like the storm of the century when touring Leiden, Stein and I decided we needed to escape the rain and get a warm afternoon treat. We hopped into a Bagels & Beans to take shelter. I didn't think I would get anything, but then thought...aw, it is vacation. I should indulge! I decided to get a hot chocolate and holy cow...what a fantastic treat! This is what arrived at our table.


Mmmm...whipped cream! And what was the little treat to the left? I figured it was just a bonus candy. Stein was always getting little cookies and candies along with his coffee and espresso. I thought this must be one of those free little treats. I unwrapped it and saw that it was a cube of chocolate on a stick. Hmmm...?


Well, I figured, great...a piece of chocolate! I set it aside and went for what usually is my favorite part of the hot chocolate experience. Whipped cream of course. Well I went to dig in with my spoon and felt that there was a dish beneath the cream. Removable whipped cream...strange. I lifted off the saucer and suddenly the mystery was revealed. The cup was filled with hot steamed milk. Hmmm....I must mix in the chocolate on the stick! Brilliant. I proceeded with excitement and wondered what the finished product would be like.


After mixing in the chocolate, I added the side of whipped cream and went in for the kill. This had to be good! It looked perfect.


Oh man, was it ever perfect. I swear to you, it was the best hot chocolate I ever had in my life. Rich and creamy, with the perfect blend of bittersweet chocolate. Nothing like the powdered stuff or the concoction made with chocolate syrup. This was pure heaven.


I slurped it down in a hurry and felt like a giddy little girl. I was in love. I had to cry out my favorite Dutch word..."lekker" (aka "yummy")! All that warm chocolate goodness prepared me to venture back out into the rain. A fantastic discovery...now if I could only get the holy grail of hot chocolate in Seattle!

Tulip Vases

While visiting the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam, we saw a fantastic collection of Delft Blue Pottery or "Delftware" including a small collection of vintage Dutch Tulip Vases. I especially loved the Pyramid Vases. Can't you just imagine a pair of these in your home?


Photos courtesy Rijks Museum
Upon my return home, I've been on a mission to find myself my own version of these spectacular vases. Well, they are a bit harder to find than I imagined and are quite expensive! This small version from Royal Delft is almost 500 Euros!


This much less expensive version from Rawhide Studios doesn't quite hold the same charm, but may have to do.


Or maybe this one from Dutch Village, but it is still almost $300!


I may just have to turn to a modern interpretation (and that is hardly settling!). The spectacular designer Lotte van Laatum has released a gorgeous line with her own take on the classic tulip vase called "Tulipa Vases". These are fantastic!



This one is only a prototype, so it isn't for sale yet, but it is my favorite

Photos courtesy of &David
Learn more about Lotte's designs in this interview. Her work is so great.



Lots of amazing options, but none that are quite right. I will continue to hunt until I find the perfect vase...I'll keep you posted!

Beautiful Amsterdam

As we arrived in Amsterdam, I knew we were going to have a great time! I was able to cash in some Starwood points and got a great deal at the Hotel Pulitzer on the Prinsengracht Canal. They must have known this was a special trip because they upgraded us to a King room with a lovely view of the canal in front of us.


Our hotel was perfectly situated in the center of everything and we quickly made our way out to explore the city. Again, it was a blazing hot day, so we decided to take a canal tour. I can't say it was the best idea with the heat, but the tour itself was wonderful giving a unique view of the city. I hope in future trips to take another tour...maybe at night!

The first "site" we visited was the Rembrandt House. It was a wonderful place to explore...Rembrandt's actual house! Because he was bankrupt at the end of his life, he had to auction off all of his belongings. He provided a detailed list of his pieces from each room which the museum has used to restock his home exactly as it was left! Beautiful.



I really enjoyed just looking at all of the classic canal houses. They have such a unique look...I could have taken hundreds of photos!






I love the look of these red shutters...


This one was our favorite. Hey, what is that guy doing on our balcony? Stein and I couldn't help but see the gorgeous interior of this place one night through the backlit window. Fantastic beams, modern furniture...perfect!


I really don't have words to describe the area. Ancient foot bridges, homes and buildings slightly crooked and full of character and beautiful accents. I love it!




We didn't just see houses. We of course visited many museums and landmarks.


The Rijks Museum was fantastic, but my favorite had to be the van Gogh Museum. He is my favorite artist of all time. Walking through this fabulous place was almost life changing. The paintings are superb and evoke such emotion. I wish I could have taken pictures of my favorite pieces, but I came home with a lot of postcards and the gallery book.


We rounded out our historical visit with a trip to the Anne Frank House. Now that truly was emotional. Honestly, I barely made it through the house before I broke down. It has a huge impact and although it is obviously upsetting, I definitely recommend seeing it if you are ever in town. What a hero Anne is.





On a much, much, much lighter note Stein and I had a wonderful snack one afternoon...poffertjes! We had them at the Pancake Bakery and I highly recommend them! YUM! Mini, puffy pancakes with lots of butter and sugar. Can you tell I am hungry now?


We finished off our evening with a trip to the Red Light District. Kind of crazy...quite an experience. Not for the faint hearted. Cover your children's eyes!


To round out the fun, the last day we were in Amsterdam was a massive gay pride festival and canal parade. You wouldn't believe how many people were out partying! Of course the parade was right in front of our hotel so we had a fantastic view. The canal was completely packed with boats filled with people dancing, huge speakers producing very loud music and lots of pink! What a fun time. Stein and I even got a little dancing in to super hip Dutch pop music. I see now why David Hasselhoff is so popular internationally for his music. Not quite my taste, but really quite fun!



Overall our trip was absolutely spectacular. It was an absolute pleasure to meet all of Stein's family members. They were truly warm and hospitable and really spoiled us. Holland is like a dream and Spain is enchanting. Our time in Amsterdam was a blast and I can't wait to go back for more!

Our flight home was uneventful, except for the fact that our entertainment system was broken. That's right...NO movies. Ugh. But we did get a spectacular fly over view of Greenland. Pretty cool!

Hello Holland

image via flikr
After a rough trip (long bus ride to the airport in Spain, cancelled train upon arrival in Holland) we were happy to arrive at Stein's brother's house in Heino. By this time, we were a bit tired, so we laid low with the family and caught up. Stein's brother and his wife are very sweet, wonderful hosts and their three children couldn't be cuter. We had such a fun time watching the boys play and I got my baby fix holding Stein's 6 month old niece.

After a good rest, we set out the next day to explore the area on bikes. It is so fun to ride through the beautiful country streets, surrounded by quaint farm houses and fields of horses, cows and sheep. Beautiful! We spent the day at Kasteel Het Nijenhuis, a historic mansion that was once inhabited by a great art collector. Upon his death, the house was converted to a museum and his broad collection of works put on display.


The gardens around the house are just as impressive as the inside. It was like stepping into a painting...lush and green. There were a variety of art installations and sculptures sprinkled about. What a magical place...











The next day we had the pleasure of going sailing! Stein's sister-in-law's parents have a lovely boat and were eager to take us out for a day of fun. We headed North and set sail! I've never really been sailing, so this was quite a treat...


The boat was docked inland a bit. We then had to travel through a maze of canals through local farm land to arrive at the lake where we would spend the day. It was so strange to look out across the land and see sails gliding through the green grass.



We arrived at the lake and had a fantastic time on the water. It was a fabulous day...and very hot!






What a wonderful way to end our visit to the area. We said our goodbyes to the family and made our way to Amsterdam for three days alone in the city. We had such a great time, but more on that tomorrow...