Friday, April 7, 2017

Americans in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, Days 4 and 5

We have been quite lucky with the weather. It has been sunny most days. In April (in Iceland and Amsterdam) that is a tall order! Yesterday we strolled in Amsterdam along the Haarlemmerstraat. Today we took the train to a nearby town called Alkmaar to partake in their Friday Cheese Market, where these guys carry wheels of cheese to be weighed and then they load them on to a boat to take along a canal to be sold.

Picking out croissants at Dirk van den Broek grocery store

Yogurts, stroop waffels....

Kids were so excited when they saw this carnival being erected at Dam Square just outside our apartment

Playpark near Haarlemmerstraat

Small street near Centraal Station

Look what I found in Amsterdam! One week unlimited (for newbies) for only 12 Euros. Excellent price! I went to a class yesterday and it was pretty good.

This is pretty much what the kids do every dinner.


At Amsterdam Centraal Station getting ready to board a train to Alkmaar, site of big cheese fest


Dutch pancake stand in Alkmaar. 

These were REALLY good.

Cheese festival/market in the main square. These men carry 8 blocks of cheese to the weigh station (to the left) and then carry them back to the barrel where they are wheeled off to the canal.

Church in Alkmaar. Very cute city.

More Alkmaar.

Sandwich vendor in the main square at Alkmaar


We got this bike messenger/courier bag for my bike and Olin enjoyed carrying it like a sandwich board. It fit quite well over his head!


Frites in a cone with mayonnaise! Finally! They were very good.


Bubble tea

Dutch countryside on the train

Once we got on to the ferris wheel in Dam Square in Amsterdam, we got some very nice views.


Royal Palace - view from ferris wheel

View down the street to Centraal Station from the ferris wheel

Leelee actually popped a balloon and got a nice stuffed animal as a prize! He was super excited.



"House of Fun"

Olin actually captured one of these Pikachu stuffed animals on his last try! He was so excited!!!

Fun bike. Kid seat on back, kid seat right behind the handlebars, and a front rack. Now when I get home I just want to load up my bike with kids, groceries, and anything else and just ride around! It's a little crazy to ride here, but they definitely follow a sort of erratic order, and once we got the hang of it (after about a day) it was fairly easy, just a little frenzied.

Their prizes.



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