Blog # 15: Amsterdam, Time To Leave
Our Daughter, Heather, Encouraged Us To Try The Apple Pie.
It Was The Best!
We Started The Day Touring The Outskirts of Amsterdam By Visiting Muiderslot Castle
Naturally, Castles Must Have A Drawbridge...
Period Furniture Added To The Ambience
People Slept Partially Sitting Up and Cuddled Together. The "Sitting Up" Was Due To A Myth That Lying Prone Was Like In A Coffin And If Sleeping laying down, God Would Take You To Heaven. No One Wanted That Situation. Cuddling Kept People Warm And, Of Course, More Babies
Rembrandt-Like Painting
Typical Castle Door Lock Concept
Part Of A Castle Art Exhibit -
Discarded Plastic Junk Turned Into Something Pretty
Recently Commissioned. Try And Find 409 Ants Painted/Hidden Within The Flowers!
When In Rome; Whoops...Holland
FYI: The Country Was Always Called The Netherlands. It Got It's "Other Name" (Holland) From The Port Area Or County Called "Holland" Where Most of The Trade Occurred. Traders Would Say, "We're Going To Holland" Meaning Going On A Business Trip. The Name, "Holland," Stuck Until Recently
Weather Changed From A Brisk 50's To almost 90 Degrees
We Had An Excellent Private Guide Who Informed Us About Things And Situations That We Certainly Did Not Know About - Especially About Wooden Shoes And Windmills
We Had No Idea Wooden Shoes Were Made For Different Purposes
Left: Keeping Feet Clean/Dry From Mud And Water
Right: Engraving Provided A More Luxurious Look
The Basic Wooden Shoe Could Be Fashioned By Hand Within Two Hours...
...Or Two Minutes By Machine
A Presentation Provided A Better Understanding How These Shoes Were Made Historically And Currently
These Shoes Were More For Decorations, And Tourists
If The Shoe Fits...
There Were Several Homes - Still Occupied - Which Provided Perspectives Of Everyday Living. A Tiled Fireplace Is In The Background.
Cookie Molds
Peat Used For House Siding. Peat Is Bog Or Swamp Material Used For Heating, Cooking Or Protection From The Elements. In The Case Of Homes, The Peat Is "Burned" Or Hardens The Material To Make It "Weather Proof."
Cotton Paper Was Made From This Area And Used For Our Declaration Of Independence
Working Windmills With Different Purposes: Pumping Water, Grinding Grain, Cutting Wood, Etc.
Well Worth The Time To See The Windmills
Next Stop: Quaint, Picturesque Fishing Village Is A Draw For Both Local And Foreign Tourists
Fishing Boat Used To Catch Herring And Other Marine Life
Last Laugh For Us: From Our Initial Perspective, We Thought She Was Real
Buddies
This Hut Was Set Up For Old, Lonely People To Get Together And Socialize. There Were About A Half-Dozen Folks Sitting And Staring At The Walls. No One Was Talking. :(
All Of The Dykes Need Continual Repair. In This Case, They Are Increasing The Height To Keep The Water From Spilling Over During Windy Times.
Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch Or In This Case, A Farm.
We Visited A Holstein Facility. These Cattle Are Allowed To Roam Freely In A Fenced Off Area. If Hungry, They Can Meander On Their Own To A Feeding Area. When It's Time To Be Milked (Twice A Day), They Go (Again On Their Own) To The Milking Area.
...They Are Automatically Milked.
The Cow And Milking Devices Are Continually Cleaned To Avoid Bacteria Contamination
Robot Cleaning Device - Picks Up The Poop
If Needed, Cows Can Get An Automatic Back Massage or Bath. Everything Is So Automated That It (Only) Takes Two Young Woman To Operate The Entire Facility
The Day Was Finished By Visiting a Cheese Factory
Whey And Curd
Timing Was Perfect. We Were The Only Visitors.
A Private Orientation Was Provided By The Facility
Say, "Cheese!"
Arlene Loves Riding Tractors
This Is Actually A One Person Car
Time To Say "Good-bye" To Amsterdam. Hopefully We Will Be Able To Return. There Is So Much More To See.
This Must Have Been A Slow day Or These Baggage Handlers Are Very Efficient
40 Minute Flight - Twenty Minutes To Eat A Rushed, Great Tasting Meal. Why Can't American Carriers Offer The Same Amenities As Foreign Airlines?
Now In Heathrow (London) - Next Stop, New York!
Interesting!
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