Howdy from Gouda

(Makes more sense if you pronounce Gouda in Dutch as Howda)

“If traveling was free, you’d never see me again.” – Ken Poirot

*Our big splurge was staying at this fancy dancy hotel in Gouda.*

*But, more notable is the history of the building and this huge painting.*

*We never dreamed that the painting was A) an original painting B) that it*’s *over 400 years old and C) that those were the actual plans for the orphanage.*

…*Brittany’s room was in a loft up a steep flight of stairs.*

*We rented bikes in town and headed out.*

*Couldn’t resist posting this little cutie that we biked past.*

*We pedaled two hours to Kinderdijk to see 19 historic windmills – all built in the mid 1700’s.*

*Looking pretty good after close to 300 years, I’d say!*

Full disclosure – I took these videos when we visited a village called Zaanse Schans.

So very peaceful ☺️

*The photographer getting some closeups of the locals.*

*We had to take a ferry to cross the river to get back and forth to Kinderdijk.*

*When we first saw this bathtub* *in the middle of our bedroom we exclaimed, “ what are we going to do with that in our ‘family’ room?”*

*Well, I have to tell you, it really came in handy for doing our laundry!*

*This market building in the center of the town square had a quaint show that we watched several times.*

Fun stuff!

Like Hoorn, Gouda has a community run aviary and here’s Brittany working on her communication skills 😉

*Beautiful town but time to hit the road again. Taking the train to Weesp – stay tuned!*

Home in Hoorn

“And this is what the traveler discovers: In this great and endlessly fascinating world of ours, everywhere can be home.” – Meredith Moraine

*Hoorn is a very pretty town with a picturesque harbor.*

*We walked this path sooo many times on our way to and from the train station.*

*We’re actually standing on the fietspad (cycle path) here – the bikes ride through this short “tunnel” back and forth from town.*

*We happened upon this community run aviary and stopped every time to marvel at the large variety of birds there.*

*Also, along this path we spotted this quaint duck apartment* *in the middle of the river.*

*I found* *this sculpture to be very touching – dated 1945 – I think it was in memory of the millions of people who perished in concentration camps during the holocaust.*

*This is a modern memorial to people, sometimes children, who have died more recently*. *Each butterfly had a name and date engraved on it.*

*Ok, after arriving at our hotel, we headed to dinner. Found a great place, food was good (foodies will see pics later*) *but this is what impressed me! The door indicating the ladies room.*

*I knew you’d ask – so here’s the men’s door.*

*We rented bikes near the train station and headed out to explore the area.*

*This was an interesting monument- or memorial – don’t ask me,* *it’s all in Dutch!*

*Sometimes we shared the path with sheep – fun stuff!*

*There was a 10 day Kermis (carnival) going on in the center of town.*

*Ya know how it works, you play a game to win a stuffed animal or stuffed avocado…*

…*or you can even win a giant pink penis – wait! What now!*?!

*We got over the shock of that sight by getting ice cream, topped with the richest whipped cream ever and served in an edible waffle cup. Delicious!!!*

*Less graphic ladies room sign* *at our B & B.*

*Well? Maybe only a little less graphic*.

*Just chillin’ on a bridge over a canal.*

*One night we hopped a bus from Hoorn to Edam for dinner.*

*I wanted to include this pic because 10 years ago we stayed here with John and Belinda and have wonderful memories of that trip* ❤️

*A note to my lovely followers – some of you have told me you’ve been having technical difficulty commenting on my posts. I want you to know how much I love hearing from you, please know you can always email or text me!

Alkmaar, again?

“When you choose to collect experiences rather than things, you never run out of storage space.” – Joshua Becker

My veteran follows will recognize this as the “prison” that we stayed in two years ago – Since Brittany decided to travel with us for a couple of weeks in the Netherlands, we decided to return to this unique hotel with her.

*Alkmaar is a very pretty town with plenty of canals to enjoy.*

*“Of course Brittany if you’re going to the Netherlands, you’ll want to bike!” It didn’t take long for us to find a windmill or a kitty when we set out on our first explore!*

*This kitty looks a lot like her kitty at home – Nic*o – *Oh! And by the way, she’s a childless (I prefer childfree) cat lady!!!* 😉

*We biked through sand dunes and I was impressed with the herringbone path that we rode on.*

*Oh and the sand dunes were pretty impressive, too!*

*I also loved the heather that decorated the dunes.*

*Success! We made it to the North Sea and it was lovely.*

*Any Whovian will recognize this as a Dalek – for everyone else, it’s a trash bin.*

Alkmaar’s biggest building isn’t the church or the Town Hall, but the richly decorated Weigh House, used since the 16th century for weighing cheese. The right to weigh, sell, and tax cheese is what put Alkmaar on the map in the Middle Ages, and it’s still what the town is celebrated for today.

“*Think about the udder importance of cheese to this culture—wheying the fact that it has long kept the Dutch economy moo-ing.” –* Rick Steves

*These tiny pancakes are called poffertjes – fascinating to watch the process of making them and delicious to eat!* 😋

*and Brittany and I ordered “butter chicken”*. *The difference was that mine dish was made with roasted cauliflower instead of chicken. Everyone enjoyed their dishes!*

*We biked amongst the polders – reclaimed land.*

And spotted unique birds – like this Eurasian Oyster Catcher. Fun fact: it does NOT eat oysters 🤷🏾‍♀️

Parting glance of Utrecht

“Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” – Leigh Hunt

*Dinner on the canal at the end of a long travel day and still looking adorable* (*er, I mean capable & confident*)❣️

*Walking along the river I spotted this grey heron posing for all that pass* *by.*

*In the Netherlands they have attached these can/bottle holders for people to collect and turn in for deposit money. So much kinder than having people dig through the trash.* ❤️

Day One – Utrecht

“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, healthy, free and the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.” – Walt Whitman

*On the first leg of our trip we have a surprise guest star along – our very own Brittany*❣️

*In an effort to stay awake today and get over jet lag asap*, *we went on a city walking tour with Jeffery. We strolled around town with him (and 30 of our new friends), he was informative, entertaining and just plain fun !*

*We walked through this beautiful, graffiti filled tunnel*.

*One of our stops was at this beautiful church where we learned…*

*that this pulpit and stairs were carved from one solid piece of cedar from Lebanon.*

*doubles as a Catholic Church every Sunday morning when then have a service in French.*

Up until about five years ago this library looked quite traditional, until “someone” decided more children would visit if the facade were more colourful. The townspeople did not agree and, in fact, it did not bring in more kids! 🤷🏽‍♀️

*But I have to say that, other than the round florescent lighting, the inside of this library is gorgeous! The half domed ceiling is just beautiful!*

A tourist stopped by the library for an impromptu performance – lovely.

*This sign amused me – zero euros for parking your bike for 24 hours.*

In 2011 this sculpture was erected to commemorate Napoleon. But wait! Stay with me here – Napoleon took over a huge dwelling in 1805 and remained until 1811. The townspeople weren’t fans of this dictator. Before he left town he spoke to the community in their Dutch language. As he referred to himself as a “king” he mistakingly used the word “rabbit” ! *Ripples of laughter spread throughout the city as the citizens got the “joke”*

Okay, this tower that is fondly referred to by one and all as the “Dom” – this is our third visit to Utrecht and it’s the first time we’ve seen the Dom. It was under renovation for the last six years and we were determined to see it unshrouded.

*It is visible from nearly everywhere in the city.*

We were so happy to finally see and it did not disappoint!

Michigan My Michigan

“Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

Murph planned a bit of a mystery trip for our anniversary last weekend. Our first stop was in the metropolis of Columbiaville, Mi – heard of it? Yeah, me neither! Anyway, we had lunch at the one & only café around. This sign was in the ladies room – what now!?!

*This sign was also in that same restroom. Quite a juxtaposition, right? After lunch we biked a very nice rail trail that started in Columbiaville and ended in Millington 10 miles north.*

*Luckily, after our ride we drove to Caro, Mi to spend the night at this lovely B&B*.

*A beautiful 1890’s home,* *lovingly restored by the current owners.*

*It took any entire year of hard work but it certainly must have been gratifying.*

*Murph even preordered these chocolate covered strawberries – yes! we dug in before I thought to snap a pic* 😋

*After breakfast in Caro we drove to Midland where they have the “tridge”* *– a 3 way bridge where two rivers meet – the Tittabawassee River and the Salt River.*

*It’s an interesting site but we were really there to bike the Pere Marquette rail trail.*

and nice views of the Tittabawassee, too!

*Pretty wildflowers along the route – this one is in the lily family.*

*Nicely surfaced for smooth riding – Oh, hi Murph!*

*After our ride we headed over to the Dow Gardens (also in Midland).*

*Along with wonderful flower gardens they had this fun exhibit taking place.*

*Spotted this little gardener in action!*

*They have a pretty cool canopy walk here – the longest in the nation at 1400’ and at places 40’ high. This rope bridge* *was part of the experience.*

*Murph was eager to try it out and I was eager to get a pic!* 😉

Playing leap frog – of course!!!

Don’t Doubt Detroit

“Life isn’t about how fast you run or how high you climb, it’s about how well you bounce.” – Tigger

We parked at Belle Isle and headed out on our bikes. First stop on our ride was the Oudolf Garden Detroit. A few years ago the Detroit Garden Club contacted Piet Oudolf – a renown Dutch garden designer – *and asked for his help in laying out a perennial garden on the island. It’s amazingly beautiful no matter the season.*

*We biked around the island and over the bridge to the Detroit River Walk, thrilled by the fact that after a multi year wait, the path is completely done and accessible* *for all to* enjoy!

*And wetlands with the RenCen (Renaissance Center) coming into view.*

*Detroit has a rich Underground Railroad history.*

Thrilled to stop & listen to this Motown band along our route.

*Nice mural with our “People Mover” passing by on the right.*

*Grabbed lunch in the garden* *of our favorite deli.*

*Biking up to the Michigan Central Station was definitely a* *thrill!*

*Built in 1913 – for 76 years this was our Ellis Island – it operated* a hub of Detroit life, the place where new immigrants arrived in the city and where soldiers left for World War II. But America’s transportation network changed, and the 18 story station closed in 1988. Scavengers and vandals turned the site into a symbol of urban ruin.

Imagine buying a house with a flooded basement and discovering a secret second basement (also flooded). Then you realize standing water has so corroded the steel beams that support the building that they resemble Swiss cheese. This is what Bill Ford and his team encountered after Ford Motor Co purchased “the station” in 2018. But look at it now!!!

*Despite setbacks that included a global pandemic and running years behind schedule, Ford refused to give up. So,* *look at it now!*

*A few days ago the doors*
*opened for all to tour!*

*We walked along this “ribbon”* *laid out along the great hall – rich with pictures and information and marveled at this great feat!*

*Way too much to say about our experience here but I do want to share this one story.*

*This is where that clock will be returned.*

*Heading back along the Detroit River with nice views of Windsor Ontario.*

*Renovations of the Belle Isle Conservatory are well under way on Belle Isle too!*

An iconic view on the island is the Scott’s Fountain.

Meanwhile

After spending most of the winter in Florida, we are happy to be back in good ole Rochester Michigan!

“We shape clay into a pot, but it’s the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.” – Tao Te Ching

*Walking back from the yoga studio that I go to on the other side of our park, I stop to admire this sun dial. Erected in 2017 to commemorate our 200th year of becoming a town.*

*After a couple of years, a swing was added to complement the sundial. (a bit of foreshadowing in this pic) Fun fact: when Murph and I were dating we used to walk over to the park and sit on* *the old swing* 😉

*Beautiful perennial gardens for all to enjoy!*

*When spotted admiring the flowers a man insisted on taking my pic.* 🤷🏽‍♀️

This guy! Playing a piece from Les Miserable – I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie!

*Paint Creek runs the length of our park and beyond.*

*I love this cool mural that is on the side of the maintenance shed*❣️

*Look very close – zoom in – do you see what I see? (a blue heron)*

*Nothing better that splashing around in the creek on a warm morning.*

Walking back home we hit another jewel in Rochester – the Paint Creek Trail – it’s one of three local rail trails that we have. This one runs north approx 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) to a neighboring town. The Paint Creek parallels the entire path.