Holland- Europe Trip Part II

Hello from Holland!!!

So much for a blog per day...now that I have internet on my laptop it may happen!

Who wouldn't want to live on a street like this one?

Holland is charming. Everything is neat, orderly, clean, and precise. Except for the driving! There are bicycles everywhere...they even have parking garages and highways just for bicycles! The bicyclists create quite a problem for those in autos as there are special rules for who has right of way (often the bicyclist!). Plus, they ride quite confidently on the side of the road, and you must, at times, swerve to avoid them. I'm glad Uncle Chris is driving!

So much history is preserved here. Buildings 400 years old, some older even, farms that look just like they would have 100 years ago. If I close my eyes I can imagine Nazi officers stomping through the streets, or Corrie Ten Boom riding her bike through Haarlem's narrow streets. It's so unreal to actually be in the same living room that Corrie and her family spent so many happy hours in. And the very hiding place itself!!! So small, yet it held six people for three days. One of my favorite stories now has tangibility. 

Sunset

 I got to watch a sunset and sunrise within 5 hours of each other!

 Sunrise

 Selfie with Scarlett, myself and Kevin.

We hung out for a while at a MacDonald's after they picked me up at the Amsterdam Schipol airport.

They had these super bizarre trash cans! Here Aunt Lisa is sticking her nose in one!

 The houses are all smooshed together, a color change indicates a separate building...difficult to tell from the picture, sorry!

 There are canals like this everywhere! 

 I had to get a picture with a road sign that had Haarlem on it!

 A bike garage! Side note: It may be easy to park your bike, but not so with cars. It is very difficult to find a parking spot, and very expensive to park at that spot!

 Sitting with my cousins at the edge of a canal in Haarlem. Samara, Hannah, Scarlett, Kevin, Elianna, me!

 Modeling the huge Klompen!

 We all had to do it! 

 Love the scissors in the sidewalk!

 We went inside a huge Catholic cathedral. Above is an organ that was played by Mozart when he was a boy. 

 The kids are modeling the coffin spots. :-/ The entire floor of the cathedral is covered with these, and, I'm not entirely sure who all is buried there, but somebody's remains are in each one!

 Not sure what this was for, but it is a window in the shape of a cross. 

 Look who's hanging out with creepy monks!

Kevin handling the pricks!

 Thought this was a funny name for a clothing boutique!

On to the Ten Boom House!

And they still have a watch shop downstairs, albeit remodeled.

Hannah was the first to get in the hiding place through the little cupboard door.

 The closet.

 They opened up the wall so people can actually see inside. 

 I had to get in there too!

The stairs were frightful!

 Cheese lover's heaven!

 Hmmm...instead of Cool Ranch it's Cool American here!

We even packed in a beach trip. The sun was shining but it was windy which chilled the day down a bit. We sat on the sand and enjoyed some sandy sandwiches and warm Coke. 

 Peter Bernik, from Ukraine and Uncle Chris

Scarlett and I on the beach. 

Jet lag doesn't last long if you only sleep for six hours in 60-some hours. You will fall asleep anytime, anywhere! I managed to stay (mostly) awake, until 7pm, then hit the hay for 14 hours of well-deserved zzzzzzzzzz. I did have trouble keeping my eyes open on the way from the beach to where we are staying and had to close my eyes for a little while. 

Stay tuned for more!

Emily Jo 

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39