We began our trip with a flight to Amsterdam, where we met a friend, John Jansma. We rented a car and drove to the town of Leiden, which we stayed for five nights, while visiting different places of interest in that area. We spent a day in Den Haag, a day at the Keukenhof Gardens, a day in Haarlem, and a day in Delft.
We then visted Gouda and Kinderdijk on our way to our next stop in Zwijndrecht. Here also we visted with Elizabeth's relatives, Paul and Mieke Kleijn, whom we had met previously on the Internet while studying our genealogy. From here, we spent a morning in Dordrecht before visiting some towns in the area where our ancestors has lived.
On our way to our next stop at Leeuwarden, we visited the Open Air Museum near Arnhem. We also stopped in Zwolle, the town where John's ancestors had lived, and we were able to find a record of his father's birth there. We enjoyed a day in Leeuwarden and a day driving around the Frisian countryside, again briefly visiting some of the towns of our ancestors.
Our next drive took us to Amsterdam by way of the Afsluitdijk, an 18 mile dike separating the North Sea from the Ijsselmeer. We enjoyed walks in Amsterdam and parts of two days riding canal boats. The great museums, the Stedelijk, the Van Gogh, and the Rijksmuseum were also very interesting. We were also in Amsterdam for the Queen's birthday, a day of unbelievable celebration. One of the highlights for us, however, was the opportunity to meet and visit with Elizabeth's second cousin and his wife and daughter.
Elizabeth and Don took the train to Paris to spend 5 days there, where we expecially enjoyed the Rodin musuem, the Louvre, the Orsay, and a clothing and textile museum. We also visited Notre Dame, the archaeological crypt below it, and Sainte Chapelle with its spectacular stained glass. We also took a boat ride on the Seine, and spent part of one day walking on the Champs-Élysées.
This site may at a later time include more of the art in the Netherlands and in Paris, as well as some more pictures of our trip, especially at Keukenhof Gardens. So if you enjoyed this, check back again later for additions and improvements.
Start with Leiden.