Amsterdam part II

Alright, this is actually taken in my father's apartment in downtown Vancouver. And this is no Dutch girl either. It's Rhodri in costume telling his aunty Katy all about his fabulous trip to Holland and about Rembrandt, the king of silly hats.



 Say "Holy schlamola! 8 steaming bowls of gooey, delicious, melted cheese." On our last night in Amsterdam we were on our way to the restaurant we supped at on our first night in the city when we happened across a fondue palace. Okay, it is not actually a palace but it is an amazing place. 2 1/2 storeys (not stacked vertically) up, we dined with the enormous windows open overlooking the street and a huge church next door. In the basement/first storey a man melts different local cheeses and prepares other food (I guess although who really cares so long as the cheese gets melted?). On floor 1 1/2 there is a tiny bar and the washroom. Above that, sort of, is the dining area. I have no idea how the lady with the baby carriage got up here. But I know why she did. What a feast we had!



About an hour train ride outside Amsterdam is the town of Appeldoorn. Ride a bus for 30 minutes past the town centre and you will find yourself at a private forest full of 1,000 white bicycles. With your price of admission you can use any of the bicycles to cycle through the countless kilometres of bike paths. You can also visit the Kröller-Müller Museum. See the picture in the “Ahhhhhh” post for some of the art there. This really is a must-see for any art lover traveling near Amsterdam. Above is a picture of Rhodri looking contemplative in the cafeteria there. Word to the wise: cafeterias in art galleries are hard to beat. They are usually affordable and tend to have excellent, original gourmet food. This one did not disappoint.



Clayton feeding the wildlife...


 
and visiting with Monsieur Jacques at the gate to Kröller-Müller Museum.