With only 2 days left in the Netherlands, I had quite a bit of catching up to do in terms of tasting the local delicacies. On Tuesday, Michelle took me to meet her parents who live in the middle of the Netherlands (where she grew up). We stopped at a park for tea and cake and then went for a nice walk in an area that felt like a forest with castles and a beautiful city building.
We drove along the river to her parents house where we had Dutch pancakes (one with cheese and one with apples). Michelle’s parents have done some amazing things with their business and I really enjoyed meeting them. I also appreciated the homemade pancakes and the local wine! Again, I was having such a good time I forgot to take pictures.
On Wednesday I decided to find as many fruits and vegetables as I could to eat that day. I started out with a cappuccino and lemon poppyseed cake for breakfast before a 2 1/2 hour walking tour.
On the walking tour we started in the Red Light district where the ladies in bikinis posed across from a church and next to a kindergarten. When asked about the naked ladies behind the windows, the children say they can’t wear many clothes because they get too hot under the red lights and plus when they are done standing behind the windows they go swimming so they need to wear their bathing suits. Everyone seems to be okay with it. On the tour I learned that the Dutch are very tolerant and if people want to do things that they don’t like, they’ll find a way to make money from it. That’s why the church in the heart of the red light district did so well– when the sailors would sin, they would go to the church and pay a little contribution to get their sins forgiven. It was helpful to be in a convenient location. We also saw the secret catholic churches and the jewish neighborhoods. It was a great tour.
After the tour I had to have a Heineken and some croquettes (a local bar snack). They are kind of like deep fried meatballs, but I was surprised how gooey they were inside (it’s difficult to describe- they have meat in them and they are shaped like balls but when I say gooey inside, which they were, I picture gross raw meat inside, which was not the case. You’re just going to have to go try them yourself). Soon I was surrounded by men wearing red and white jerseys. They started singing a song that seemed to be a chant for their sport team. The chanting echoed across the square, bouncing off the sides of buildings. They lit fireworks that filled the air with pink smoke. At first I thought a team had won a game and were having drinks to celebrate. But then as I meandered through the maze of the center, making one last round of this beautiful city, I realized everyone in town was dressed in their jerseys and ready to party! I saw a sign that said Amsterdam’s team would be playing Manchester at 8pm– the game hadn’t even started yet! The trams were filled with sports fans who would sing the song and beat their fists on the windows. The fans on the outside of the tram would beat the windows too! I’m sorry Bronco fans, but these guys were putting you to shame! The celebrations rivaled the reaction to a super bowl win and the game hadn’t even started yet!
Finally, I found a Haring stand where I had another local delicacy with onions and pickles. So much for eating plants today. Maybe I’ll make healthier choices in Paris (I know… unlikely).