Amsterdam, Netherlands

After picking up a rental car, we traveled to our hotel in Amsterdam. Then off to the dog show in the northern area of Netherlands called Friesland. Stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast in the town of Hoornsterzwaag with very friendly and helpful hosts.

The garden at the bed and breakfast is beyond words. It is what I would hope to be able to create, if I had an abundance of water and great soil that is. Acres of trees and paths around a lily pond with many fish that you can feed.

We stayed here four nights while Ric worked at the dog show. Steve and I stayed inside for two days as we came down with head colds.





Two of the days that Ric judged, there was a cold wind and rain. We felt bad for him while we stayed and enjoyed the hospitality of our hosts at the B & B.


The people of the Netherlands are very friendly and almost all speak English.



One day we went to a local farmer's market with local goods in a small nearby town. And all that Steve could seem to take pictures of were the Heineken beer maids!

It seems that Friesland has an abundance of cows and corn. These crops are everywhere. We then found a cheese shop. But we found out that most of the stores and restaurants in rural Netherlands do not take credit cards, so we spent time looking for ATM's to get euro's.

There was a cook-off at the local market where the locals competed in smoked eels. We did not try them though.

Also, the public restrooms at the local town left nothing to the imagination!!!