Wait, there are islands in the Netherlands?

Yes, people, islands. No palm trees, coconuts, or sunshine, but real (and manmade) islands. We had our weekend-long team retreat on Vlieland, the largest of the islands. October isn't the best month for Dutch island-hopping, but we made the best of it. 

We were there for a potential assignment, so it wasn't all fun and games (biking and cranberry-picking), we actually worked hard (in Dutch, mind you!). But the landscape was lovely. Long sandy beaches, a variety of lush green, autumn colors, and nature tours by locals. We stayed in the small main town, on the small main street. It was quaint and quiet, relaxing during our off hours. And the sunrise views were amazing! 

A summer sail!

So far this has been a wonderful summer. Blue skies, warm weather, late sunsets, and weekend time for  bike rides and friends.

And sailing! The Dutch have a long, long history of sailing and I've been wanting to sail here for a long time. Finally our chance came!

Tyler was visiting from California and it just so happened we arranged had a little sailing trip--lucky!
Elliot's colleague, Anna, and her boyfriend live in Almere, a small town northeast of Amsterdam that sits right on bay of the Ijmeer. They live in a really cool development project right on the water; basically their backyard is a dock and their sailboat is their guest room. Cool.

We planned to set sail at 5pm after work, so we could make it to Hoorn by 8pm for dinner. We motored for about 30 minutes until we arrived at the lock. This was my first time in a lock. It was pretty cool. Once we passed the lock, the high swells made it very apparent we were in for a good sail.

Because of the wind direction, we had to re-route a bit and decided that Edam would be a better destination. With the mainsail and jib up, all 5 of us had to sit on the edge of the deck--to balance us out. We were cooking! It was super exhilarating, too. The water was warm (22ºC/74ºF), super shallow, and we all had fun tacking and jumping to the other side of the boat.

It took about 3 hours to get to Edam. Max called the pizza place right when we sailed into the harbor. They took our order and by the time we unwound, changed our clothes, and walked into town, our pizzas were hot and on the table. Perfect. What an evening!

⥥Aboard the Findus

⥥Waiting at the lock

⥥The lock filling with water, and the boat rising with it!

⥥Sailing at about 7 knots (8mi/hr)

⥥Pulling into the Edam harbor

⥥Wind-blown and relaxed!

⥥The Findus harbored in Edam

⥥Captain Anna

⥥Anna and Max

⥥ Walking through charming Edam, and finishing the evening with pizza and wine!

Spring tulips!

Almost overnight the tulips in Sarphati Park bloomed. They are so colorful! And so many different kinds! It's still pretty cold for spring, so although the flowers are out, the sun is not. Another reason to get out of town for a short holiday! Elliot and I are heading to Turkey to meet my parents--and get some well-deserved sun after this super long winter. Hopefully when we get back from Turkey it will really be spring in this country!

A day for a Queen!

Celebrating Queen's Day on April 30 is one of my favorite holidays of all time. And this Queen's Day was the last one! Queen Beatrix has held the throne for about 30 years. Before her, Queen Juliana. Before her, Queen Wilhelmina. Now, we have a King! King Willem-Alexander. Next year, King's Day will be on April 27, the new King's birthday.



Queen's Day is just a super day. It starts early in the morning with garage sales. It's the only day out of the year when you don't need a permit to sell your goods (or services or talents). If you take the time, you can find some great deals.

The sidewalks are full of people selling things (anything from old records, books, clothes, to homemade cakes and cookies) and the parks are full of parents and kids, also selling things like their old toys. Lots of youngsters trying to make some money playing their musical instrument, painting nails, doing silly dances, etc. It's hilarious and super cute.



In the afternoon, street parties take over the city. Bands and DJs take over the plazas. And boats take over the canals. It's a sight to see. Everyone is having a good time. Hoera!