Today I am revisiting one of my favorite European excursions ever. Three summers ago, we stayed in Amsterdam for a week. We spent most of the time visiting relatives and sightseeing. Day after day, we discussed whether or not we should take a bike trip into the countryside. My little guy was sick, my middle was ‘not in the mood’ and all my mom could see was danger (no helmets, fast cars…).
My dad and stepmom, thankfully, insisted that no Holland vacation was complete without a bike trip. To this day, we still talk about how it was the best day of our entire European vacation!
Here are some photos from our time in Amsterdam:
We stayed at Mae’s B & B on Herenstraat in the Jordaan district – a lovely place in a great location owned by two cool guys, Ken & Vlad. Here are the sisters on the hotel stoop.
On the way to rent our bikes, and taking the ferry across the canal to our starting point.
Broek in Waterland, the picturesque village where we stopped to have pancakes just north of Amsterdam.
Pannenkoekenhuis (Pancake House) with Bompa, and other vignettes from our stroll through the village.
Our scenic ride back to Amsterdam (the ride back is twice as long…but worth it!)
It took us about 5 hours from door to door. The girls, who were 7 and 10 at the time, were able to make it the whole way. And the little guy was a trooper, fever and all. The bucket in the front of our bike is called a baakfiets, and they are brilliant. I would totally get one for home, but we have hills in Connecticut. There is a reason people bike so much in flat Holland!
If you ever have the chance to visit Amsterdam and go on this bike trip, do it! You will remember it forever.
i found your blog through a pin on pinterest just recently (the kandinsky circles!! – which my kids spent ALL day doing. they have even sold some outside on the sidewalk to our neighbors!). this post reminds me so much of our trip to the netherlands about 3 summers ago. my husband was invited to teach in groningen. we had a glorious week with fabulous weather and great a great connection with a friend and his girlfriend who made our stay perfect in every way. one day we took a ferry to a northern island where we biked all day and napped in the grass… what wonderful memories this brought back. absolutely wonderful images.
oh my goodness, i loved reading this comment. first off, thank you for writing and for doing one of my art projects! my heart is singing a little song right now. secondly, i’m so happy that my amsterdam photos struck a chord. i am extremely ambivalent about sharing my personal family photos, so i am very happy that you have felt a connection. biking all day and napping in the grass…there is nothing that sounds more heavenly than that! thanks for sharing beth. xo bar
Bar, I love this so much you make me want to go now! I love the biking environment — it’s indescribable. Last Spring, we drove my Sweden to Southern France (to visit my in-laws) I wanted to detour along the coast through the Netherlands and your post makes me determined to do this! Beautiful and what wonderful fortune to have this be a part of the fabric of your family! Lovely.