Canals & Clogs

Ben, Bec & I in our favourite shop in Turkey - so many treats in such a small area :) The tiles are so cool and add to the excellent atmosphere that this shop has. And the owner is the cutest guy I've seen since I started travelling! (see picture in Turkish Delights post...!) Even though this photo does not strictly fit in with the theme of Canals & Clogs, it's one of my favourites so therefore it is allowed entry :) And I'm the boss of this blog, so I can do what I want!!!

Hello everyone,

Here is an update from Holland!

I left Turkey on Friday afternoon at 2:00pm, which was a little sad because I'd had such a great time there. I caught the tram from Istanbul to Ataturk airport which was an experience in itself. For some strange reason, trams in Istanbul sometime bounce back to their starting point - who knows why! That happened to me on Friday morning when I ducked out to do the last few things before I left Turkey, which was odd, but it didn't bother me too much because I knew where I was going. Then on my way to the airport (which is a two tram exercise) it happened again. On the second tram it bounced back.... a bit of a problem because I probably hadn't given myself enough of a time window to account for these types of things. I sorted it out, though, and made it to the airport, only to be greeted by a VERY LONG LINE! Thankfully I had checked in online the previous evening so I could skip the line and head straight to the bag drop. It was very fortunate that I could do that because, as it was, I was one of the last passengers on the plane..... next time I will give myself those few extra minutes I think!

I arrived in Holland on Queen's Day. A day where Dutchies have the day off to party :) Amsterdam was chock-a-block with people, orange clothing and flags and even more chock-a-block with rubbish :) Quite a surprise! Saturday was spent exploring the city. On Sunday I listened to some sermons & played around on the internet and on Monday I caught up with Janita, which was heaps of fun :)

Now I'm spending time with Janita and enjoying all that Holland has to offer.

Enjoy the photos.

Love to you all and a BIG HUG and KISS to Mum, Dad, Phil, Lauren & Stuart xxxxx

Sarah

This was the first thing I saw when I walked off the plane. It made me laugh so much because it's so typically Dutch. What a contrast to Turkey!
Then, when I stepped off the train from Schipol Airport, I walked up the stairs to exit the train station and the first thing I saw was a canal. There was no escaping the fact that I was in Holland - the signs were everywhere :)

Outside the Anne Frank House, which I visited on Saturday

Quite unassuming-you would never guess the history it holds when you stand outside

Anne Frank. It's amazing to think that such a young girl wrote such a detailed, informative and emotional diary that showed a maturity beyond her years. It was such a powerful experience walking through the rooms that were the hiding place for 8 Jews during WW2. In one way, the space is bigger than what I expected but when you consider the fact that it formed the whole world for 8 people, it seems to decrease in size... does that make sense?

Swans sleeping. Did you know that they tuck their heads in like that?

The house in the middle is the skinniest house in Holland - unbelievable hey!

I was pretty excited to see my first clog - it was a really big one so that made it even better

I expected to see bikes everywhere, which I have, but it's still a novelty. It's just so cool to see people riding and to see bikes tied in every possible place - I have made the mistake of walking on the bike path and it's actually quite surprising that I haven't been hit by one :)

Tulips! I walked through the flower market on Saturday and I saw tulips everywhere! They are such stunning flowers - A gentle hint: tulips are my favourite :)

A beautiful Dutch canal - the lights look really pretty, don't you think?

On Monday I caught up with Janita and we spent the day in Amsterdam. It was very rainy and bitterly cold! First stop, the Van Gogh Museum where we waited in the rain for an hour to buy our tickets. It was freezing but I'm thankful to say that the hour was worth it. The Museum holds so many masterpieces; wherever you look you can find a new favourite! It was amazing to see how Van Gogh's style changed throughout his years as an artist - you could really tell that he sought inspiration from his surroundings as well as from other artists that he worked with, in order to develop his skills further.

World famous - Van Gogh's Sunflowers

An attempt at a photo of one of Van Gogh's famous pieces. Flowers were the subject of so many of his works.

Heineken - the oldest family owned brewery in the world. It's been in the family for 4 generations and produces a beer that is loved WORLDWIDE! You should experience the same Heineken flavour wherever you drink it, thanks to the special Heineken yeast :) Apparently the world is happier when there is a little more green - Heineken green, that is!

Two tourists + boards that you can stick your head in = a few cheesy photos!

And again...

Can't argue with that can you?!

The key components to a good beer - water, barley, hops - which absolutely STINK, kinda like really smelly feet - and yeast. Heineken has their own special yeast which gives the beer its distinct flavour :)

CHEERS!

Janita and I enjoying a beer at the Heineken Brewery

To prove that I was there! If only this beer mat could fit into my backpack.... :)

Isn't this clever?!?! The bottles connect together to form 'bricks', so you can create sustainable housing just by having a beer! Seems like a good idea to have more than one, hey!

I was in Holland for 5 days before I spotted any droppies. And there I was thinking that I had the best droppie radar of anyone! Must not be the droppie freak that I thought I was....!