Dutch Adventures

The Netherlands is very small country.   It has something like 16,000 square miles.  Wisconsin has 65,000 square miles. If you remember your geography lessons, the Netherlands is flat, I mean pancake flat. Except for the small section of the LImburg Province with actually has hills. 

As a foreigner trying to learn Dutch, it's difficult but not impossible.  Just change all your sentences so the verb is at the end, clear your throat a lot and say "Ja" and "Zo".  You'll be speaking like a native in no time. The Dutch have a distinct sound that we haven't heard anywhere else.  It's the "SCH" sound.  Think of the word school.  Say it in English.  Now to say that same word in Dutch you simply make the back of your throat contract into itself.  Imagine you have a bug in your throat.  The sound you make when you clear your throat is roughly the sound of the "SCH" in Dutch. 

The country has one of the highest population densities in the world. In 1998 the estimated population density was 379 persons per square kilometer (981 persons per square mile). More than two-fifths of the population lives in the two western provinces of Noord-Holland (North Holland) and Zuid-Holland (South Holland). These two provinces contain the country’s three largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.

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Our Dutch Experience

Dom Square

Amsterdam

Ryann and Anne Frank at the Wax Museum

The girls and Mary in Zeeland

Raine testing the water

Todd and Mary

Amster DAMN!  Amsterdam is a really cool city.  Everyone must get there at least once in his/her life.  The atmosphere of Amsterdam is one of a kind.  We've visited the Rijksmuseum of Art.  The Van Gogh exhibit is spectacular.  The Anne Frank Museum was a place in which we we spent several hours trying to imagine the horrors so many children went through during the war.  The canals are every where and just when you think you know where you are, you're totally lost.  Amsterdam is really small for a world class city.  One can just about walk everywhere you need to go.  The Red Light District can not be missed.  It's more interesting to watch the men walking by the windows than the women in the windows (Of course that's just my opinion.) 

The Zeeland Province When Todd's mom, Mary, was here we took several day trips around the Netherlands.  The Zeeland Province has something for everyone. scenery, architecture, and history.  The weather was pleasant the weekend we visited.  The girls had fun chasing the waves on the sea. 

 The Keukenhof The Keukenhof botanical gardens should be on everyone's visit list during the Spring.  It is only open for like six weeks but man, it's worth fighting the crowds.  It's thousands of acres of flowers as only Holland can do it.  We've been there twice now and I can't wait to go again.