What I did on my Summer Vacation {our trip to the Netherlands & Paris}

Why yes, that IS a wooden shoe ‘bakfiets’ (cargo / stroller bike) outside of Amsterdam Centraal Station!

Potted Trees in Rotterdam. I found this hilarious and awesome.

We bought beer & cider to drink while we walked the streets of Rotterdam JUST BECAUSE IT’S LEGAL.

I’m considering moving to the Netherlands simply to enjoy the incredibly delicious McDonald’s menu.

…because why SHOULDN’T a cow carry the weight of the world on her shoulders? (It should be noted that this picture was taken in a shop window in Delft, where they paint anything they can get their hands on!)

Food grows in mysterious ways in the Netherlands. I have never before in my life seen conehead cabbage.

At the Afsluitdijk: I’m pretty sure this is the longest dijk in the world. The Dutch are crazy. This thing is 32km long and keeps the ocean (right) from flooding the country. Do you see how much higher the ocean is than the lake?!

My husband estimates that there are about 800 bikes in the sea of metal in front of the University of Groningen. 50% of all trips within this city are taken by bike!

We Airbnb’d it in Groningen and landed in this lovely 1930’s apartment a 10 min bikeride from the city centre. Only downside: Owner smokes in his livingroom so it was a bit stinky.

Above: My grandpa as a child and his family in front of the Brouwer family farm.
Below: Me (youngest grandchild of my grandpa) & Nils Wilting (grandchild of the man who bought the farm from my Grandpa’s family in the 1950’s)

We Airbnb’d it in Paris, too, and weren’t disappointed.

We rented a Vespa for 2 days in Paris. If you ever go to Paris, here’s my advice: DO THIS!!

Besides the 10 seconds during which I managed to snap this photo, we were literally shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists throughout the length of the tour inside the Palace. Next time we’ll head straight to the gorgeous gardens.

Biking the palace grounds at Versailles. You can’t tell here but I’m about 20 minutes away from heat stroke while recovering from the previous night’s bout with the flu.

In spite of the copious amounts of rain, Paris was absolutely incredible. If anyone ever tries to talk you out of going because it’s ‘too cliche’, tell them that’s precisely why you want to go. It is SO worth it!