I’ve got friends in low places

We just got back from a long weekend in the Netherlands, visiting friends in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The trip was a fabulous mix between catching up, sightseeing, eating, drinking, and relaxing. I highly recommend convincing some of your friends to move to this country, too.

We started out in Rotterdam, a city I’d never been to before. Much of the city was destroyed in WWII, but it still had some charming older style buildings in parts. The newer buildings were pretty impressive, too. Like Amsterdam, Rotterdam was full of gorgeous architecture, new and old. And the Indonesian dinner we had was delicious.

Next it was Kinderdijk. No, I can’t pronounce that. This area is a World Heritage Site, and gosh am I glad someone thought to preserve it. The thatched-roof windmills are so picturesque it hurts. We enjoyed a lovely stroll and went inside the one windmill that is open to the public.

Then it was on to the adorable town of Delft for lunch, afternoon wandering, and Belgian beer drinking. It was a market day, so the town was lively and animated. Plenty of canals, churches, and narrow houses. I’m starting to recognize some trends in Dutch urban planning.

Amsterdam was the trip’s grand finale. We didn’t do much in the way of tourism here this time, although we did have lunch with a fabulous view from the top-floor restaurant at the new library – something I would definitely recommend for tourists. It’s as least as much fun as the Sex Museum.

More photos from our trip on my Flickr.