7. In Which I Have Left Amsterdam Twice

On March 1, a month after arriving in Amsterdam, I made my first excursion outside of Amsterdam. Amsterdam becomes incredibly crowded on the weekends, because it is a huge weekender destination. I don’t like how crowded it becomes, so I tend to stay in my apartment, but I don’t want to waste my time here, so I decided that I need to start making day excursions to destinations outside of Amsterdam. So, on March 1st and March 8th I made two separate trips.

On March 1st my excursion was to an open-air museum just 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam. It is a traditional Dutch village called Zaanse Schans. You really just stroll around, and they have demonstrations at some of the stops. It is also a great place to take the touristy windmill pictures. I spent between 2 and 3 hours there. I took some great pictures. The two big places to visit were the cheese shop and the wooden clog mill. I was able to sample all sorts of cheese. I really have developed a strong liking for goat cheese. The wooden clog mill was fascinating, too. The first part of the clog shop was a museum that detailed the history of the wooden clog in the Netherlands. Next came a demonstration stage, and finally the gift shop. There were all sorts of clogs in all sorts of clogs. I found a pair that was green with white polka dots that I liked. I think I may go back to get those, as they will be perfect for convocation. It was fun, but there wasn’t much going on. I have a feeling that it will pick up when the tourist seasons gets more into full swing.

The following weekend, March 8th, I made another trip outside of Amsterdam. This time my trip was to a town closer to the coast called Beverwijk. In Beverwijk there is a famous Bazaar. You pay €2 to get in, and it is pretty much a giant fair ground and flea market. It had tons of food, stands, and children’s carnival rides. I didn’t take any pictures, but it was unbelievable how big it was. There were different areas; i.e. China Town, Computer & Electronics Hall, Food Hall, etc. It was crazy. I bought a blanket for my bed, a pair of rain boots, and a bike light (which ended up not working). For lunch I had a Turkish pizza, which I enjoyed immensely. I need to find a Turkish pizza place here in Amsterdam. Someone mentioned that there is one near my apartment building, but I haven’t come across it yet. Yeah, so that was my second trip outside of Amsterdam. So, I think I will go now, but I will post again soon.