Holland, Amsterdam

So we drove through Amsterdam on our way home. I couldn't believe how many bikes there were! There were literally thousands of bikes just in Amsterdam alone. We also loved all the fun row houses. We drove by the house where Anne Frank was being hidden during WWII. {It was the home of a dentist...hmm!}

Holland, Zaanse Schans

This place reminded us of our Amish days in Ohio. We went into a cheese factory and tasted all the great cheese. My kids settled on us purchasing a circle of Gouda (which was first created in Gouda, Netherlands). They loved tasting all the yummy cheeses. We also enjoyed watching how the wooden shoes were created. It was neat to see a man actually cut and hollow out a shoe. I couldn't pass up some cute red and white polka dot ones! They are now on my counter. It's hard to believe the Dutch still wear them. They are not comfy! We loved seeing the windmills and enjoying a giant pancake drizzled with chocolate and topped with cream. We went with our friends, the Bowerbanks, and had a fun time with them too (I don't know how I didn't get any pics with them?!)

Holland, Keukenhof

We enjoyed the Netherlands over the long weekend. We visited the famous gardens of Keukenhof to see the Tulips. The kids enjoyed blowing bubbles throughout the park. I loved just driving through the countryside and seeing colorful stripes of tulips. It was a little chilly, but no rain! G has been dying for some wooden shoes, so she is wearing her new prize. She wore them to church for Easter Sunday too! We drove here on our trip, and it wasn't too shabby of a drive. The Dutch were friendly and we even bought a bouquet of tulips to bring home for our table. We love visiting and learning about other cultures. Our favorite treats were these amazing waffle cookies and cheese!

Ireland, Day 3

On day 3, we took another tour. The first pictures are from Kilkenny city and castle. This is where I captured my Irish rainbow (without a pot of gold, but oh well!) Kilkenny was a fun city and we stopped there for lunch and I found my Irish plate there in an antique shop.

Next you'll see pictures from Glendalough, or Glen of two lakes. This is one of the most important sites of monastic ruins in Ireland. St Kevin was the founder around 600 A.D. Those ruins were OLD! I enjoyed the graveyard as well (is that creepy?)

The following pictures are pictures taken on our drive through Wicklow Mountains and county. Our tour guide told us that if any movie was filmed in Ireland, it was most likely there. Some films he named were Leap Year, P.S. I Love You, and Braveheart (not filmed in Scotland, people). We did, however, confirm that Leap Year was filmed there because we watched it that night and were delighted to see the places we visited that day!

In those pictures there is a picture of a tree up on a hill far away. This tree is called a "fairy tree". The Irish are very superstitious and believe that only bad things will happen to the person who chops down this variety of tree. All along the Irish countryside, you'll see these trees right in the middle of the farms. The farmers just plow around them! The Irish believe that the fairies live under these trees and this is the portal from which they enter our world. The Lepruchaun happens to be one of many of the different varieties of fairies!

Lastly, our hotel by day. It was a great trip! Thanks for the memories, Ladies, and thanks Love for letting me go and watching the kids for 4 days!